The principal wonder of Natural Bridges National Monument in southeast Utah is this: nowhere else in North America—perhaps the world—can you see three of Earth’s largest natural bridges in one day’s hike. Yes, that’s natural bridges, not arches, mind you—the former are carved by continuously-flowing streams, while the latter rely on the erosional forces of …
Month: January 2015
Point 6,230′ (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
Visible from Highway 24, the monolith known only as Point 6,230’ is an impressive hunk of deep red Moenkopi rock rising above a snaking maze of crumbly canyons in western Capitol Reef National Park. Though not the highest of the rocky promontories in the area, the trek to the point can make for a nice …
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Golden Throne Trail and Golden Throne Canyon (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
The purpose of the Golden Throne Trail is to provide fine views of the trail’s namesake, a 7,042-foot sandstone dome that shines a deep yellow in the sun. However, visitors hoping to summit Golden Throne—or even to touch it—are likely to be disappointed: the 2-mile trek ends abruptly at a rock outcropping a good distance …
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Cooks Mesa and Meeks Mesa (Fishlake National Forest, UT)
There is perhaps no better word to describe the hike to the top of Meeks Mesa than epic. Though the 2.2-mile trail lies just outside the western boundary of Capitol Reef National Park (it is on Fishlake National Forest land), it is arguably equally as, if not more, scenic—and the strenuous climb of more than …
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Live and Let Hike 