There’s nothing quite like climbing Coffin Peak in the Black Mountains of Death Valley to see the Funeral Mountains. That’s just too much of a single theme if you ask me! But it’s actually a fun off-trail trek, without too…
Exploring Round Valley Draw
I only did one real slot canyon in Utah last fall (that doesn’t count Resurrection Canyon and Wiregrass Canyon, which I did earlier in the trip, but which weren’t very slot-y). Round Valley Draw was introduced to me as being…
Terrace Mountain Loop: The Quiet Mountains of Yellowstone
The Terrace Mountain Loop was a hike in Yellowstone that piqued my interest for no particular reason, similar to the Lamar River Trail. But I’m so glad we did it! The miles through meadows with fantastic views were worth the…
The Painted Desert’s Wilderness Loop
My top favorite trail I did in Petrified Forest National Park last fall was the Wilderness Route Loop through the Painted Desert. Actually, it’s not a trail at all; it’s loosely connected GPS coordinates that take you to some delightful…
Thompson Peak: The Highest Point in the Sawtooths
When I visited the Sawtooth Mountains last fall, I decided that we should save our last day to climb the highest point in the range – Thompson Peak. I printed trip reports off of the internet and it sounded fairly…
Golden Stairs Trail to the Fins Trail to Lou’s Spring
A few days ago, I wrote about hiking down the Golden Stairs Trail and (almost) into the Maze District of Canyonlands National Park. After we had descended to the Dollhouse Road, we decided that we 1) hadn’t had enough adventure…
Golden Stairs Trail into the Maze District
It’s not easy to access the true Maze District of Canyonlands National Park. In fact, most of what is known as the “Maze District” is actually the Orange Cliffs District of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. This includes Hans Flat,…
Loveland Pass to Cupid Peak
I’ve long wanted to drive to the top of Loveland Pass. When I was in my teens, my family often vacationed in Utah, which required crossing over the passes in the Rockies on I-70. We’d always see the signs for…
Hiking to Yellowstone’s Natural Bridge
I wasn’t expecting much when it came to the Natural Bridge in Yellowstone National Park. I’m very spoiled with all of the beautiful arches in Utah, and this rarity in a park known for its geysers seemed like it would…
The Nautilus: An Easier Wave?
There are a few places in southern Utah that are known to mimic the famous swirls of the Wave – but that don’t require a very difficult-to-obtain permit. One is the Beehive Trail just north of Page (nicknamed “the New…