Utah hiking trails
Slot canyons, arches, waterfalls, alpine lakes and the state's highest peak.
Find a Utah hike that fits your day. Compare the listed distance, climb, terrain and seasonal notes, then open the managing agency's trail information before you set out. Use the filters to narrow the choices, but read each route's notes: a short walk can still involve steep steps, exposure or difficult footing.
- Natural Bridges National Monument · Eastern Utah
“Night sky at Owachomo Bridge”. File photo, 2013-05-10. Night view. No claim to original U.S. Government works. Photo: NPS / Jacob W. Frank · Public domain · Wikimedia CommonsOwachomo Bridge
- Moderate
- Dogs prohibited
0.5 mile round tripSpring and fall recommended; summer heat and winter ice require care
An unpaved trail descends 188 feet to the bridge’s base using wooden and rock steps, then returns uphill. This is a different outing from the short paved viewpoint walk and is not wheelchair accessible. Fill water at the visitor center before starting; there is none at the trailhead.
- Natural Bridges National Monument · Eastern Utah
File photo. Photo: brewbooks · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsSipapu Bridge
- Hard
- Dogs prohibited
1.4 miles round tripSpring and fall recommended; winter conditions can be treacherous
Start at the Sipapu Bridge Trailhead, not the separate viewpoint lot. The strenuous route drops 436 feet toward the bridge using three wooden ladders, a long metal staircase and rock steps before the climb back. The north-facing trail can hold ice; it is not wheelchair accessible.
- Natural Bridges National Monument · Eastern Utah
File photo. Photo: Natural Bridges National Monument · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsKachina Bridge
- Hard
- Dogs prohibited
1.4 miles round tripSpring and fall recommended; winter snow and ice can make the descent hazardous
From the paved viewpoint approach, take the primitive trail down to the bridge. The park calls this strenuous: a 462-foot descent involves a wooden ladder, stairs and switchbacks, followed by the return climb. View the petroglyphs without touching them. A pit toilet is at the parking area; drinking water is at the visitor center.
- Hovenweep National Monument · Eastern Utah
File photo. Photo: Chris M Morris · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsSquare Tower Group Loop
- Moderate
- Dogs allowed
2 miles loopYear-round, daylight only; little shade and possible winter ice
From the visitor center, circle Little Ruin Canyon past ancestral Puebloan structures. The full loop leaves the paved overlook approach and crosses the canyon with an 80-foot descent and climb on stairs; it is not wheelchair accessible. Stay on the marked trail, do not touch or enter structures, and finish before sunset. Dogs must stay on a leash no longer than 6 feet.
- Goblin Valley State Park · Eastern Utah
Carmel Canyon Loop
- Moderate
- Dog policy not recorded
1.5 miles loopSpring and fall recommended; avoid canyons when rain threatens
A marked loop passes colorful narrows with views of Three Sisters and Molly’s Castle. Completing the loop involves rock scrambling; the connection to Goblin’s Lair is a separate extension. Check the flash-flood forecast before entering the canyon and skip canyon routes if rain is possible.
- Goblin Valley State Park · Eastern Utah
File photo. Photo: cappellacci · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsThree Sisters
- Easy
- Dog policy not recorded
500 yards round trip (250 yards each way)Spring and fall recommended; summer heat and occasional winter snow
A short marked path from the observation-point road approaches one of the park’s best-known groups of goblin formations. Return the same way for this short outing; continuing beyond the formation drops into the Carmel Canyon trail system and changes the route. Do not climb or damage fragile formations.
- Canyonlands National Park, The Needles · Eastern Utah
File photo. Photo: RuggyBearLA · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsPothole Point
- Easy
- Dogs prohibited
0.6 mile loopClimb 36 ft elevation change, per the parkCheck seasonal conditions; snow and ice are possible in winter
Follow cairns across uneven sandstone to views of The Needles and small rock basins that shelter desert life. Walk around potholes even when dry, and keep hands and feet out of them. The route includes rocky slopes and stone steps and is not wheelchair accessible.
