Favorite Hiking Trips this Summer

Normally on my days off I love to go hiking, but today it is raining. Whenever I hike I love to take about 50 billion pictures, so I thought I would share some of my favorites.

1. Angel's Landing: I finally did this hike and it was fantastic, but not for the faint of heart. This is at the very top and if you are afraid of heights you may want to think about not doing this one. It's about a four hour hike and very much uphill. For those who don't know, this is located in Zion National Park, Springdale, Utah. It's about an hour from where I live. I was really lucky because it was cloudy, but didn't actually rain much on us. Also if you don't feel like packing lunches with you Springdale has lots of really cute places to eat. They are a little more pricey, but oh, so delicious! 

My favorite so far has been Oscars Cafe. Super tasty! My meal was about $11, but I didn't even eat the whole thing cause it was huge! Sweet Potato fries are the way to go.  

2. Santa Clara Petroglyphs hike: This one is awesome and great for taking pictures. It is harder to find though. The trail is called "Tempi'po'op" which translates to "rock writing" in Southern Paiute. It takes about three hours round trip (including when I stop and take my 50 billion pictures). This hike is moderate, but does have a little bit of an incline and no shade. When you go don't forget to be respectful of the petroglyphs. It is crazy to me that every time I go I see parents letting their kids climb all over them. The link below has directions to the trail, but if you have questions let me know.   

 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/st__george/recreation/trails/santa_clara_river/tempi_po_op.html 

I also see a lot of people trail running out in this area, so if you are into that, there you go. Just remember, no shade!

3. Kanarraville Falls: This is a beautiful hike--very picturesque. The entrance is in the small town of Kanarraville, about 10 minutes away from Cedar City, Utah (exit 51 on I-15). At the parking lot you have to pay $10 because they do not want people parking on the sides of the roads, but if you park down by the Town Hall it is free. It takes about 10 minutes to walk to the parking lot from there and worth it if you aren't feeling lazy. This hike is fun and you will get wet. So put your cell phones in plastic bags or don't bring them at all. 

There are three waterfalls on this hike. It takes about four hours to do and the nice thing about this hike is if you go later in the day it's better because the first time I went my legs froze. The water is really cold in the mornings even in the hot summers of Southern Utah! Don't forget to bring water and snacks! 

4. Red Cliffs: This is probably one of my favorites places because I hiked and camped here a lot in my childhood. It is a great example of all the beautiful red rock that we have here in the Saint George area. The trails here are all very easy and not that long. There are even some dinosaur tracks.

The cost is $5 per car or $15 for a campground. There is also a picnic/fire pit area for day use with lots of trees for shade. This is a great place to take younger kids hiking. It can be hard to find this one sometimes so here are some directions.

 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/st__george/recreation/camping/red_cliffs_campground.html

5. Bryce Canyon National Park: Gorgeous rock formations and coloring. This is 3 hours from Saint George, but worth the drive. We went up for a family reunion and this was just a hike I went on near our campsite (which I sadly can't remember the name of). 

If anyone is ever up for a hike, let me know! Or if you know of any hiking trails that I might like feel free to tell me about them. I am always looking for new adventures.