Angels Landing
Zion NP
StrenuousSouthernPermit requiredKids 1/5
5.4 mi round trip, 1,488 ft gain. Season: Spring & Fall
Chains section along a knife-edge fin to Zion's most famous perch. Permit lottery required.
The Narrows (Bottom-Up)
Zion NP
ModerateSouthernKids 3/5
9.4 mi round trip, 334 ft gain. Season: Summer-early Fall
Wade UP the Virgin River between 1,000 ft walls. Go as far as you like - even a mile is magic. Rent canyoneering boots in Springdale.
Emerald Pools
Zion NP
EasySouthernKids 5/5
3 mi round trip, 620 ft gain. Season: All year
Waterfalls dripping over alcoves into green pools. Lower pool is stroller-ish.
Canyon Overlook Trail
Zion NP
EasySouthernKids 4/5
1 mi round trip, 163 ft gain. Season: All year
Massive Zion Canyon payoff for a 30-minute walk. Sunrise gold.
Observation Point (East Mesa)
Zion NP
ModerateSouthernKids 2/5
7 mi round trip, 695 ft gain. Season: Spring-Fall
Looks DOWN on Angels Landing. Via East Mesa trailhead while Weeping Rock side is closed.
Watchman Trail
Zion NP
EasySouthernKids 4/5
3.3 mi round trip, 368 ft gain. Season: All year
Underrated bench view of the Watchman and Springdale. Great first-evening leg stretcher.
Riverside Walk
Zion NP
EasySouthernKids 5/5
2.2 mi round trip, 57 ft gain. Season: All year
Paved path to the Narrows entrance. Squirrels, hanging gardens, river access.
Queen's Garden + Navajo Loop
Bryce Canyon NP
ModerateSouthernKids 4/5
2.9 mi round trip, 625 ft gain. Season: Spring-Fall
THE best short hike in Bryce - descend among glowing hoodoos, up through Wall Street's switchbacks.
Peekaboo Loop
Bryce Canyon NP
HardSouthernKids 2/5
5.5 mi round trip, 1,571 ft gain. Season: Spring-Fall
Deeper hoodoo immersion; Wall of Windows is unreal.
Fairyland Loop
Bryce Canyon NP
HardSouthernKids 2/5
8 mi round trip, 1,716 ft gain. Season: Spring-Fall
Quieter full-day hoodoo circuit past Tower Bridge.
Mossy Cave & Waterfall
Bryce Canyon NP
EasySouthernKids 5/5
0.9 mi round trip, 121 ft gain. Season: Spring-Fall
Hoodoos + a waterfall the kids can splash near, no rim driving needed.
Delicate Arch
Arches NP
ModerateSoutheasternKids 3/5
3.2 mi round trip, 629 ft gain. Season: Spring & Fall (sunset!)
Utah's license-plate icon. Slickrock climb, zero shade, all-time sunset. Timed entry Apr-Oct.
Devils Garden to Landscape Arch
Arches NP
EasySoutheasternKids 4/5
1.9 mi round trip, 252 ft gain. Season: Spring & Fall
306 ft Landscape Arch - one of the longest spans on Earth. Continue to Double O if you're feeling spicy.
The Windows & Turret Arch
Arches NP
EasySoutheasternKids 5/5
1.2 mi round trip, 154 ft gain. Season: All year
Three giant arches in one stroll. Sunrise through North Window is a classic photo.
Sand Dune Arch
Arches NP
EasySoutheasternKids 5/5
0.4 mi round trip, 30 ft gain. Season: All year
Hidden arch in a shady sandy slot - nature's playground, kids beg to stay.
Fiery Furnace
Arches NP
HardSoutheasternPermit requiredKids 2/5
2.1 mi round trip, 328 ft gain. Season: Spring & Fall
Permit-only labyrinth of fins and secret arches. Ranger tour recommended first time.
Mesa Arch
Canyonlands NP
EasySoutheasternKids 5/5
0.7 mi round trip, 88 ft gain. Season: All year
THE sunrise shot - arch glowing over a 500 ft drop into Buck Canyon.
