The Nautilus is a delicate and beautiful rock formation made of wind and water eroded sandstone, at the edge of a small ravine near the Paria River, a mere 9 miles Northeast of The Wave. The Nautilus is an outcrop of a soft, thin-layered rock with a rippled surface texture, with the formation of a corkscrew-like gully. It's reminiscent of a conch shell, hence the term nautilus.

Hiking to Hidden Haven Falls is a popular hike near Parowan, Utah. This short hike is perfect for kids and dogs to hike to, especially when it's hot outside. At only 2 miles round-trip, this hike is somewhat shaded and a perfect hike to do if you are visiting the Brian Head or Cedar Breaks area. The flat trail leads to a beautiful waterfall flowing from Benson Creek. Be sure to wear water shoes, as it is unavoidable to stay dry, especially in Spring when the falls are raging. During summer and fall it becomes a trickle, and is not as impressive, but you can stay dry. There are also several picnic tables 10 minutes from the falls, so plan to have lunch along the creek!

The West Rim Trail is located in Zion National Park (ZNP) and is one of several popular trails for day hikers and backpackers in the area. It offers sweeping 360 views, mainly of Wildcat Canyon and Phantom Valley. This 16 mile long traverse is typically done in one day, but you can also take a more leisurely approach and backpack (with a permit). The first 8 miles stretch across Horse Pasture Plateau, a high alpine elevation (5600-7500 ft) dotted with Ponderosas, sage brush, yucca, as well as remnants from a fire.

Sulphur Creek is located in Capitol Reef National Park and provides a beautiful water hike through a narrow canyon, with subway-like channels, cutting through layered, orange and red sandstone. It's considered the "Subway" or "Narrows" of CRNP, though really it lives up to its own name. The water is rarely more than ankle deep and there are three waterfalls that you can easily bypass, one forces you to slide down it's 5 foot drop!

Cascade Falls is located near Navajo Lake, and is in fact, a major drainage port for the lake. The trail offers amazing view of Zion National Park on a clear day, and all ages and all types of hikers plus dogs will enjoy this area. The water from the falls is supplied by the lake through an underground lava tube (sink hole). The water flows through this for a few miles underground before exiting at the Virgin River Rim.

The San Rafael Swell is a mecca of hiking and camping, all free thanks to BLM Land. It's a great area to explore off trail, find rock art, hike through slot canyons, and traverse over red and white slick rock. The Swell offers something for everyone, so it's great for the whole family, kids, and dogs included. The best times of year to hike here are early Spring and late Fall when the temperatures are cooler. From arches to the best views, here are the 6 Best Trails in the San Rafael Swell!

The Anasazi Trail (aka Tempi'po'op, which means "rock writing" in Southern Paiute) in St.George is a casual trail that leads to ancient Pueblo & Paiute remains, as well as petroglyphs. This is more of a walk, rather than a hike, and is great for the whole family to do since it is only 2.2 miles RT. There is zero shade nor water, and the trail gets hot quickly. If you bring your dogs make sure to start early in the day so they don't burn their paws. The path itself consists of long switchbacks, which lead you to a very small hill where the old farmstead was located, and is now fenced off. After checking that out, continue walking uphill (to the South) to see the petroglyphs. 

Red Mountain is located in Dammeron Valley, UT not far from Sand Hollow and Gunlock State Parks. Because it's not actually apart of the state parks and is wilderness area, dogs are allowed off leash. Be sure to start early in the morning so the sand doesn't burn their paws. The first 1.5 miles of the trail is very boring and uneventful, but what the trail does lead to is amazing. The Red Mountain Overlook looks down into Sand Hollow, and the white and red slick rock with Signal Peak in the Pine Valley Mountains to the East is incredibly beautiful. This trail is great for the whole family, as it only gains a mere 360 ft. It's a mix of sand and rock, but plenty of shade if you do need a break.

The Lower Sand Cove Trail is located in Dammeron Valley, outside of St.George, Utah. It's located within the Red Mountain Wilderness, making this a dog-friendly hike. Local's know this hike as "The Vortex", due to the interesting geology that created this large pot hole in the slick rock.

