hikespeak

Willow Springs Loop explores an area off the northwest side of the Scenic Drive through Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. While it is bordered by steep mountains, the loop actually crosses easy terrain along Red Rock Wash. Visit pictographs left behind by Native American's near Willow Springs Picnic Area and meander through desert landscapes. ...Read more.

This short hike ventures into a canyon to Lost Creek Waterfall, a seasonal desert falls. Cross through a riparian area below tall cliffs in the Spring Mountains of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Lost Creek Canyon Trail is 0.35 miles long and can be done as a 0.7-mile out and back hike with 165 feet of elevation change. Form a circuit with Lost Creek Children's Discovery Loop Trail to explore surrounding rock formations (including a pictograph) on a 0. ...Read more.

Calico Tanks Trail is one of the most popular hikes in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, and for good reason. The trail ventures up a canyon colored in both yellow and red sandstone. Add the gray-blue mountains to the northwest and you get some seriously vibrant views. The trail ends with two rewards, a hopefully-not-dry pond and an overlook of Las Vegas. ...Read more.

The best outing for seeing petroglyphs in Valley of Fire State Park is Petroglyph Canyon Trail. This 0.75-mile round trip hike passes rock faces that are covered in Native American rock art. The abundance of prehistoric petroglyphs on this trail is amazing. To cap things off, the trail ends at Mouse's Tank, a natural basin (or tinaja) of water suspended in sandstone. ...Read more.

Water is something you don't see much of in Mojave National Preserve, certainly not just pooling on the ground as it does at Rock Spring. The constant source at Rock Spring helped inhabitants survive in the Mojave Desert for thousands of years and was even the site of a small U.S. Army post in the 1860s. Today you can reach the spring easily, along with a Rock House built in the 1920s and the ruins of a mill used by miners, on a 1 1/3-mile loop with 100 feet of elevation change that also features panoramic desert views. ...Read more.

The closest trail to the south entrance of Zion Nation Park, and one of the best introductions to Zion, is Watchman Trail. This 3.5-mile lollipop loop climbs 500 feet to a rocky bench on the east side of Zion Canyon. The destination serves up stunning views of a nearby tower named The Watchman and several standout rock formations on the walls of Zion Canyon. ...Read more.

Rarely is a mile-long hike as action packed and rewarding as Canyon Overlook Trail. The overlook sits on the rim of Pine Creek Canyon, which adjoins Zion Canyon to provide massive views of thousand-foot tall sandstone bluffs. There are ravines and overhangs along the short trail that will keep you entertained along the way. This excellent hike is appealing to all, especially those with limited time in Zion National Park. ...Read more.

Riverside Walk accesses the notorious narrows north of Zion Canyon, making it one of the most popular trails in Zion National Park. To the end of the trail (at the start of the narrows) and back is a 1.8-mile hike over a level walkway bordering the Virgin River. Those looking to escape the Utah summer heat can leave the trail at any of several river access points to take a refreshing swim. ...Read more.

Hellhole Canyon is backed up against the San Ysidro Mountains just southwest of the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Visitor Center in Borrego Springs. The ominously named canyon is home to Maidenhair Falls, a seasonal 20-foot waterfall that makes a refreshing hiking destination on a hot day in the California desert. If you are visiting the park in early spring, or any time rains bring water to Hellhole Canyon, Maidenhair Falls should be on your itinerary. ...Read more.

Borrego Palm Canyon is a wide trench descending west to east down the San Ysidro Mountains just west of Borrego Springs. The creation of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park began in the 1930s with the protection of this palm-filled canyon. The popularity of the trail exploring Borrego Palm Canyon has endured, even as the park has expanded to protect a thousand square miles of southeastern California. ...Read more.