The "Must-Sees" of the American West (page 9 of 10)

Thanks Guillaume for this amazing travel journal—personally, I made some great discoveries, especially in Nevada. So happy to see the stunning Utah landscapes in photos again!! You really crushed it covering all those hiking miles 😊. Kudos and thanks again for sharing!

Thanks for this active share, Guillaume! 🙂

Happy holidays to everyone!🎄🥳❄️

Hi there,

I just have a quick question about your various hikes in the American West. Are there any (one or more) among the ones you describe that can be done without renting an expensive vehicle? No 4x4, just a simple rental car for two people to drive on paved roads—gravel or a short stretch of dirt road at worst. So, are there any day hikes (with a packed lunch) that start from a trailhead where: - Max elevation gain: 1,200–1,300 m - Max distance: 18–20 km - Light pack (5–6 kg max; no mountaineering gear) - Return to the car and accommodation within 70–80 km of the starting point? Happy holidays!

Thanks Fabienne and Agnès for your messages, and have a wonderful holiday season! 😊

Hi there, There are tons of amazing hikes you can do with just a regular car. For my next trip like this, I’ll stick to a sedan to keep costs down. Anyway, SUVs and sedans both come with standard tires, so the risk of a flat is the same. An old-timer rule for gravel roads: even if the track is perfectly drivable, never go over 30 mph. That really cuts down on the risk of a flat, and with a $15 tire repair kit, you can easily fix it yourself.

I’ll try to group the most beautiful hikes that are sedan-accessible and near towns with lodging. Some I’ve already done, others are still on my list... None of the hikes mentioned exceed 800 m of elevation gain, and few go beyond that, except in Yosemite and Colorado.

From St. George: - White Domes with a gentle climb via Squirrel Canyon and descent via Water Canyon (15 km - 550 m gain) - Snow Canyon State Park (several walks in the park and the White Rock Amphitheater viewpoint ***) - Yant Flat ***: no particular difficulty on the track, except after heavy rain ((http://ouestusa.fr/utah/yant%20flat/yant%20flat.php))

From Hurricane - Zion: - Left Fork of North Creek or The Subway - Main canyon: West Rim Trail and the Angels Landing option (if you win the lottery): start from the "The Grotto" stop in Zion Canyon. With a 15 km round trip, you can see the best views of Zion’s massifs - Upper East Canyon: My top 3 hikes are: - Progeny Peak (short hike, but 300 m gain), **** 360° view ((https://www.citrusmilo.com/zionguide/progenypeak.php)) - Jughandle Arch with climb to the plateau + Center of the Universe **** - Checkerboard Mesa Summit

From Cannonville: - Bryce Canyon: Combined Queens Garden / Peekaboo Loop (very crowded) and Fairyland Loop (less crowded) - Kodachrome Basin SP: several nice walks, including Panorama Trail

From Escalante: - The Volcano ((http://ouestusa.fr/utah/volcano/volcano.php)) You can drive the first miles of Hole-in-the-Rock Road without issue, unless there are heavy summer storms. We’ve seen RVs all the way to the slot canyon parking lots. To do on HIRR: - Devils Garden ((http://ouestusa.fr/utah/devilsgarden/devilsgarden.php)) - Zebra Slot Canyon, pushing on to The Oasis (see maps.me) - From the "Upper Dry Fork trailhead" parking: do the combo of 3 slot canyons, among the most beautiful in the West: Dry Fork / Peek-a-Boo / Spooky Gulch - Lower Calf Creek Falls ((http://ouestusa.fr/utah/calfcreek/calfcreek.php)) - Boulder Mail Trail (21 km total) ((http://ouestusa.fr/utah/bouldermail/bouldermail.php))

From Torrey, at Capitol Reef, 3 stunning hikes: - Cohab Canyon Trail *** - Cassidy Arch *** - Navajo Knobs **** ((http://ouestusa.fr/utah/capitol/navajoknobs/index.html))

From Hanksville (info on ouestusa.fr): - Factory Butte and Moonscape Overlook - Hike to Long Dong Silver ((https://www.roadtrippin.fr/poi/blue-hills-long-dong-silver.php)) - Goblin Valley SP - A beautiful slot: Little Wild Horse Canyon, which you can combine with Bell Canyon - Another slot, different: Crack Canyon - Little Egypt - Leprechaun Canyon, and don’t forget to drive UT-95 (one of the most beautiful roads in the American West) all the way to Hite, then turn back or spend the night in the area

From Moab, outside the national parks: - Corona Arch / Bow Tie Arch **** and add Jeep Arch - Mill Creek Canyon for a cool-off if it’s hot in summer - Negro Bill Canyon

From Monticello: - The Needles in Canyonlands: Day 1: Chesler Park with Druid Arch extension (car at Elephant Hill) Day 2: Squaw Canyon - Big Spring Canyon (car at Squaw Flat)

From Farmington, there should be a way to reach the various badlands by sedan (haven’t done it yet, but no negative feedback on this): - Bisti Badlands - Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah - King of Wings - Don’t forget Chaco Culture in the middle of the day when the light is bad for the badlands

In Sedona, you can easily spend 4-5 days without getting bored: - Soldiers Pass Trail - Cibola - Jordan Trail - West Fork Oak Creek Trail - Munds Wagon, Cow Pies, Hangover Loop Trail - Crescent Moon at sunset - Broken Arrow Trail And plenty more if you dig around online or on ouestusa.fr, which lists most of the sites.

