Hikes in Utah

The preserved natural wonders in Utah make the state a paradise for hikers. The arid landscape is marked by beautiful sandstone arches and dramatic canyons. There are five national parks in southern Utah, located along the Colorado Plateau. These are Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Arches National Parks. Additionally, a network of national monuments, recreation areas, forests, and other lands protect even more of the state's rugged wilderness. ... Read more.
Latest reports in Utah (page 4)
Utah

Murphy Point
in Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands | Trails | Utah
Trail Rating:
Murphy Point in Canyonlands National Park
The 3.6-mile round trip hike to Murphy Point provides a peaceful outing with excellent views off the western end of the Island in the Sky. This is an excellent morning hike, when the sun first strikes the expansive canyons below the mesa. Alternatively, the wide western view also makes this a recommended sunset trail. The trail is downhill most of the way with only 150 feet of elevation to contend with. ...Read more.
Tagged with · Island in the Sky
Distance: 3.6 miles · Elevation change: 150 feet
By: Seth Smigelski Published: July 16, 2010 Last updated: December 5, 2025
Utah

Mesa Arch
in Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands | Trails | Utah
Trail Rating:
Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park
Mesa Arch is an easy to visit landmark in the Island in the Sky region of Canyonlands National Park. This pothole arch spans across the mesa's edge, framing a scenic canyon vista. A 0.7-mile loop trail brings you right up to Mesa Arch, one of the park's most popular points of interest. A nature guide is available at the trailhead, and can be used to learn more about park vegetation and geology. ...Read more.
Tagged with · Arches · Island in the Sky
Distance: 0.7 miles · Elevation change: 75 feet
By: Seth Smigelski Published: July 14, 2010 Last updated: December 5, 2025
Utah

Aztec Butte
in Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands | Trails | Utah
Trail Rating:
Aztec Butte in Canyonlands National Park
Aztec Butte is one of the more unique hikes in the Island in the Sky region of Canyonlands National Park. The trail crosses level grasslands and climbs a steep slope to a dome-shaped butte rising above the mesa. Alcoves along the rim of the butte house Puebloan granaries, which early inhabitants used for storage. A loop around the top of Aztec Butte visits two such granaries and provides excellent views into Taylor Canyon. ...Read more.
Tagged with · Buttes · Island in the Sky
Distance: 1.8 miles · Elevation change: 250 feet
By: Seth Smigelski Published: July 13, 2010 Last updated: April 9, 2026
Utah

Upheaval Dome
in Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands | Trails | Utah
Trail Rating:
Upheaval Dome in Canyonlands National Park
Upheaval Dome in the most puzzling geological feature in Canyonlands National Park. A 1.7-mile hike visits two overlooks along the rim of this three-mile wide 1,000-foot deep crater. Geologists have two possible theories for what caused Upheaval Dome, which you can learn about along the trail. From the trailhead, a wide track heads to the right before turning uphill toward the crater. ...Read more.
Tagged with · Craters · Island in the Sky
Distance: 1.7 miles · Elevation change: 200 feet
By: Seth Smigelski Published: July 13, 2010 Last updated: April 19, 2026
Utah

Whale Rock
in Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands | Trails | Utah
Trail Rating:
Whale Rock in Canyonlands National Park
Surfacing above Upheaval Dome, Whale Rock is a unique natural feature on the western end of a magnificent mesa in Canyonlands National Park known as the Island in the Sky. Two popular theories explain how the bizarre dome/crater called Upheaval Dome came to be, but neither mentions how a whale of a rock ended up stretched across the mesa nearby. Whale Rock is long sandstone formation resembling a giant beached whale that came ashore on the Island in the Sky. ...Read more.
Tagged with · Island in the Sky
Distance: 1 mile · Elevation change: 250 feet
By: Seth Smigelski Published: July 13, 2010 Last updated: December 5, 2025
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