Grand View Point
Canyonlands NP
EasySoutheasternKids 4/5
1.8 mi round trip, 157 ft gain. Season: All year
Rim walk over the entire Island in the Sky ending at a jaw-dropper.
Chesler Park Loop
Canyonlands NP (Needles)
StrenuousSoutheasternKids 1/5
10.7 mi round trip, 1,447 ft gain. Season: Spring & Fall
Candy-striped Needles country including the Joint Trail slot. Best backcountry day in Utah?
Druid Arch
Canyonlands NP (Needles)
StrenuousSoutheasternKids 1/5
10.8 mi round trip, 1,424 ft gain. Season: Spring & Fall
Stonehenge-scale arch at the head of Elephant Canyon.
Upheaval Dome Overlook
Canyonlands NP
ModerateSoutheasternKids 4/5
1.5 mi round trip, 226 ft gain. Season: All year
Peer into a crater geologists still argue about (meteorite? salt dome?).
Hickman Bridge
Capitol Reef NP
ModerateCentralKids 4/5
1.7 mi round trip, 416 ft gain. Season: Spring-Fall
133 ft natural bridge; pair with pie from the Gifford House. Yes, pie.
Cassidy Arch
Capitol Reef NP
StrenuousCentralKids 3/5
3.1 mi round trip, 666 ft gain. Season: Spring & Fall
You can walk ON TOP of this arch. Named for Butch Cassidy, who hid nearby.
Grand Wash
Capitol Reef NP
EasyCentralKids 4/5
4.4 mi round trip, 200 ft gain. Season: Spring-Fall
Flat gravel wash through 500-foot narrows. Watch weather - flash flood country.
Capitol Gorge & The Tanks
Capitol Reef NP
EasyCentralKids 4/5
2 mi round trip, 400 ft gain. Season: Spring-Fall
Pioneer register carved in stone + waterpockets ('tanks') up a short scramble.
Navajo Knobs
Capitol Reef NP
StrenuousCentralKids 1/5
9.5 mi round trip, 2,405 ft gain. Season: Spring & Fall
360° summit view over the whole Waterpocket Fold.
Mount Timpanogos (Timpooneke)
Wasatch
StrenuousWasatch FrontKids 1/5
14.2 mi round trip, 4,425 ft gain. Season: July-Sept
Utah's most beloved summit: wildflower basins, a glacier remnant, mountain goats, 11,752 ft.
Lake Blanche
Big Cottonwood Canyon
HardWasatch FrontKids 2/5
6.8 mi round trip, 2,707 ft gain. Season: June-Oct
Alpine lake under Sundial Peak - the Wasatch postcard.
Cecret Lake
Little Cottonwood (Albion Basin)
EasyWasatch FrontKids 5/5
1.7 mi round trip, 459 ft gain. Season: July-Sept
July wildflower explosion around a family-friendly alpine lake.
Donut Falls
Big Cottonwood Canyon
EasyWasatch FrontKids 5/5
3 mi round trip, 551 ft gain. Season: May-Oct
Waterfall that pours through a donut hole in the rock. Kids scramble right up to it.
Lake Mary, Martha & Catherine
Brighton
ModerateWasatch FrontKids 3/5
4.5 mi round trip, 1,266 ft gain. Season: July-Oct
Three lakes, one trail, moose sightings common.
Bells Canyon Waterfall
Little Cottonwood
ModerateWasatch FrontKids 3/5
4.6 mi round trip, 1,568 ft gain. Season: April-Nov
Granite canyon to a roaring lower falls.
Mount Olympus
Salt Lake City
StrenuousWasatch FrontKids 1/5
7.4 mi round trip, 4,058 ft gain. Season: May-Oct
SLC's relentless rite of passage; final scramble to a proud summit.
Grandeur Peak (West)
Millcreek Canyon
HardWasatch FrontKids 2/5
6.2 mi round trip, 2,444 ft gain. Season: April-Nov
Valley-and-canyon views; dogs allowed in Millcreek (odd days off-leash).
Ensign Peak
Salt Lake City
EasyWasatch FrontKids 5/5
0.9 mi round trip, 374 ft gain. Season: All year
Ten-minute historic climb Brigham Young used to survey the valley. City-light sunsets.
