Lewis Lodge is likely one of the best, if not the best Native American ruin on Cedar Mesa It certainly wins hands down for position First found in 1956 by Dick Lewis, the ruin contains a complex of 44 rooms and kivas The position certainly makes the habitat very easy to defend The ruins themselves date back the the thirteenth century, and are an amazing example of the architecture of the time WARNING: Visiting the ruins requires hiking on very exposed ledges This hike is NOT RECOMMENDED for kids, dogs, or people af...

Of the three hikes that start from the White Pine Trailhead White Pine Lake, Red Pine Lakes, and Maybird Gulch, this is by far my favorite The hike follows an old service road for its entire length, which makes for less steep grades than Red Pine and Maybird, but it also offers bigger views sooner Though White Pine Lake is small and not as picturesque as the Red Pine Lakes, the setting and overall views are better at White Pine in my opinion The high country keeps snow until at least mid-June Summer brings wildflow...

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...

Middle Basin, reached from the Christmas Meadows trailhead, is home to two major lakes, Ryder and McPheters Unlike the other two basins that are reached from the Christmas Meadows trailhead, Amethyst and West Basin which holds Kermsuh Lake, Middle Basin is less visited and offers much more solitude Of the three basins, I would say Amethyst Basin is the most striking and spectacular, with Middle Bain and Ryder/McPheters lakes a close second If you are seeking to get away from the crowds, this can be a good choice It...

Slideanide Canyon is a great, short canyon on the south side of Poison Spring Those with higher ability than myself have downclimbed the entire canyon Others have done 4 or more rappels This is a great place to work on your downclimbing and partner spotting skills The canyon itself has several nice narrow sections, and a stunning final rappel or series of downclimbs

Just off the road on the way to Deadhorse State Park and the Island In the Sky region of Canyonlands National Park lies Sevenmile Canyon Right next to the road is a fascinating roadside attraction, a pictograph panel called Intestine Man, as well as several petroglyphs Those with a little more motivation can wander up the South Fork of Sevenmile Canyon to visit several more petroglyph panels and at least one more pictograph panel Surprisingly, given the proximity to the busy road, the hike has a bit of a remote fee...

Donut Falls is an excellent and popular hike in Big Cottonwood Canyon This is a good one regardless of the season In the winter, it makes a great snowshoe and, in the summer, a hike On any given summer day, I would wager this makes the list of top 10 busiest hikes in the Wasatch In the winter, the hike is 35 miles from the locked gate on the highway In the summer, this hike can be as short as 14 miles round trip IF you can get a parking spot at the trailhead Unless you are very early, I would generally recommend wa...

St Thomas is a ghost town that was submerged by Lake Meade for decades Droughts in recent years have left the town exposed again This was a surprisingly interesting hike for our family The town only has foundations remaining, but the National Park Service has installed many signs along the way with information about the old town and its history I expected our 7-year-old might find the hike a little dry and boring, but we all found it quite fascinating History: St Thomas was a small settlement with a rich history da...

Though the nearby Jurassic National Monument is known for its dinosaur fossils, the road to the monument passes near a couple of excellent rock art sites One of the rock art sites is in what climbers call the Triassic Bouldering Area, while the other is in a nearby wash to the south Visiting the rock art panels is an walk suitable for most With a high clearance vehicles, both sites over very short walks In a low clearance vehicle, it is a 2-3 mile outing on easy terrain We enjoyed the rock art immensely, but also t...

Tucked just south of the Utah State line, Little Black Mountain is a treasure of hundreds of petroglyphs nestled against the base of the basalt and sandstone peak The peak sits on a boundary To the north, butting up against the Utah/Arizona border is the bustling and expanding city of St George To the south is the vast mostly undeveloped desert of the Arizona Strip It is a bit striking to have a large concentration of rock art so close to a thriving and growing city BLM has created a trailhead with pit toilets, a p...