Combining all these hikes—most of them off the beaten path—with the must-see national parks where crowds gather, makes for a much more rewarding experience!

Thanks, that’s really nice of you! I don’t want to bother you too much, but I forgot to ask for some extra info. I’d like to know which of these hikes can be done without needing to book park entry, or if it’s absolutely necessary, which park is easy to book. Do the hikes you gave me require permits?

I’m asking because about fifteen years ago, I tried to book for the Grand Canyon, and even though I planned six months ahead, I didn’t get what I wanted.

What do you think is the best time to go? Mid-September to mid-October? Or a bit later for fewer crowds? I’m surprised—your photos don’t show anyone. I imagined these places would be super crowded!

For all the hikes mentioned, only Angels Landing and The Subway—both in Zion—require a permit via lottery. However, there’s no need for advance reservations to enter the park. That said, if you want a parking spot at the main canyon entrance, you’ll need to arrive before 8:00–8:30 AM. As with any popular site worldwide, you’ve got to be an early bird...

For 2025: - No reservations required to enter Bryce Canyon, Zion NP, Capitol Reef, Grand Canyon, or Canyonlands - Yosemite: 2025 entry conditions haven’t been set yet - Only Arches requires a reservation during certain times of the year, or you’ll need to enter before 7:00 AM (so plan to arrive around 6:00 AM to be sure you’re in before the cutoff). Recent info: "Reservations are required for visits between April 1, 2025, and July 6, or from August 28 to October 31, 2025. Entry is allowed between 7:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Without a ticket, you can enter before or after these hours. If you want to enter before 7:00 AM, aim to arrive at least by 6:30 AM to get in line. To enter between 7:00 AM and 4:00 PM, you’ll need your reservation, an ID, and either pay the park entrance fee or show your America the Beautiful pass."

- You mentioned a mandatory reservation for the Grand Canyon: that only applies to those who want to stay overnight at the bottom of the canyon, at Phantom Ranch. The wait for a hotel room there is well over a year. But given your hiking abilities, I’d recommend doing the South Kaibab Trail as a day trip. In the middle of summer, don’t go farther than Skeleton Point—or maybe 20 minutes beyond—for some great views along the way. In the off-season, you can go all the way to the Colorado River, near the footbridge, then return the same way (the Bright Angel Trail back is less scenic and much longer). In terms of scenery, the last half-hour of the South Kaibab Trail is the least interesting—except for the thrill of reaching the Colorado on foot! !

Okay, thanks for all the details. I’m not planning to go in the summer. Earliest would be mid-September to early October. You were there in November, right? How were the temperatures?

I was there straddling September and October. For Utah and northern Arizona, the best time is from mid-September to mid-October, just like you're planning

None of the hikes mentioned exceed 800 m of elevation gain, and few go beyond that, except in Yosemite and Colorado

If you've got the time... I haven’t checked all the hikes, but the ones I saw are out-and-backs. Do you have any that are loops?

Thanks for this awesome travel journal! It makes me want to do the exact same thing :D. I’ll keep the link handy just in case.

Quick question—park rangers can’t stop us from doing a hike, right? I’m planning to do the South Kaibab Trail up to Bright Angel Trail in the Grand Canyon in July... with 4L of water while the rest of my family hangs out at the South Rim. Is the trail not too tough, or what?

In Yosemite, there's a super famous loop hike, the Four Mile Trail combined with the Panorama Trail. The hike is a solid 20 km with 1,000 m of elevation gain. The hikes on my Colorado wishlist are all out-and-backs, so I won’t be able to help you out for that state.

O.K. Thanks, no problem!

Hi Guillaume, I just read the beginning of your travel journal. I'm only on day 2 (so White Domes and The Subway). It's starting off really strong, with stunning sites that are beautifully showcased.

I'll keep reading while taking notes and pinpointing where all the sites are along the route. I also saw that you did something completely different in Texas and Louisiana (haven't read that part yet).

Anyway, congrats on this start to your journal—it immediately makes me want to keep reading, to return to the Southwest, etc...

Hi Michel, Don’t hesitate to ask if you need any info or GPS tracks... As for us, we still haven’t made it to Oregon, even though your travel journal really whet my appetite 😉. Happy reading! !

Hi Marati,

Great job on this super energetic travel journal! You tackled some serious hikes every day, some even a bit acrobatic. I discovered a few "side trails" from hikes I’ve done that I didn’t even know existed. Shows just how massive this region is—there’s always more to explore, and you learn something new every time you read journals like yours. 😉

Hi Jean-Philippe, Thanks for your nice message 😉. Maybe this travel journal will make you want to return to the area after your three huge camping road trips where you explored most of the nooks and crannies of the Southwest !

Hey Guillaume,

Thanks for this super informative travel journal. I’ve bookmarked it—it’ll come in handy if we head back to the States. Not in the plans as long as Donald’s in power. 🏴‍☠️

Did you post your next trip’s itinerary on the forum?

Thanks Guillaume for this great itinerary that really kept us on our toes!

Hey Carmen, I’m not sure I’ll manage to boycott Southwest as long as Donald’s in power! We’ll see. I didn’t post the Peru-Bolivia-Chile itinerary, but if you’re interested, I can email it to you.