- Canyonlands National Park, The Needles · Eastern Utah
File photo. Photo: Tricia Simpson · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsCave Spring
- Easy
- Dogs prohibited
0.6 mile loopClimb 67 ft elevation change, per the parkCheck seasonal conditions; snow and ice are possible in winter
A short loop connects a historic cowboy camp and Indigenous rock markings, with two ladders to complete the route. Despite the easy rating, uneven rock and steps make this unsuitable for wheelchairs. Do not enter the spring, touch the markings or disturb structures and objects.
- Arches National Park · Eastern Utah
File photo, November 10, 2016. Photo: Adam Skalecki · CC0 · Wikimedia CommonsDelicate Arch
- Hard
- Dogs prohibited
3 miles round tripClimb 538 ftYear-round; avoid midday heat in summer
From Wolfe Ranch, the trail climbs a steep slickrock slope with no shade, then follows a narrow ledge for about 200 yards before the arch appears. The Park Service rates it strenuous, says to bring at least 2 quarts of water, and advises traction devices in winter, when the ledge is often icy. Sunset hikers need a light for each person.
- Arches National Park · Eastern Utah
File photo. Photo: G. Edward Johnson · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsFiery Furnace
- Hard
- Dogs prohibited
About 2 miles; no set trailSelf-guided permits year-round; ranger-led hikes spring through fall
A maze of tight sandstone fins where you squeeze, scramble and chimney through passages. Only one counter-clockwise route has small markers, and many other paths dead-end. GPS works poorly between the walls and it is easy to get lost, which is why access is limited. First-timers should go with a ranger or someone who knows the route.
Permit: You need either a spot on a ranger-led hike or a self-guided permit, both booked through Recreation.gov or the park. A reservation is not the permit itself: everyone in the party must be present at pickup and watch the orientation film first. Snow on the ground or other hazardous weather can close the area, so check current instructions before you go.
- Arches National Park, Devils Garden · Eastern Utah
File photo. Photo: W. Bulach · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsLandscape Arch
- Easy
- Good for kids
- Dogs prohibited
1.8 miles round tripClimb 40 ftYear-round
A hard-packed trail through Devils Garden to Landscape Arch, which the Park Service calls the longest arch in North America, with a 306-foot opening only 6 feet thick at its narrowest. Spurs lead to Pine Tree and Tunnel arches. The trail is considered barrier-free, though steep slopes just before the arch may require assistance. Past the arch, the trail toward Double O Arch climbs onto narrow ledges with drop-offs.
- Arches National Park, The Windows Section · Eastern Utah
File photo. Photo: OrangeJedi · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsDouble Arch
- Easy
- Good for kids
- Dogs prohibited
0.6 mile round tripClimb 30 ftYear-round
A gently sloping path to the base of two arch spans joined at one end. The Park Service says it is the tallest arch in the park, at 112 feet. The path may be accessible to wheelchairs with some assistance. If you scramble up the rock beneath the arches, the park warns, climbing down is often harder than climbing up.
- Arches National Park, The Windows Section · Eastern Utah
File photo. Photo: David Hiser · Public domain · Wikimedia CommonsThe Windows
- Easy
- Good for kids
- Dogs prohibited
1 mile round tripClimb 99 ftYear-round
A gentle gravel climb to North Window, South Window and Turret Arch, with a longer primitive loop back that has fewer trail markers and rough steps. Only the first 300 feet are barrier-free; reaching the arches takes a slope and some rock stairs. There is no drinking water at the trailhead. A connector trail links it with Double Arch.
- Canyonlands National Park, Island in the Sky · Eastern Utah
File photo. Photo: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsMesa Arch
- Easy
- Good for kids
- Dogs prohibited
About 0.7 mile loopClimb About 80 ftYear-round
A short loop to an arch on the very edge of a cliff. At sunrise, light bounces off the cliff below and turns the underside of the arch bright orange, framing the La Sal Mountains.
- Canyonlands National Park, Island in the Sky · Eastern Utah
File photo. Photo: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsGrand View Point
- Easy
- Good for kids
- Dogs prohibited
1.8 miles round trip (park figure)Climb About 73 ftYear-round
A short paved sidewalk reaches the first viewpoint. The full walk continues along the rim to the tip of the Island in the Sky mesa on rough, uneven trail with a rocky hill and stone steps, and it is not wheelchair accessible. The park rates it easy, with views over the White Rim and the canyons of the Green and Colorado rivers. Winter snow or ice may call for traction devices.
