Desert Southwest Guide

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

Kanab, Page and surrounding area

#1 Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park want to go

park hiking / walking
#2 The Belly of the Dragon trailhead want to go

trailhead caving

Human-made tunnel that is fun to explore
#3 Elkheart Cliffs Slot Canyon trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking

Sandy trail to dry, colorful slot canyon
#4 Orderville Mine Rock Shop

shop
#5 The Rock Stop

shop
#6 Joe's Rock Shop want to go

shop
#7 Red Hollow Slot Canyon trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking

Short hike to a short, red walled slot canyon
#8 Red Canyon Slot (Peek a boo) trail want to go

trailhead hiking / walking

Short, dry, colorful slot canyon requiring a long sandy hike or 4 wheel drive
#9 Moqui Cave museum

museum

Museum with rocks and artifacts in cave
#10 Sand Caves trailhead want to go

trailhead caving

Human-made caves that are fun to explore
#11 Nature's Showcase

shop

Interesting shop that sells locally quarried picture sandstone
#12 Little Hollywood Movie Museum and Trading Post

museum shop
#13 Gunsmoke Movie Set want to go

historic site

Can't go inside but can see from road
#14 South Coyote Buttes (Vermillion Cliffs; Lone Tree trailhead) want to go

hiking / walking

Area of beautiful sandstone with waves and teepees
#15 North Coyote Buttes (The Wave, Vermillion Cliffs) trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking

Sandstone that flows like fabric; incredible
#16 Upper Buckskin Gulch trailhead (to the Dive)

trailhead hiking / walking

Provides access to Edmaier's Secret and West Clark Bench (the Dive)
#17 Catstair Canyon West trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking

Short slot canyon hike to see a set of stacked cars
#18 Paria Townsite

historic site rockhounding

Picnic area, scenic badlands, and a ghost town
#19 Paria Contact Station

visitor center

Stop off for the latest weather, road, and trail information
#20 White Pocket trailhead want to go

Area with scenic, white sandstone
#21 Nautilus trail

trailhead hiking / walking

Very short hike up a wash to a neat sandstone feature
#22 White House Campground and Paria River trailhead

campground

Lovely campground and picnic spot with pit toilets
#23 Toadstool Hoodoos trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking

Hike to some quirky sandstone formations
#24 White Rocks trailhead want to go

trailhead hiking / walking

Access to area of white rock hoodoos and Sidestep canyon
#25 Wahweap Hoodoos trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking

Hike to several sets of beautiful, white hoodoos, plus some bonus slot canyons to explore
#26 Lone Rock Beach

campground beach lake swimming

Sandy beach access to Lake Powell, with camping right on the beach
#27 Fiesta Mexicana Restaurant

restaurant

Giant margaritas with a side of Mexican food

Zion and surrounding area

#28 Anasazi Valley trail want to go

rock art hiking / walking

Petroglyphs on boulders at the Santa Clara River Reserve
#29 Snow Canyon State Park

campground park hiking / walking
#30 Red Reef trail

trailhead hiking / walking

Short, scenic hike that is popular (parking fills fast); dino prints nearby
#31 Candy Cliffs (Anna's Viewpoint) trail at Yant Flat

trailhead hiking / walking

Provides access to the scenic Candy Cliffs area
#32 Zion: The Subway trail (bottom up or top down exit trailhead)

trailhead hiking / walking

Semi-technical wet slot canyon requiring a permit
#33 Zion: Angel's Landing trail

trailhead hiking / walking
#34 Zion: Narrows trail

trailhead hiking / walking
#35 Zion: Observation Point via Echo Canyon hike (from Weeping Rock trailhead) want to go

trailhead hiking / walking
#36 Zion: Cable mountain trail (from Stave Spring trailhead) want to go

trailhead hiking / walking
#37 Zion: Canyon Overlook trail want to go

trailhead hiking / walking

Short trail on Zion scenic drive that leads to an overlook
#38 Zion: Scenic drive through Mt. Carmel Tunnel

scenic drive

Rt 9 from Springdale winds through the park to the East Entrance Ranger Station
#39 Quail Creek Campground

campground

State park campground convenient to St. George and Zion.
#40 Red Cliffs Campground

campground hiking / walking

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

Moab and surrounding area

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

trailhead biking

Fun mountain bike ride with desert scenery
#42 Sego Canyon Petrogylphs

rock art

Area of excellent rock art, featuring tall, well-preserved pictographs
#43 Yellow Cat Flat (start of access road)

trailhead rockhounding

Area to search for agate, chert, jasper, petrified wood
#44 Copper Ridge Dinosaur Trackways want to go

geologic feature
#45 Klondike Bluffs Mountain Biking (south trailhead)

trailhead biking

Miles of excellent trails; this is the south trailhead
#46 Fisher Towers Trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking

5 mile rt hike to scenic red rock spires
#47 KlonZo Trailhead

trailhead biking

Excellent collection of beginner to intermediate mountain bike trails
#48 Brand trails parking

trailhead biking

Miles of excellent mountain biking, including some slick rock
#49 Intestine Man Petroglyphs

rock art
#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
#51 Grandstaff Canyon Trail Head

trailhead geologic feature hiking / walking

4 mile rt hike to Morning Glory arch through Grandstaff canyon
#52 Porcupine Rim West Trail Head

trailhead biking

Excellent mountain bike ride that is 14 miles point to point or a 30-mile loop
#53 Slickrock Bike Trail

