Desert Southwest Guide

Our favorite destinations in the desert for (mostly) outdoor activities

Jump to: Kanab, Page and surrounding area | Zion and surrounding area | Moab and surrounding area | Escalante and South Capitol Reef | Hanksville and North Capitol Reef | top

Kanab, Page and surrounding area

#1

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park

want to go

want to go

park hiking / walking

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#2

The Belly of the Dragon trailhead

want to go

want to go

trailhead caving

Human-made tunnel that is fun to explore

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#3

Elkheart Cliffs Slot Canyon trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking

Sandy trail to dry, colorful slot canyon

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#4

Orderville Mine Rock Shop

shop

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#5

The Rock Stop

shop

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#6

Joe's Rock Shop

want to go

want to go

shop

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#7

Red Hollow Slot Canyon trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking

Short hike to a short, red walled slot canyon

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#8

Red Canyon Slot (Peek a boo) trail

want to go

want to go

trailhead hiking / walking

Short, dry, colorful slot canyon requiring a long sandy hike or 4 wheel drive

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#9

Moqui Cave museum

museum

Museum with rocks and artifacts in cave

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#10

Sand Caves trailhead

want to go

want to go

trailhead caving

Human-made caves that are fun to explore

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#11

Nature's Showcase

shop

Interesting shop that sells locally quarried picture sandstone

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#12

Little Hollywood Movie Museum and Trading Post

museum shop

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#13

Gunsmoke Movie Set

want to go

want to go

historic site

Can't go inside but can see from road

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#14

South Coyote Buttes (Vermillion Cliffs; Lone Tree trailhead)

want to go

want to go

hiking / walking

Area of beautiful sandstone with waves and teepees

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#15

North Coyote Buttes (The Wave, Vermillion Cliffs) trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking

Sandstone that flows like fabric; incredible

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#16

Upper Buckskin Gulch trailhead (to the Dive)

trailhead hiking / walking

Provides access to Edmaier's Secret and West Clark Bench (the Dive)

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#17

Catstair Canyon West trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking

Short slot canyon hike to see a set of stacked cars

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#18

Paria Townsite

historic site rockhounding

Picnic area, scenic badlands, and a ghost town

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#19

Paria Contact Station

visitor center

Stop off for the latest weather, road, and trail information

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#20

White Pocket trailhead

want to go

want to go

Area with scenic, white sandstone

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#21

Nautilus trail

trailhead hiking / walking

Very short hike up a wash to a neat sandstone feature

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#22

White House Campground and Paria River trailhead

campground

Lovely campground and picnic spot with pit toilets

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#23

Toadstool Hoodoos trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking

Hike to some quirky sandstone formations

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#24

White Rocks trailhead

want to go

want to go

trailhead hiking / walking

Access to area of white rock hoodoos and Sidestep canyon

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#25

Wahweap Hoodoos trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking

Hike to several sets of beautiful, white hoodoos, plus some bonus slot canyons to explore

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#26

Lone Rock Beach

campground beach lake swimming

Sandy beach access to Lake Powell, with camping right on the beach

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#27

Fiesta Mexicana Restaurant

restaurant

Giant margaritas with a side of Mexican food

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Zion and surrounding area

#28

Anasazi Valley trail

want to go

want to go

rock art hiking / walking

Petroglyphs on boulders at the Santa Clara River Reserve

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#29

Snow Canyon State Park

campground park hiking / walking

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#30

Red Reef trail

trailhead hiking / walking

Short, scenic hike that is popular (parking fills fast); dino prints nearby

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#31

Candy Cliffs (Anna's Viewpoint) trail at Yant Flat

trailhead hiking / walking

Provides access to the scenic Candy Cliffs area

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#32

Zion: The Subway trail (bottom up or top down exit trailhead)

trailhead hiking / walking

Semi-technical wet slot canyon requiring a permit

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#33

Zion: Angel's Landing trail

trailhead hiking / walking

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#34

Zion: Narrows trail

trailhead hiking / walking

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#35

Zion: Observation Point via Echo Canyon hike (from Weeping Rock trailhead)

want to go

want to go

trailhead hiking / walking

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#36

Zion: Cable mountain trail (from Stave Spring trailhead)

want to go

want to go

trailhead hiking / walking

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#37

Zion: Canyon Overlook trail

want to go

want to go

trailhead hiking / walking

Short trail on Zion scenic drive that leads to an overlook

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#38

Zion: Scenic drive through Mt. Carmel Tunnel

scenic drive

Rt 9 from Springdale winds through the park to the East Entrance Ranger Station

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#39

Quail Creek Campground

campground

State park campground convenient to St. George and Zion.