- Off SR-128 northeast of Moab · Eastern Utah
File photo. Photo: BLMUtah · Public domain · Wikimedia CommonsFisher Towers
- Moderate
- Dog policy not recorded
About 4.4 miles round tripClimb About 700 ftOctober to May; hot in summer
A rolling trail weaves under dark red mud-and-sandstone towers, including the 900-foot Titan, with climbers often on the spires above. It ends at a ridge view across the Colorado River country.
- Off Potash Road (SR-279) near Moab · Eastern Utah
File photo, 2020-05-16. Photo: Whitimeg · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsCorona Arch
- Moderate
- Dog policy not recorded
3 miles round tripClimb About 450 ftYear-round; avoid midday in summer
Register at the box by the railroad, cross the tracks and follow cairns over slickrock to the base of Corona Arch. The BLM calls it moderately strenuous, with a few sections of mild exposure to heights where safety cables, cut steps and a short ladder help. The arch is on BLM land outside Arches National Park, there is no fee, and roped activities on the arch are prohibited.
- San Rafael Swell, near Goblin Valley State Park · Eastern Utah
File photo. Photo: Fabio Achilli · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsLittle Wild Horse Canyon
- Moderate
- Dogs allowed
About 3.5 to 4 miles out and back, or an 8-mile loop with Bell CanyonClimb About 650 ft on the loopMarch to May and September to November
One of the most accessible slot canyons in Utah, with long stretches just shoulder-wide and walls of swirling sandstone. The BLM notes a few scrambles and water that can mean wading, and warns the canyons have extreme potential for flash floods: avoid them if rain is possible. Leashed dogs are allowed.
- High Uintas Wilderness, from Henrys Fork · Eastern Utah
File photo. Photo: John Sowell · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsKings Peak
- Very hard
- Dogs allowed
About 28 to 29 miles round tripClimb About 4,500 ftJuly to early September
The highest point in Utah at 13,528 feet. Most people backpack in over two or three days, camp near Dollar Lake and summit via Gunsight Pass and Anderson Pass, finishing on a boulder ridge. Afternoon thunderstorms are routine; be off the top by noon.
Planning a Moab trip? Compare these Arches walks
Choose a particular route, not just the name of a trailhead. Arches has short approaches and more demanding extensions in the same area, and the difference matters when time, mobility or a mixed-ability group is a factor.
- Double Arch: a 0.6-mile round trip on a hard-packed, gradually sloping path to the base of the joined spans. NPS calls it barrier-free, though wheelchair users may need some assistance.
- The Windows: the main out-and-back is 1 mile. Reaching the arches means walking up a slope and some rock stairs, and only the first 300 feet are barrier-free. The primitive return is very uneven with fewer trail markers.
- Landscape Arch: 1.8 miles round trip is the shorter Devils Garden outing. Going beyond the arch changes the day, with steep sandstone, narrow ledges and exposure on the longer routes.
- Delicate Arch: a 3-mile round trip, rated strenuous, up exposed slickrock and along a narrow ledge. NPS warns against midday summer heat and says there is no drinking water at the trailhead.
Pick the right arrival point: Landscape Arch starts at Devils Garden, the Double Arch and Windows trailheads are in the Windows area and are linked by a stairway connector, and Delicate Arch hikers start from Wolfe Ranch. Save the park map ↗ before the trip. Advance timed-entry reservations are not required at Arches in 2026, but the park can divert vehicles when areas are congested, so build in flexibility and check current trip-planning information ↗ (checked October 23, 2026). The park recommends at least a gallon of water per person per day.
These four are a starting point, not a list of all hiking around Moab. See all Arches hikes or eastern Utah options, and check each place's own rules: Arches' access and pet rules do not carry over to other land managers.
Official park maps
Download the managing agency’s map before you set out. These are map collections, not live trail-condition reports; check current closures and weather separately.
Hike smart in Utah
Carry more water than you think you need, especially in the desert, where a gallon per person per day is the rule in summer. Never enter a slot canyon when storms are forecast upstream. Start big mountain hikes early to be off summits before afternoon lightning. In the Salt Lake watershed canyons, dogs and swimming are not allowed.