Timpanogos Cave Trail & Cave Tour (Timpanogos Cave National Monument, UT)

Timpanogos Cave, Timpanogos Cave National Monument, June 2022 Nestled high above American Fork Canyon in northern Utah’s Wasatch Range, three limestone caves—connected today by man-made tunnels—are the prime attractions of Timpanogos Cave National Monument, a popular park in the Salt Lake City/Provo area. Discovered around the turn of the 20th century, the three caves were …

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Top 10 Hikes in 2021

Evolution Lake, John Muir Trail, Kings Canyon National Park, August 2021 The past year brought new milestones for Live and Let Hike, with the Covid-era bump in traffic continuing for a second year. In fact, annual viewership rose by more than 50 percent compared to 2020 and more than 100 percent relative to 2019—Live and …

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Water Canyon (Canaan Mountain Wilderness, UT)

Water Canyon, Canaan Mountain Wilderness, May 2021 Climbing partway up the sandstone cliffs of Canaan Mountain, this short hike—located just over the Utah border from Colorado City, Arizona—ascends rocky and sandy terrain to a beautiful perennial waterfall, short slot, and bowl-shaped narrows resembling “The Subway” in nearby Zion National Park. Water Canyon is notable for …

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Wiregrass Canyon (Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, UT)

Wiregrass Canyon, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, May 2021 Highly weathered and rimmed with chalky hoodoos, natural arches, and tafoni, Wiregrass Canyon is an intriguing side drainage in southern Utah’s Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The relatively-accessible canyon eventually empties into Glen Canyon and (what’s left of) the reservoir at Lake Powell. Those wishing to …

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Buckskin Gulch via Wire Pass (Paria Canyon – Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, UT)

Buckskin Gulch, Paria Canyon - Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, May 2021 Stretching for more than a dozen miles through south-central Utah, the dark, undulating narrows of Buckskin Gulch are a sight to behold, a wonder of the American Southwest. Considered to be the longest slot canyon in the world, Buckskin Gulch is part of the Paria …

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Top 10 Hikes in 2020

Crown Lake, Hoover Wilderness, July 2020 Well, what a strange year it has been. In the early days of 2020, it was hard to imagine that, by March, much of the world would be dealing with a global pandemic that would take the lives of millions and usher in lockdowns, mask mandates, and economic recessions. …

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Return to Capitol Reef National Park

Grand Wash, Capitol Reef National Park, August 2020 After more than five years away, yours truly finally had the chance to return to Capitol Reef National Park in central Utah, where I spent a lovely winter as a seasonal interpretive volunteer. Having effectively already covered all the hikes in the park in previous posts (see …

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Introducing the Capitol Reef Trail Guide!

Having finally completed the backlog of blog posts from my four months in Utah’s Capitol Reef National Park, I’ve decided to roll out a whole new reference titled the “Capitol Reef Trail Guide.” Here you will find a comprehensive list of trails and routes in Capitol Reef, as well as an interactive map and an …

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