The Hidden Valley Trail starts at the south end of Moab. Turn onto Angel Rock Road then follow Rim Rock Lane to the end where there is a good parking area and signage. The trail climbs steeply for 0.8 km up through rocky slopes over the rim of the cliffs above, then levels off as it follows Hidden Valley The …Continue reading…
False Kiva is a Class 2 archeological site high near the rim on top of Island in the Sky, Canyonlands (Utah). The ceremonial site (kiva) is in a large alcove located under the rim. There is no official trail, so it helps to know where to park and the approximate location of the site. There were a number of …Continue reading…
The Corona Arch Trail starts on the Potash Road on the Colorado River west of Moab, Utah. The route to Corona Arch and back is about 5km, but there is some additional exploration past the arch and up to Pinto Arch. The signed trail crosses the train tracks then follows a short canyon route up to the Navajo sandstone …Continue reading…
Utah Hiking – Day 2 We drove down to Mineral Bottom on the Green River to explore this remote area of the White Rim. From there we went across the top of Island in the Sky (Canyonlands National Park) and hiked first the False Kiva route then along the rim of Upheaval Dome.
We arrived late into Moab and decided to hike the Hidden Valley Trail, a 5 mile hike into the hills. The highlights were the numerous petroglyphs along cliff walls in a remote location. This was Day 1 of hiking in Utah for this trip.
We were in Utah hiking in April for the last 3 years and enjoyed the wildflower bloom each time. Some of the favorite photos were combined into a KamloopsTrails YouTube video:
The Cedar Mesa area in southeastern Utah is a remote area that has lots of good hiking/scrambling trails, canyons, and Ancestral Puebloan ruins to explore. Moonhouse Ruins is located on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, requiring a permit from the Kane Gulch Ranger Station (4 miles south of the junction of Highways 95 and 261). Bureau of Land Management …Continue reading…
In the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, we can follow the Park road north 6.6 miles from the Visitor’s Center to the end of the road. There are 3 hiking trails off this road in the Needles North area – the Slickrock Foot Trail, Pothole Point, and the Confluence Overlook. The Slickrock Foot Trail is a 2.4 mile …Continue reading…
Kodachrome Basin State Park lies about an hour east of Bryce Canyon a few miles out of Cannonville off Highway 12 in Utah. We came from Grand Staircase – Escalante and spent the day in the park. The paved road goes through the Ranger (fee) Station up to a campground. Along the way are parking areas and trailheads. We hiked …Continue reading…
Natural Bridges National Monument is in Cedar Mesa country in Southeastern Utah. The park sits at 6500 feet and is cut by two deep canyons. Three massive stone bridges span the canyons. [map style=”width: auto; height:400px; margin:20px 0px 20px 0px; border: 1px solid black;” gpx=”https://kamloopstrails.net/wp-content/uploads/Natural Bridges.gpx” elevation=”no”] The road into the park passes the Visitors Center then a nice campground, …Continue reading…
Once you find yourself at the right elevation on the Colorado Plateau, every direction is an outdoor playground. While hiking in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, I spent a few nights hiking and camping. The National Park Campground was always full so I found camping spots outside the park. The Lockhart Basin Road is only a few miles …Continue reading…
A year after hiking this trail system in Canyonlands National Park, I returned to hike it again, this time in the opposite direction. In the Needles District of Canyonlands, we can combine a series of trails to make our own loop. I arrived early in the afternoon so I chose to do an 11 mile loop combining Lost Canyon, Big …Continue reading…
Many slot canyons and narrows in Utah are hard to get to and some involved scrambling, but Willis Creek Narrows is an easy drive and an easy hike. I came to it from Kodachrome Basin. Between Kodachrome and Cannonville watch for a turn-off to the Skutumpah Road. This is a good dirt road (except after a rainfall) and the drive …Continue reading…
The Chimney Rock Trail is a 5.6km loop trail in Capitol Reef National Park (Utah). The trailhead is 6.6 km west of the Park Headquarters at Fruita. From the parking lot the trail winds along a sandy path through scrub pinyon and juniper for a short distance before starting to to climb the Moenekapi Formation red sandstone hills. We ascend …Continue reading…
Capitol Gorge is a short hike in Capitol Reef National Park in Utah. From the Visitors’ Center, follow the Scenic Drive south to the end of the pavement and turn down a dirt spur road which winds through the canyon to the trailhead. This was the only east-west road through the Waterpocket Fold in the Park area prior to 1964. …Continue reading…
The Angel Arch trail is a short trail up a side canyon off the Upper Salt Creek route in Canyonlands National Park, Utah. It starts at the junction of two canyons at the edge of the Salt Creek riparian zone. The faint trail follows the wash southwest for 1.3 miles, climbing a ridge to a viewpoint of the 150′ tall …Continue reading…