{"id":687,"date":"2014-09-29T09:15:39","date_gmt":"2014-09-29T16:15:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=687"},"modified":"2018-11-11T21:53:27","modified_gmt":"2018-11-12T05:53:27","slug":"epic-trails-in-utah-national-parks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/epic-trails-in-utah-national-parks","title":{"rendered":"Four Epic Trails in Utah’s National Parks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Planning a trip or heading to Utah soon? Put these four trails in Utah’s national parks on your itinerary.<\/p>\n

\"Observation<\/a><\/p>\n

Zion National Park: Observation Point<\/h4>\n

Two trails seem to get all the attention in Zion National Park: the nail-biting razor\u2019s-edge ascent of Angels Landing and the adventurous river trek of the Subway. But for day hikers, the less-traveled, 8-mile out-and-back to Observation Point is a must-do. This trail climbs more than 2,400 feet from the floor of the canyon through dramatic, narrow slots and past the upper-elevation pines before hugging an exposed cliff-side and ending at a promontory with expansive views of almost the entire canyon. Oh, and you get to look down at Angel\u2019s Landing, too.<\/p>\n

\"Bryce<\/a><\/p>\n

Bryce Canyon National Park: Bryce Amphitheater Loops<\/h4>\n

Regardless of how many times you\u2019ve seen them in pictures, the first time you lay eyes on the hoodoos in Bryce Amphitheater it\u2019s nearly impossible not to break into a smile. Hiking through these delicate and whimsical structures is an experience like no other. For a hoodoo highlight reel, head to Sunset Point and enter the canyon via the Navajo Loop (or Wall Street if it\u2019s open).\u00a0 Combine the southern Peekaboo Loop with the Queens Garden back to Sunrise Point and finish with a hike along the Amphitheater Rim for an otherworldly six miles, or add on the Fairyland Loop to more than double the distance.<\/p>\n

\"Devil's<\/a><\/p>\n

Arches National Park: Devil\u2019s Garden<\/h4>\n

There are more than 2,000 natural arches in Arches National Park, so you won\u2019t be hard-pressed to see them on your visit. The Devil\u2019s Garden Trail is the park\u2019s longest maintained trail and will take you to many of the park\u2019s most prominent arches, including Landscape Arch. Taking the several short spur trails on this route makes it a 7.8-mile loop that travels on top of rock fins, beneath giant arches and ends at an impressive monolith known as Dark Angel.<\/p>\n

\"syncline<\/a><\/p>\n

Canyonlands National Park: Syncline Loop Trail<\/h4>\n

In the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands lies a mysterious formation called the Upheaval Dome. Geologists still don\u2019t know how it formed. Some say it\u2019s an impact crater; others think it\u2019s the result of salt deposits pushing the ground upward. It\u2019s like nothing else on the Colorado Plateau. Whereas most of the land looks flat and ordered, here it looks like an explosion went off underground. This incredible 10.5-mile loop takes you right inside it. This backcountry traverse\u00a0requires a bit of route-finding and takes you through deep canyons, over and under giant boulders, and inside the strange crater. You\u2019ll need to scramble, take plenty of water, and prep your knees. This challenging trail will reward the adventurous hiker.<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Planning a trip or heading to Utah soon? Put these four trails in Utah’s national parks on your itinerary. Zion National Park: Observation Point Two trails seem to get all the attention in Zion National Park: the nail-biting razor\u2019s-edge ascent of Angels Landing and the adventurous river trek of the Subway. But for day hikers, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":691,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[387],"tags":[8,113,1321,138,140],"internal-tag":[519,1673],"class_list":["post-687","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hike","tag-hike","tag-national-park","tag-southwest","tag-united-states","tag-utah","internal-tag-casey-schreiner","internal-tag-pre-redirect-hike"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/hike\/epic-trails-in-utah-national-parks","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Four Epic Trails in Utah’s National Parks","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/epic-trails-in-utah-national-parks","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/epic-trails-in-utah-national-parks"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2014\/09\/Bryce-Amphitheater-4.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2014\/09\/Bryce-Amphitheater-4.jpg?fit=4272%2C2848"},"articleSection":"Hike","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Angela Crampton"}],"creator":["Angela Crampton"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["hike","national parks","southwest","united states","utah"],"dateCreated":"2014-09-29T16:15:39Z","datePublished":"2014-09-29T16:15:39Z","dateModified":"2018-11-12T05:53:27Z"},"rendered":"