Best Hikes in Utah

Utah's hiking is anchored by the Mighty Five national parks — Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Arches — plus the vast BLM canyon country and the Wasatch Range above Salt Lake City.

Zion: Angels Landing (5.4 miles)
One of the most famous hikes in America — a chain-assisted scramble up a 1,488-foot sandstone monolith above Zion Canyon. The final half-mile along a narrow spine of rock with 1,200-foot drops on both sides requires nerve and reasonable physical condition. The views of Zion Canyon from the top are extraordinary. Permits now required.

Zion: The Narrows (various lengths)
Wading through the Virgin River in the slot canyon narrows of Zion — the canyon walls tower 1,000 feet overhead at points where the canyon is only 20 feet wide. The bottom-up approach (from the Temple of Sinawava) is 3+ miles; the top-down route from Chamberlain's Ranch (16 miles, requires permit) is one of the finest canyon hikes in the world. Closed when flash flood risk is high.

Bryce Canyon: Queen's Garden and Navajo Loop (3 miles)
The best way to experience Bryce Canyon's hoodoo forests from within. The combination of the Queen's Garden descent through towering orange limestone spires and the Navajo Loop's Wall Street slot canyon makes a circuit through the most dramatic terrain in the park.

Arches: Delicate Arch (3 miles)
The most iconic single hike in Utah — the trail from Wolfe Ranch climbs 480 feet over slickrock and sandstone fins to the world's most photographed arch: 65 feet tall, 45 feet wide, standing alone on the rim of a dramatic sandstone bowl above the La Sal Mountains.

Canyonlands: The Needles — Chesler Park Loop (11 miles)
Through a maze of red and white sandstone needles in the Needles District — one of the finest canyon country hikes in Utah. The Joint Trail (a slot canyon section) is a highlight of the loop.