Just south of Kanab, The Bunting Trail, part of the Kanab tail system, is a hidden gem A lovely hike with a lot to see; a dinosaur track, rock art, and expansive views The hike has a few options for distance, with the dinosaur track being the shortest I would rate the dinosaur track and a good outing for most Continuing up to the rock art and summits is a bit more strenuous, but still very approachable by most if motivated It is a popular trail, and I saw quite a few groups on my early morning visit Some seemingly ...

The Newfoundland Mountains are a remote and rugged mountain range located in northwestern Utah, rising abruptly from the salt flats of the Great Salt Lake Desert These mountains are part of Box Elder County and are largely isolated from other mountain ranges, making them a distinct feature The remoteness of the area makes it a serious undertaking to visit To visit requires over 40 miles of dirt roads ranging from good to washboard and rutted just to get to the edge of the range A medium clearance vehicle is likely ...

High atop the Big Horn Mountains in northern Wyoming lies one of North America's most enigmatic and sacred indigenous sites: the Medicine Wheel This ancient structure, located at nearly 10,000 feet, consists of a central cairn connected to an outer ring by 28 radial stone spokes Measuring roughly 80 feet across, the Medicine Wheel has long fascinated archaeologists, historians, and spiritual seekers alike Though the exact age of the wheel is debated, carbon dating of nearby artifacts suggests it may be over 700 yea...

Bingo is one of the mini slots Dave found and documented in 2009 I had done Sawtooth which starts at the same trailhead, but had never gotten back to check out the others in the area Bingo turned out to be a pleasant surprise The goods are very short, but also very good A relatively short approach leads to a deeply cut and narrow slot that is long enough and provides enough difficulty to be fun, but not overwhelming The skilled can downclimb many of the drops, while the timid and less experienced may do a handful o...

How many Cottonwood Washes are there in Utah I can think of many, and at least two in the San Rafael area This one is just east of UT-24 on the way to Hanksville From the highway, the area appears to be rolling sage brush plain and not particularly interesting Up close, however, the area contains several canyons, slickrock cliffs, and relics of when the ancient people passed through and lived in the area This hike meanders down Cottonwood Wash, visiting a ruin and panel en route before circling back to the car Thou...

Tucked into the eastern slopes of the Wind River Mountains, Sinks Canyon State Park in Wyoming is a hidden gem Just six miles southwest of Lander, this unique canyon is named for the remarkable natural phenomenon where the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River disappears underground into a limestone cavern - known as "The Sinks" - only to reemerge a quarter mile downstream at "The Rise" Sinks Canyon offers a wealth of outdoor activities for visitors of all skill levels and interests Hikers can explore a network of tra...

Antelope Island is the largest island in the Great Salt Lake, and home to Frary Peak, the highest peak on the island The hike is about 35 miles one way with just over 2000' of elevation gain Long enough and steep enough to require a bit of fitness, but accessible to most The trail along the ridgeline and summit offer excellent views of the Wasatch Front to the east and the West Desert to the west On a good weather weekend, the trail is very popular The island is most famously known for its buffalo herds that wander...

Sand Island Petroglyph Panel is a large panel near Bluff On the banks of the San Juan River, it is easy to envision this lush area as a gathering place for ancient peoples The west panel is extensive, with literally hundreds of figures, and dates from the earliest inhabitants of the area through the Pueblo III period AD 1150 to 1350 There are a few more modern inscriptions mixed in as well A new 1-mile roundtrip trail on the east side of the campground visits several additional rock arts sites None are as big as th...

Today, Lakeside is a remote point of land on the west side of the Great Salt Lake In 1901, the scene was very different In that year, the settlement of Lakeside was created by railroad workers preparing to span the Great Salt Lake with a trestle bridge This enormous engineering effort would shave 44 miles off the existing train route north via Promontory Point, saving time and money Trestle construction began in February 1902 and completed in March 1904 Once complete, Lakeside was left abandoned back to the wilds I...

If you have ever passed through Utah Valley, you will have noticed the Y on the east side of the valley The emblem of Brigham Young University, the Y on the hillside, has been an iconic feature of the valley for over 100 years and is a very popular hike Having seen the Y hundreds of times as I passed through the finally, Diane and I finally took the time to visit it and do the hike The hike is very popular, and done by all ages That being said, it is a steep hike, gaining almost 1000 feet of elevation in just over ...