Providence Cave, perched high above Logan in an alpine setting, provides a good outing for the family with competent leadership The cave itself is easy, except for a couple of tight squeezes at the beginning This is best enjoyed during the heat of the summer or early fall Roads will be impassable in the winter/spring Note: Jon Jasper has an excellent survey map on his website of the cave Well worth printing and bringing with you

Often described as "an incredible hike", the Chute of Muddy Creek is also often followed up closely by "but what a long day" This is a pretty accurate description From Tomsich Butte to Hidden Splendor is a long day hike, but is through one of the most impressive non-technical canyons in the Swell This is a must do for fit hikers It can be backpacked, but Muddy Creek is not suitable for filtering or drinking, making water availability a problem There are small springs in lower Chimney Canyon, but by that time, you a...

Moonhouse, in my opinion, is one of the most interesting ruins that is easy to visit on Cedar Mesa It is estimated to have been constructed about 800 years ago, with a unique design The ruins namesake room, Moon House, is a room with the moon painted on opposite walls Access is easy via a relatively short, but stunning hike The trail descends from the mesa, crosses the canyon, and visits Moon House proper, as well as several other ruins, granaries, and a kiva in the area Moon House Ruin is one not to be missed in m...

Separating the Wasatch Range from to the west from Woodruff, Randolf, and Wyoming to the east, the Monte Cristo Range runs north-south for about 30 miles State Highway 39 crosses the range and offers exquisite views and a winding road often frequented by motorcyclists Monte Cristo Peak, the tallest point in the range at 9,148, sits a very short distance off the highway and makes a great family friendly leg stretch when passing through the area A note on timing UT-39 is closed in the winter, roughly from November to...

Ash Springs Hot Springs is an oasis in the broad open expanse of the Pahragant Valley The springs crystal clear waters have a temperature in the mid-90s, about perfect for a soak! The springs have a long history of being enjoyed by visitors Not far south of the springs is the Ash Springs Rock Art site, showing Native American peoples used the area and, undoubtedly, the hot springs Though the springs are on BLM land, in 2013, the BLM closed the springs, citing public safety and environmental damage Currently, the sp...

The Fielding Garr Ranch was settled in 1848, a mere year after the Mormon pioneers first came to the Wasatch Front The ranch, on the southeastern side of Antelope Island, is one of the oldest ranches in the Western United States and is at Garr Springs, one of the largest springs on Antelope Island Fielding Garr, for whom the ranch is named, was the man that started it He was a widower with nine children that was instructed to start the ranch by the LDS church The ranch became part of the newly designated Antelope I...

McDonald Creek, part of the McInnis Canyon National Conservation Area, is a lovely hike that meanders down to the Colorado River This is a fairly diverse hike, starting up in the open flats and slowly working down through sandstone layers before reaching the Colorado River in the picturesque Ruby Canyon En route, a very short slot and a couple of rock art sites, adding cherries to the top of an already great hike Note: The area around McDonald Creek has grown immensely in popularity in the last few years, leading t...

The discovery of the cave by George Simms in 1956 marked the beginning of a fascinating journey into what is now known as the Crystal Ball Cave Intrigued by a hole in the ground he stumbled upon while searching for lost sheep on Spring Mountain, Simms witnessed a breathtaking sight as the early morning sun illuminated the depth of the cave Recognizing its potential significance, he enlisted the help of his nephews to explore the underground wonder What they found surpassed all expectations The cave is heavily decor...

San Juan River was one of my most sought after trips that took me a long time to actually do! The section described here, from Sand Island to Mexican Hat, is a 27-mile float through both geological wonder and Native American rock art and ruins that are absolutely stunning to behold This is one of the finest floats in Utah and very family friendly Permit: The trip requires a permit The permit system is a lottery that is drawn months in advance For details on the lottery, or to enter, see the Recreationgov site I am ...

03/26/2023 with group of 4 with minimal issues although it is definetely tough to find the mouth of the canyon after the old jeep road fades Super fun rappel and pretty hike out but hopefully you can shuttle or get picked up at road because the road walking is pretty unfortunate