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#40

Red Cliffs Campground

campground hiking / walking

Small, secluded BLM campground near dinosaur footprints and Red Reef trailhead.

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Moab and surrounding area

#41

Horsethief Bench & Mary's Loop (from Kokopelli trailhead)

trailhead biking

Fun mountain bike ride with desert scenery

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#42

Sego Canyon Petrogylphs

rock art

Area of excellent rock art, featuring tall, well-preserved pictographs

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#43

Yellow Cat Flat (start of access road)

trailhead rockhounding

Area to search for agate, chert, jasper, petrified wood

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#44

Copper Ridge Dinosaur Trackways

want to go

want to go

geologic feature

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#45

Klondike Bluffs Mountain Biking (south trailhead)

trailhead biking

Miles of excellent trails; this is the south trailhead

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#46

Fisher Towers Trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking

5 mile rt hike to scenic red rock spires

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#47

KlonZo Trailhead

trailhead biking

Excellent collection of beginner to intermediate mountain bike trails

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#48

Brand trails parking

trailhead biking

Miles of excellent mountain biking, including some slick rock

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#49

Intestine Man Petroglyphs

rock art

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#50

Arches National Park Visitor Center

park visitor center biking hiking / walking

Excellent park full of arches; requires timed entry passes certain times of the year

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#51

Grandstaff Canyon Trail Head

trailhead geologic feature hiking / walking

4 mile rt hike to Morning Glory arch through Grandstaff canyon

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#52

Porcupine Rim West Trail Head

trailhead biking

Excellent mountain bike ride that is 14 miles point to point or a 30-mile loop

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#53

Slickrock Bike Trail

Epic Moab mountain bike trail; not for the faint of heart

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#54

Poison Spider Bicycles

shop biking

Rents excellent mountain bikes for adventures around Moab

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#55

Corona Arch Trailhead

want to go

want to go

trailhead geologic feature hiking / walking

Excellent hike to a spectacular arch

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#56

Mill Creek North Fork Trailhead

trailhead rock art waterfall hiking / walking

Out and back hiking trail with waterfalls, rock art and ruins

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#57

Birthing Scene Petroglyph

rock art

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#58

Dead Horse Point State Park

campground park

Great views and a nice campground and mountain biking trails

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#59

Island in the Sky Visitor Center

park visitor center hiking / walking

Canyonlands district with Grand Canyon-like views, ruins, and hiking

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#60

The Needles Visitor Center

rock art visitor center hiking / walking

District of Canyonlands with interesting hikes and Newspaper Rock petroglyph panel

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#61

Utah 128 Scenic Drive

scenic drive

Scenic drive from I-70 to Moab along the Colorado River.

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Escalante and South Capitol Reef

#62

Burro Wash Slot Canyon trail head

want to go

want to go

trailhead hiking / walking

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#63

Cottonwood Wash trail head

want to go

want to go

trailhead hiking / walking

Slot canyon in Capitol Reef

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#64

Sheets Gulch trail head

trailhead hiking / walking

Long, beautiful slot canyon in Capitol Reef

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#65

Anasazi State Park Museum

want to go

want to go

cultural site museum

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#66

Burr Trail Road

scenic drive

Scenic road connecting Boulder UT to the Notom Rd in Capital Reef

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#67

Upper Muley Twist Canyon (2 wheel drive TH)

trailhead hiking / walking

Slot canyon with arches in Capital Reef

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#68

Surprise Canyon trail head

trailhead hiking / walking

Short but colorful slot canyon

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#69

Headquarters Canyon trail head

trailhead hiking / walking

Short and sweet slot canyon

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#70

Lower Muley Twist trail head

want to go

want to go

trailhead hiking / walking

Hike through a narrow canyon with overhanging walls

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#71

Escalante Petrified Forest State Park

campground park geologic feature

Great camping option for tents or RVs just outside Escalante. Bonus: a short hike to see petrified logs.