Stewart Falls
Sundance / Provo Canyon
EasyWasatch FrontKids 4/5
3.4 mi round trip, 652 ft gain. Season: May-Oct
200 ft two-tier falls behind Sundance. Aspens golden in late September.
Bridal Veil Falls
Provo Canyon
EasyWasatch FrontKids 5/5
1.5 mi round trip, 200 ft gain. Season: All year
607 ft cascade off the paved Provo River Parkway. Ice climbers in winter.
Battle Creek Falls
Pleasant Grove
EasyWasatch FrontKids 5/5
1.2 mi round trip, 426 ft gain. Season: March-Nov
Quick canyon walk to a splashy falls - a Utah County family staple.
The Y Trail
Provo
ModerateWasatch FrontKids 3/5
2.4 mi round trip, 1,074 ft gain. Season: All year
Switchback up to the giant block Y over BYU. Steeper than it looks!
Silver Lake Boardwalk
Big Cottonwood (Brighton)
EasyWasatch FrontKids 5/5
0.9 mi round trip, 26 ft gain. Season: June-Oct
Flat boardwalk loop, moose in the willows, wheelchair & stroller friendly, fishing dock.
Naomi Peak
Bear River Range
HardNorthernKids 2/5
6.8 mi round trip, 2,028 ft gain. Season: July-Sept
Highest point in the Bear River Range via gorgeous Tony Grove basin.
Wind Caves
Logan Canyon
ModerateNorthernKids 4/5
3.9 mi round trip, 1,050 ft gain. Season: April-Nov
Triple-arched cave room carved by wind - Logan's favorite.
White Pine Lake (Logan)
Logan Canyon
ModerateNorthernKids 3/5
7.5 mi round trip, 1,436 ft gain. Season: July-Sept
Turquoise lake between two limestone peaks; brook trout cruising the shallows.
Ben Lomond via North Skyline
Ogden
StrenuousNorthernKids 1/5
15.5 mi round trip, 3,654 ft gain. Season: July-Oct
The peak said to have inspired the Paramount logo.
Waterfall Canyon
Ogden
ModerateNorthernKids 3/5
2.4 mi round trip, 1,141 ft gain. Season: March-Nov
Steep but short to a 200 ft falls above Ogden.
Adams Canyon
Layton
ModerateNorthernKids 3/5
3.5 mi round trip, 1,512 ft gain. Season: April-Nov
Creekside shade to a lovely falls - Davis County classic.
Frary Peak
Antelope Island SP
HardNorthernKids 2/5
6.6 mi round trip, 2,064 ft gain. Season: Sept-May (hot in summer)
Island summit with 360° Great Salt Lake views; bison below you.
Bald Mountain
Uinta Mountains
ModerateNortheasternKids 3/5
2.8 mi round trip, 1,178 ft gain. Season: July-Sept
11,943 ft summit in under 90 minutes from Mirror Lake Highway. Altitude! Storms roll in fast.
Lofty Lake Loop
Uinta Mountains
ModerateNortheasternKids 4/5
3.9 mi round trip, 833 ft gain. Season: July-Sept
Four alpine lakes on one family-doable loop.
Ruth Lake
Uinta Mountains
EasyNortheasternKids 5/5
2.1 mi round trip, 249 ft gain. Season: July-Sept
20-minute walk to a fishy alpine lake - bring the ultralight rod.
Fehr Lake Trail
Uinta Mountains
EasyNortheasternKids 4/5
3.4 mi round trip, 472 ft gain. Season: July-Sept
Hop lake-to-lake (Fehr, Shepard, Hoover) casting for brookies.
Kings Peak
High Uintas Wilderness
StrenuousNortheasternKids 1/5
28.8 mi round trip, 5,411 ft gain. Season: July-Sept
Utah's 13,528 ft rooftop - usually a 2-3 day backpack via Henrys Fork.
Amethyst Lake
Uinta Mountains
HardNortheasternKids 1/5
11.4 mi round trip, 2,001 ft gain. Season: July-Sept
Gem of a cirque lake below Ostler Peak.
