4 Amazing Hikes in Southern Utah
4 Amazing Hikes in Southern Utah
We just got back from an incredible trip through Southern Utah. This time, Graham stayed with Grandma, so we covered a lot of ground & got to do some really incredible hiking! It was pretty nice to not have to carry an extra 30 lbs on our backs, but we did miss our little travel buddy! We started at Bryce Canyon National Park, and ended in the epic Zion, with a stop along the way in Kanab, Utah.
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In this post, you’ll find:
Our top 4 Hikes in Southern Utah
Stats for each of the hikes including mileage, how to get there, recommendations & more!
Easy access to our favorite camping & hiking gear!
A link to all of our customizable itineraries in Utah!
Check out our 3-Day Itinerary to Zion National Park!
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A Fully Customizable Instant Itinerary Download
Daily Activity Recommendations
Accommodation Options
Where to Eat & Drink
A Pinned Google Map
Links to Book Everything
Discount Codes
Our Expert Advice on traveling to Zion National Park!
4 Amazing Hikes in Southern Utah
#1: The Narrows: Zion National Park
This climbed the list to one of our favorite hikes of all time! The narrows needs to be added to your bucket list if you like to hike. This was like nothing else we’ve ever done. Situated in Zion National Park, it is one that takes you on a trek through the Virgin River. It is an extremely large slot canyon that will take your breath away at every turn!
The Stats
Trail: Riverside Walk Trailhead/Temple of Sinawava
Distance: Up to 10 miles (moderate to difficult): You can go in as far as you’d like & turn around, making this an in & out hike. We recommend going at least 3 miles into the famous “Wall Street”-This is more of a “Strategic” hike than a “strenuous hike”
Permit Needed: Not if you decide to hike the bottom up (the most popular way!). You will need a National Parks Pass to Enter Zion!
Getting There: We highly recommend using ZionGuru to rent E-Bikes! The trip into the Narrows this way was absolutely stunning. You take the Canyon Scenic Drive all the way to the end/last stop & then hike in! You can also take the free NP shuttle, but with this are limited to what you see & may have to wait in some lines.
Recommendations: Our top tip is to rent the necessary gear to truly enjoy your experience (Hiking Stick, Neoprene Socks & Special Hiking Shoes). We were also really glad we had our waterproof phone case to take pictures!
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#2: Observation Point-Zion National Park
This was quite possibly the best way we could have started our time in Zion! The views of Zion Canyon from Observation Park can hardly be beaten! The whole hike is beautiful in itself, but when you reach the point, you’ll be in awe. The coolest part is you look right down over Angel’s Landing, one of the most famous hikes in the world!
The Stats
Trailhead: East Mesa Trail (Outside of the Park)- As of now the trail to access from inside the park is closed due to a rockslide!
Distance: 7 miles roundtrip (moderate difficulty) The trail is very well-marked and most of it is flat, although you will have some hills on the way back from the point!
Permit Needed: No! And the great thing? No crowds!
Getting There: You can find the trailhead on Google Maps. Driving there would probably take a 4-wheel drive as you’re on some bumpy back roads. There are also limited parking spaces at the trailhead. We took the shuttle ($7/person) from Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort. It runs every 30 minutes.
Recommendations: Take plenty of water with you, as a lot of the trail is exposed. We each finished our Water Bladder throughout the hike! We were also glad we packed some snacks to have while we waited for the shuttle on the other end!
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#3: Queen’s Garden/Navajo Loop-Bryce Canyon National Park
I did not realize how much I would fall in love with Bryce National Park. The uniqueness of this trail is something I will never forget. For the whole trek, I was constantly marveling at the scenery around me. The hoodoos are something that everyone must see in person-the pictures just don’t do them justice. This was the first hike on our Utah Trip & I fell in love with the beauty of the state right then and there. It definitely goes on my top 10 hikes of all time!
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The Stats
Trailhead: Start at the Sunrise Point Trailhead & End at the Sunset Point. You can either shuttle back to Sunrise point, or it’s an easy & flat 10-minute walk around the rim of the canyon back to the starting point
Distance: This is around 3 miles depending on how you do it. We opted to go all the way down to the bottom of Queen’s Garden, and when you arrive to the fork and beginning of the Navajo loop you can either turn right or left. Right takes you to Thor’s Hammer & Left takes you to Wall Street. Since we had already seen (we think!) the hammer from the top, we opted to go left for Wall Street and back up from there, only completing about half the loop, and only having to climb the switchbacks once! I would consider most of this trail a moderate level, but in the last 20 or so minutes the climb was tough. There is some altitude that comes into play, but there are plenty of spots to take a break on the way up. Also, Bryce Canyon is much cooler than the other parts of Utah we were in and there were lots of places to catch some shade throughout Wall Street before climbing back up.
Getting There: This is the center of Bryce Canyon National Park. They have a great shuttle system & it’s easy to navigate because of its small size! We stayed at North Campground while here, and the start of this hike was only about a 15-minute walk from our site!
Recommendations: Bring a good camera or a selfie stick with a tripod to take some great pictures.
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#4: Peekaboo Slot Canyon-Kanab, UT
When planning our trip to Utah, seeing a beautiful slot canyon was definitely something we wanted to do. Antelope Canyon came highly recommended, but on such a short timeframe, we didn’t want to drive too far out of the way. We were on our way from Bryce NP to Zion, and Kanab offered the perfect stop along the way to check this off our list. It did NOT disappoint & we absolutely loved this. Nate thoroughly enjoyed driving the ATV at “full power” as the guide recommended over the sand dunes on the way to our destination.
The Stats
Trailhead: Red Canyon Slot aka Peek a Book Trailhead (Kanab, UT), this is not to be confused with the Peekaboo in Escalante!
Distance: Around 1 mile of walking (easy) once you get to the slot canyon!
Getting There: Drive to the trailhead easily marked on Google Maps! You have to have a special vehicle to get there (do not drive your rental car!) We took an ATV with Expedition Kanab & it was a bucket-list experience.
Recommendations: We loved our tour guide, Brayden, because he taught us some really cool photography skills! The best way to take pictures of the slot canyons is to use your “panorama” mode vertically! We had never thought of turning the camera the other way and it made for some great pictures the rest of our trip!
*Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
After our trip through this beautiful part of the state, we have decided we definitely want to bring Graham back one day and explore even more! What are the destinations you would like to return to one day?
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