Tucked high above Hickman Bridge, Stegosaur Slot offers a short narrow section of canyon with an amazing approach The views along the approach are stunning, and the route up offers just enough route finding challenge to be fun The canyon is named after a distinctive ridgeline that defines the skyline above the canyon I had poked around this area years ago, and when I recently heard of a new canyon being done called Stegosaur Slot, I immediately knew the general area It is a very distinctive landmark The route descr...

For ease of access and absolute beauty, it is tough to beat the Lower Muddy Creek hike, where the creek cuts through the eastern San Rafael Reef The hike is one I've done probably a dozen or more times, and still enjoy I am convinced I see something new on every trip The route starts at Hidden Splendor uranium mining area, an old mining area first mined in 1952, and long since abandoned From the mining area, the route meanders down the deep Wingate-walled Muddy Creek Gorge, cutting through Kayenta and finally Navaj...

Taylor Creek, or Middle Taylor Creek as it is also called, is a very scenic hike in the Kolob Section of Zion National Park The hike visits two historic cabins, as well as an exquisite deep walled canyon Though the hike ends at Double Arch Alcove, don't be fooled like I was In this case, arch means closed arch, not a true open arch Even with the deceptive naming, this is a good hike, and highly recommended The hike is very exposed to the full sun to the first cabin, then gets a bit more shaded In full summer, the f...

Grafton was first settled in 1859 by Mormon settlers The townsite offered amazing views of what would become Zion National Park and easy access to water from the Virgin River Unfortunately, in 1862, the Virgin River flooded and destroyed the town The town was rebuilt at its current location, about a mile upriver from its initial location The new location grew and flourished briefly, though the challenges seem daunting including floods, the risk of attacks by Native Americans, and water so full of silt that irrigati...

Important Note: The Scenic Drive, used to access the upper trailhead, will be closed from April 29, 2024 through fall of 2025 See the park page for details: https://wwwnpsgov/care/planyourvisit/scenic-drive-rehabilitation-projecthtm You cannot reach the trailhead for this canyon Few canyons pack as much fun in as short of a section of a canyon as this one! The approach, a leisurely hour, is scenic with a dramatic background The canyon It starts mellow and open, possibly even a bit hum-drum Soon though, a natural br...

When I hear the term Dinosaur Quarry, I have visions of a Flinstonian world with large dinosaurs wandering around and bones the size of houses littering the ground It turns out unless you have a bit of paleontology knowledge, you may not actually be able to find any dinosaur fossils Seeing them requires a bit of knowledge and a keen eye for details If you don't have an paleontology background, I still highly recommend visiting the quarry The area around the quarry is a spectacularly vibrant landscape of colors and ...

One of the things I love about living in Salt Lake City is all of the easy access to hiking From 10,000+ foot peaks in the canyons to the many trails in the foothills, it seems there is always something new to do to meet my motivation level for the day At about 3 miles and a bit over a 1000' of gain, the Heughs Canyon trail is, in my opinion, an excellent length for an after work or early morning hike The trail starts nondescriptly in a neighborhood and then quickly begins ascending through scrub oak 15 minutes up ...

Perched above the Price River, Grassy Trail is the site of both Native American visitation, as well as early railroad efforts The panels at Grassy Trail are a mix of "gringo graffiti" as well as older rock art, and quite extensive The site is fascinating Grassy Trail was a narrow-gauge railroad that was built in 1882 to connect Grand Junction Colorado to Helper Utah as part of a more significant Desert Mainline effort After only a few years of use, the track was upgraded and re-routed to a more direct path from Woo...

The wherewithal of the early pioneers astounds me! In the summer of 1846, the Donner Party set off for California En route, they learned of Hastings Cutoff, a supposed easier route to California that would make for a shorter trip Nevermind Hastings himself had only traversed the route once of the same year and without wagons! His enthusiasm for California and the fact it was a shorter route convinced the Donner Party to take the new course They chose the route over Big Mountain Pass after scouting determined Weber ...

In the 1860’s when the railroad was completed and crossed the United States for the first time, Lucin was one of many small communities that sprung up along the railroad to provider water and other services to passing trains When first built, it was about a mile north of its current location The trains would pass north around the Great Salt Lake, then south down the west side of the lake before reaching Lucin and heading due west again Surmounting the Great Salt Lake added quite a few miles to the cross-country jou...