Epic Moab mountain bike trail; not for the faint of heart
#54 Poison Spider Bicycles

shop biking

Rents excellent mountain bikes for adventures around Moab
#55 Corona Arch Trailhead want to go

trailhead geologic feature hiking / walking

Excellent hike to a spectacular arch
#56 Mill Creek North Fork Trailhead

trailhead rock art waterfall hiking / walking

Out and back hiking trail with waterfalls, rock art and ruins
#57 Birthing Scene Petroglyph

rock art
#58 Dead Horse Point State Park

campground park

Great views and a nice campground and mountain biking trails
#59 Island in the Sky Visitor Center

park visitor center hiking / walking

Canyonlands district with Grand Canyon-like views, ruins, and hiking
#60 The Needles Visitor Center

rock art visitor center hiking / walking

District of Canyonlands with interesting hikes and Newspaper Rock petroglyph panel
#61 Utah 128 Scenic Drive

scenic drive

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

Escalante and South Capitol Reef

#62 Burro Wash Slot Canyon trail head want to go

trailhead hiking / walking
#63 Cottonwood Wash trail head want to go

trailhead hiking / walking

Slot canyon in Capitol Reef
#64 Sheets Gulch trail head

trailhead hiking / walking

Long, beautiful slot canyon in Capitol Reef
#65 Anasazi State Park Museum want to go

cultural site museum
#66 Burr Trail Road

scenic drive

Scenic road connecting Boulder UT to the Notom Rd in Capital Reef
#67 Upper Muley Twist Canyon (2 wheel drive TH)

trailhead hiking / walking

Slot canyon with arches in Capital Reef
#68 Surprise Canyon trail head

trailhead hiking / walking

Short but colorful slot canyon
#69 Headquarters Canyon trail head

trailhead hiking / walking

Short and sweet slot canyon
#70 Lower Muley Twist trail head want to go

trailhead hiking / walking

Hike through a narrow canyon with overhanging walls
#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.
#72 Little Death Hollow trail head

trailhead hiking / walking

Excellent hike through a long slot canyon
#73 Escalante River trailhead (access to Hundred Handprints)

trailhead rock art hiking / walking
#74 Kiva Koffeehouse

coffee shop

Great coffee with an amazing view on the route between Escalante and Boulder.
#75 Cosmic Ashtray trailhead (from Spencer Flats/Old Sheffield Road) want to go

trailhead geologic feature hiking / walking
#76 Moqui hill (place to see Moqui marbles) want to go

geologic feature
#77 Zebra & Tunnel Slots trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking

Slot with beautiful pink and white striped walls
#78 Kodachrome Basin State Park

campground park geologic feature hiking / walking

Beautiful park with an excellent campground
#79 Willis Creek Slot Canyon trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking

Scenic slot with a small river running through it
#80 Upper Dry Fork trail head (Peek a boo, Spooky, Brimstone slots) want to go

trailhead hiking / walking

Excellent slot canyons
#81 Bull Valley Gorge trailhead want to go

trailhead hiking / walking
#82 Round Valley Draw trailhead want to go

trailhead hiking / walking

Fun slot canyon

Hanksville and North Capitol Reef

#83 Head of Sinbad Pictograph trail head

trailhead rock art hiking / walking
#84 Dutchman Arch trail head want to go

trailhead geologic feature
#85 Swasey Cabin

trailhead historic site
#86 Hatt Ranch rock collecting area want to go

rockhounding

Area to find agate, grape agate, celestite geodes, and more
#87 Moonshine Wash Trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking

Excellent non-technical slot canyon
#88 Old Woman Wash trail head want to go

trailhead hiking / walking

Possibly interesting canyon with rock art
#89 Farnsworth Canyon want to go

trailhead hiking / walking
#90 Temple Mountain Wash Pictograph Panel

rock art
#91 South Temple Wash Campground

campground

A BLM campground that is an alternative to camping at Goblin Valley State Park.
#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
#93 Crack Canyon Trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking

6.5 mile out and back slot canyon in the Swell
#94 Little Wildhorse Canyon and Bell Canyon loop hike trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking

Fun loop hike through 2 fairly easy slot canyons
#95 Ding and Dang Slot Canyons Trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking
#96 Goblin Valley State Park

campground park geologic feature hiking / walking

One of our favorite state parks! Enjoy wandering among the goblins (hoodoos).
#97 Goblin's Lair Trailhead

trailhead hiking / walking

Provides access to an interesting cave
#98 Great Gallery of Horseshoe Canyon Trailhead

trailhead rock art hiking / walking

8 mile rt hike to a large, well preserved pictograph panel
#99 Skyline rim overlook

geologic feature scenic drive

Incredible view of a grey desert moonscape
#100 Rockin Riddle Rock Shop want to go

shop rockhounding

Wonderful rock shop in Hanksville; can provide info on regional rockhounding
#101 Stan's Burger Shak

restaurant

Burgers, fries, and THICK shakes.
#102 Capitol Reef National Park (northern section) want to go

park visitor center hiking / walking

Northern Capitol Reef offers many fun hikes
#103 Fish Creek Rock Art Panel and Waterfall want to go

trailhead rock art waterfall hiking / walking

Excellent pictograph panel and hike to a small waterfall
#104 Moonhouse Ruins trailhead

trailhead rock art hiking / walking

Last updated: December 22, 2024

Map showing locations of activities / places for Desert Southwest