Known as Long Dong Silver, Black Spire, Silver Tower, Lone Tower, and many other names, this area near Hanksville has exploded in popularity recently The valley is a moonscape scene, with a couple of dramatic towers punctuating the views It is a unique and otherworldly place to visit Access Notes Reaching the trailhead requires driving 13 miles on a dirt road The road is accessible by medium clearance vehicles, except when wet Do NOT try to visit when wet, as you will definitely tear up the road and likely get stuc...

Topaz Mountain, located in Utah’s remote western desert, is a premier destination for rock hounds seeking the state’s official gemstone—topaz This rugged, sunbaked landscape offers a unique opportunity to find beautifully faceted amber-colored topaz crystals, which naturally fade to a clear or pale blue hue when exposed to sunlight The area, part of the Thomas Range, is well known for its rich deposits of topaz, as well as other minerals such as bixbyite, garnet, and red beryl On our visit, I was surprised at how e...

For a hike with expansive views, the Slickrock Trail is an exceptional choice Unlike trails that descend into canyons, this route traverses across expanses of slickrock, with panoramic vistas of the surrounding mesas, canyons, and the distant La Sal Mountains There are 4 official viewpoints and an unofficial one that overlooks the confluence of Little Spring and Big Spring Canyons A really nice hike Season Note: There isn't shade or water on this hike If hiking in the summer, I would recommend it either as a sunris...

A very popular family hike, Grand Wash offers a family friendly outing in a short package The round trip distance is 44 miles, or if you have two cars, it can be done as a one way 22 mile through hike For those wanting something shorter, I would recommend parking at the bottom trailhead on Highway 24 and walking up from the bottom This visits the best narrow section of Grand Wash in a casual 20-30 minutes one way from the trailhead For those wanting something longer, see the [my:linkToObject type="trip" id="543" te...

Coyote Gulch is one of, if not thee, premier canyon in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument The canyon, emblematic of the beauty of the Escalante region, is often near the top of desert hikers and backpackers bucket lists This is a canyon that has astounding beauty and charm, with seemingly each bend of the canyon revealing a scene to marvel at Arches, waterfalls, cavernous alcoves, rock art, and a plethora of color make this an amazing journey Because of its iconic status, the canyon sees many visitors and ...

Lower Harris Wash used to be quite popular The lower section of the canyon has an idyllic small stream meandering down to the Escalante river, cutting deep overhangs along the way The overhangs are reminiscent of the very popular Coyote Gulch, but maybe not quite as dramatic The canyon used to be one that ranchers ran cows in until the early 1990s when grazing was stopped Today, then canyon doesn't seem very popular It is quite overgrown and the easiest path is generally to hike in the stream bed proper A use trail...

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...

The aptly named Hidden Falls, though close to the hustle and bustle of the Big Cottonwood Canyon road and Lake Blanche trailhead, feels off the beaten path and infrequently visited The hike to the falls is short, making it more of a roadside attraction than an actual hike In my opinion, this is an often overlooked or unknown gem The cool mist from the falls makes this the perfect family destination on a hot summer day The short distance is rocky enough that small children will likely enjoy the challenge

St George was founded in 1861 by the Mormon church, under the direction of Erastus Snow The settlement, initially, was meant to produce cotton As the early pioneers settled the area, they left their marks on the country both in the naming of places, as well as literal marks Snow Canyon is named after Erastus Snow This short trail visits an overhang near the main park road that has several pioneer names painted on the rock with axle grease from the late 1800s and early 1900s Though a short hike, I enjoyed the histor...

No matter how much time I spend in the San Rafael Swell, I always feel like there is so much more to see! This is the case with Joe Hole I was passing through the Swell and searching for a place to wander I hadn't wandered before Joe Hole, with its easy access right off the Green River Cutoff road, fit the bill nicely I hadn't heard anything about this obscure and, at least as far as the map went, not very interesting looking canyon but decided to check it out anyway It turns out Joe Hole is a gem of a hike A short...