Lower Calf Creek Falls
Grand Staircase-Escalante
ModerateSouthernKids 3/5
6.7 mi round trip, 521 ft gain. Season: Spring & Fall
126 ft falls with a swimming hole at the end of a sandy canyon. Worth every step.
Kanarra Falls
Kanarraville
ModerateSouthernPermit requiredKids 3/5
3.8 mi round trip, 639 ft gain. Season: May-Oct
Slot canyon + ladders + waterfalls. Fee/permit capped daily - book ahead.
Zebra Slot Canyon
Grand Staircase-Escalante
ModerateSouthernKids 2/5
5.3 mi round trip, 452 ft gain. Season: Spring & Fall
Pink-striped candy slot; may require wading potholes.
Peek-a-Boo & Spooky Gulch
Grand Staircase-Escalante
HardSouthernKids 2/5
6.1 mi round trip, 590 ft gain. Season: Spring & Fall
Squeeze-through double slot loop - Spooky narrows to 10 inches!
Coyote Gulch
Grand Staircase-Escalante
StrenuousSouthernKids 1/5
12.7 mi round trip, 1,246 ft gain. Season: Spring & Fall
Arches, natural bridges, and a creek you walk in for miles. Overnight it.
Little Wild Horse & Bell Canyon
San Rafael Swell
ModerateSoutheasternKids 4/5
8 mi round trip, 900 ft gain. Season: Spring & Fall
Utah's best family slot canyon loop, near Goblin Valley.
Corona Arch
Moab
ModerateSoutheasternKids 3/5
2.3 mi round trip, 482 ft gain. Season: All year
140 ft arch you can walk under, with cables and a ladder en route. Free and glorious.
Fisher Towers
Moab
ModerateSoutheasternKids 3/5
4.4 mi round trip, 669 ft gain. Season: Spring & Fall
Mars-red mudstone towers; watch climbers on the Titan.
Grandstaff Canyon
Moab
ModerateSoutheasternKids 3/5
4.5 mi round trip, 462 ft gain. Season: All year
Creekside walk to 243 ft Morning Glory Bridge.
Dead Horse Rim Loop
Dead Horse Point SP
EasySoutheasternKids 4/5
5 mi round trip, 449 ft gain. Season: All year
Rim views the whole way - every overlook better than the last.
Goblin Valley Free Roam
Goblin Valley SP
EasySoutheasternKids 5/5
1.5 mi round trip, 150 ft gain. Season: All year
No trail needed - wander a valley of goblins. Best kid terrain in the state.
Angel's Palace
Kodachrome Basin SP
EasySouthernKids 4/5
1.5 mi round trip, 236 ft gain. Season: All year
Fins and hoodoo balconies above the basin in 45 minutes.
Petrified Dunes
Snow Canyon SP
ModerateSouthernKids 5/5
1.2 mi round trip, 150 ft gain. Season: Oct-April
Frozen waves of orange sandstone made for scrambling.
Kanab Sand Caves
Kanab
EasySouthernKids 4/5
1.5 mi round trip, 147 ft gain. Season: All year
Man-made caves in a cliff band - short scramble, big photos.
Toadstool Hoodoos
Grand Staircase (Hwy 89)
EasySouthernKids 5/5
1.6 mi round trip, 127 ft gain. Season: All year
Mushroom rocks 20 minutes off the highway.
Spectra Point / Ramparts
Cedar Breaks NM
ModerateSouthernKids 3/5
4.6 mi round trip, 1,063 ft gain. Season: June-Oct
Rim trail past 1,600-year-old bristlecone pines above a hoodoo amphitheater at 10,000 ft.
Buckskin Gulch (Wire Pass)
Paria Canyon
ModerateSouthernPermit requiredKids 3/5
3.7 mi round trip, 265 ft gain. Season: Spring & Fall
Day-permit entry into the longest slot canyon in the world. Check flash-flood forecast ALWAYS.
Hidden Pinyon Overlook
Snow Canyon SP
EasySouthernKids 4/5
1.5 mi round trip, 167 ft gain. Season: Oct-April
Sampler platter of Snow Canyon's lava and sandstone.