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#72

Little Death Hollow trail head

trailhead hiking / walking

Excellent hike through a long slot canyon

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#73

Escalante River trailhead (access to Hundred Handprints)

trailhead rock art hiking / walking

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#74

Kiva Koffeehouse

coffee shop

Great coffee with an amazing view on the route between Escalante and Boulder.

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#75

Cosmic Ashtray trailhead (from Spencer Flats/Old Sheffield Road)

want to go

want to go

trailhead geologic feature hiking / walking

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#76

Moqui hill (place to see Moqui marbles)

want to go

want to go

geologic feature

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#77

Zebra & Tunnel Slots trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking

Slot with beautiful pink and white striped walls

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#78

Kodachrome Basin State Park

campground park geologic feature hiking / walking

Beautiful park with an excellent campground

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#79

Willis Creek Slot Canyon trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking

Scenic slot with a small river running through it

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#80

Upper Dry Fork trail head (Peek a boo, Spooky, Brimstone slots)

want to go

want to go

trailhead hiking / walking

Excellent slot canyons

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#81

Bull Valley Gorge trailhead

want to go

want to go

trailhead hiking / walking

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#82

Round Valley Draw trailhead

want to go

want to go

trailhead hiking / walking

Fun slot canyon

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Hanksville and North Capitol Reef

#83

Head of Sinbad Pictograph trail head

trailhead rock art hiking / walking

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#84

Dutchman Arch trail head

want to go

want to go

trailhead geologic feature

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#85

Swasey Cabin

trailhead historic site

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#86

Hatt Ranch rock collecting area

want to go

want to go

rockhounding

Area to find agate, grape agate, celestite geodes, and more

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#87

Moonshine Wash Trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking

Excellent non-technical slot canyon

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#88

Old Woman Wash trail head

want to go

want to go

trailhead hiking / walking

Possibly interesting canyon with rock art

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#89

Farnsworth Canyon

want to go

want to go

trailhead hiking / walking

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#90

Temple Mountain Wash Pictograph Panel

rock art

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#91

South Temple Wash Campground

campground

A BLM campground that is an alternative to camping at Goblin Valley State Park.

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#92

Wild Horse Window and Wild Horse Canyon trail head

trailhead hiking / walking

Hike to a large alcove with a sky light and a slot canyon with petroglyphs

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#93

Crack Canyon Trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking

6.5 mile out and back slot canyon in the Swell

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#94

Little Wildhorse Canyon and Bell Canyon loop hike trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking

Fun loop hike through 2 fairly easy slot canyons

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#95

Ding and Dang Slot Canyons Trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking

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#96

Goblin Valley State Park

campground park geologic feature hiking / walking

One of our favorite state parks! Enjoy wandering among the goblins (hoodoos).

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#97

Goblin's Lair Trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking

Provides access to an interesting cave

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#98

Great Gallery of Horseshoe Canyon Trailhead

trailhead rock art hiking / walking

8 mile rt hike to a large, well preserved pictograph panel

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#99

Skyline rim overlook

geologic feature scenic drive

Incredible view of a grey desert moonscape

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#100

Rockin Riddle Rock Shop

want to go

want to go

shop rockhounding

Wonderful rock shop in Hanksville; can provide info on regional rockhounding

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#101

Stan's Burger Shak

restaurant

Burgers, fries, and THICK shakes.

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#102

Capitol Reef National Park (northern section)

want to go

want to go

park visitor center hiking / walking

Northern Capitol Reef offers many fun hikes

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#103

Fish Creek Rock Art Panel and Waterfall

want to go

want to go

trailhead rock art waterfall hiking / walking

Excellent pictograph panel and hike to a small waterfall

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#104

Moonhouse Ruins trailhead

trailhead rock art hiking / walking

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Last updated: December 22, 2024