Utah National Parks

Grand View Point Trail: A popular hike in the park, this trail winds around the rim of the canyon, offering stunning views the whole way. If you’re not into hiking, you can just stop and take in the view at the overlook. But if you do have some energy, I’d highly recommend the easy 1 mile hike along the rim.

Mesa Arch: This is the most popular hike in the park, just a short walk from the main road for spectacular views of the canyon through a unique low-hanging arch structure. This is a very famous spot for photo-worthy sunrises and sunsets. 

Murphy Trail: This hike is not among the list of popular hikes in the park, but we loved it! You have to hike a bit further for your view, about 3.8 miles round trip, but it is worth it to get away from the crowds and have secluded canyon views. This view also offers a glimpse of the river bend that is an absolutely beautiful sight in the canyon.

Cassidy Arch: Down the Grand Wash, this was by far the highlight of our day in Capitol Reef. The hike up to Cassidy Arch is a moderate 3.2 miles with a decent climb ending in an amazing view! This is one of the only (if not the only) arch in Utah that you are actually allowed to climb on top of, so it makes for an incredible photo op. There are a few spots on the trail that aren’t super well marked, but it is pretty heavily trafficked so you should be able to figure out the right route. 

Hickman Bridge: This is a great, family-friendly hike to see the magnificent Hickman Bridge. With a short ascent and a total 2ish miles round-trip, you can easily tack this on the end of your day at Capitol Reef. This is a must-see while in the park! 

Scenic Drive: After our two hikes, we enjoyed driving through the park to take in the stunningly unique scenery. There is a lot to explore, and there are multiple unpaved roads. I made it around in my little Prius just fine, but it would be helpful if you have a vehicle with higher clearance. 

Queen’s Garden Trail: This is one of the most popular hikes in the park, and for good reason. This hike takes you down into the canyon so you can get up close and personal with the iconic hoodoos. We parked at Sunset Point and walked the Rim Trail over to Sunrise Point. We got on the Queens Garden Trail at Sunrise Point and hiked the loop back to Sunset Point. Be prepared for decent elevation gain at the end of the hike because if you go down into the canyon, you gotta come up eventually! If you’re not looking to hike, Sunrise and Sunset point are spectacular viewpoints with just a short walk between them. 

Inspiration Point: We only had one day in Bryce, so after our Queens Garden Trail hike, we just hit the viewpoints. Inspiration point is a popular spot for panoramic views. You can drive here and it is just a short walk to get to the view point, or you could take the Rim Trail from Sunset Point if you’d prefer to hike.

Bryce Point: Another popular lookout, this spot takes you on a walkway out over the canyon for 360 degree views. We drove here as well, but this also connects on the Rim Trail if you’re interested in hiking. From here, you can hike on the Under-The-Rim Trail, a great option to get away from the crowds. 

Watchman Trail: This is one of the only trails you can access in the main Zion Park area without taking the shuttle up the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. With the trailhead right off the Visitor’s Center parking lot, this is an easily accessible trail that offers stunning views. This 3 mile round trip trail has a moderate incline that takes you to a lovely viewpoint, perfect for sunrise vistas. 

Emerald Pools: There are a few trails that connect the lower, middle, and upper Emerald Pools. We took the shuttle and got off at Zion Lodge to start our hike. We hit all three Emerald Pools and then took the Kayenta Trail over to the Grotto shuttle stop. These trails are always busy because they are extremely scenic and easy/moderate hikes. Definitely worth a visit on your trip to Zion!

Riverside Walk: This is an easy and beautiful trail off the Temple of Sinawava shuttle stop. You can stroll right along the Virgin River, wandering through the canyon walls. This connects to one of Zion’s most iconic hikes, the Narrows. To hike the Narrows, you have to wade in the river, winding through narrow passages. We skipped the Narrows on this trip because it was cold and there was a toxic cyanobacterial bloom in the river. However, many people still rented waders from one of the numerous adventure stores in town and braved the river anyways.

Kolob Canyon: If you are looking to get away from the Zion crowds, this is the place to go! On the opposite side of the park, a little under an hour from the main Zion Visitors Center, you can access these beautiful wilderness hiking trails. We only had time for one hike, so we chose the 5-mile round trip Taylor Creek Trail. You hike along Taylor Creek, criss-crossing the river many times (can get a little tricky when the river is higher, like it was in November), to Double Arch Alcove. You will also see two historic homestead cabins along the trial, built in the early 1930s. Much of this hike was through the woods, opening up into big canyon views.