Pine Creek Canyon is a hidden gem in the Escalante area - a pristine creek, tall canyon walls, half mountain-half desert, no cows, all downhill, plenty of shade, and towering Ponderosa trees. Located in the Box-Death Hollow Wilderness, this canyon is also known as "The Box", which is funny since it's not really a box canyon but steep-walled, open-ended drainage carved by Pine Creek millions of years ago.

Hickman Bridge is one of the most popular trails in Capitol Reef National Park, and the bridge itself is 130 ft across and 125 ft high. The NP provides a brochure, describing 18 numbered points of interest. The trail starts by following the Fremont River, goes up a hillside, which passes the trail split for Navajo Knobs, crosses an open area then drops down into a shallow, rocky canyon. Hickman Bridge has a very impressive setting, with amazing surrounding views. It was named after Joseph Hickman, a local school administrator and Utah legislator who was an early advocate for the CRNP area.

Spooky & Peekaboo are the most popular slot canyons in the Escalante area. The access is easy, you can easily do both as a loop in a few hours, and hikers without technical canyoneering equipment or skills can enjoy both. Spooky slot canyon is one of the narrowest canyons in the world that hikers can safely navigate. It's much longer and slimmer than Peekaboo, forcing hikers to carry daypacks to the side as you shuffle through. Add in a few short obstacles and one 5 ft scramble to make it that much more fun. Claustrophobic people will have a hard time with this Spooky.

Signal Peak (10,365 ft) is the high point for both the Pine Valley Mountains and Washington County. It you are a peak bagger looking to summit all of Utah's County High Points, you'll be hiking this one. The main route starts from the Oak Grove Campground, and follows the trail up the South ridge very steeply, before dropping into forested areas, and then hiking off trail to reach the summit.

Upper Calf Creek Falls is neighbor to Lower Calf Creek Falls yet sees less than half the visitors. This hike is only 1.2 miles to a beautiful waterfall, and deep pools above the falls that make for a great swim. The terrain is quite different from Lower Calf Creek Falls. The lower trail follows the bottom of a canyon, with tall red sandstone walls, and a lush green creek. The upper trail is more exposed, following a trail of old volcanic rock and is on top of the canyon. The rock at the pools above the falls is smoothed out over time, but be careful at the base of the falls - poison ivy lines the alcove.

Five Hole Arch (aka Colonnade Arch) is located south of Green River, UT off a rough 4x4 dirt road. The arch is so special it has two names - Five Hole Arch for the obvious five holes nature has created, and Colonnade Arch for the resemblance to Colonnade architecture (a row of columns supporting a roof). Some maps only show one or the other name, and some only label it as "Natural Arch". Whatever you prefer to call it, this arch is quite stunning once you find it.

Moonshine Wash slot canyon is tucked away in the middle of the San Rafael desert, and is now one of my favorite non-technical slot canyons in Utah. The best section of the Moonshine Wash slot canyon lasts for about 1.5 miles, and at every nook and cranny the lighting can look very different and vibrant. There are a few chock stones creating a fun obstacle for hikers, where you have to use a down climbing technique called stemming (also chimneying). Both techniques require you to push your weight up against the slot canyon walls to help maneuver down drops more than 6 ft.

Lower Hackberry Canyon is located in Southern Utah of the famous Cottonwood Road Scenic Byway, in between Cannonville and Big Water, Utah. It's rarely visited since you need to drive down a dirt road to get to the trailhead. However, it's now one of my favorite large slot canyons to hike for a few reasons: 1) the water is never more than ankle deep and makes for a great water hike 2) dogs are allowed and also enjoying playing in the water 3) no matter what your level/skill of hiking is everyone can do this hike 4) you'll likely see no people and 5) you can choose your distance.

Hovenweep National Monument is home to six prehistoric, Pueblo villages spread over a 20 miles range of mesa tops and canyons along the Utah-Colorado border. Multi-storied towers perched on canyon rims and balanced boulder lead visitors to marvel at the skill and motivation of the builders. The trail system at Hovenweep provides excellent views of all the archaeological sites.

Kodachrome Basin State Park is located only 1 hour from Bryce Canyon National Park to the East, is only 5 miles down the road from Willis Creek Slot Canyon, and 1 hour West from Escalante, Utah, yet hardly anyone visits this state park. With it's red rock formations and deep blue skies, the photography options are endless. Kodachrome Basin State Park opened in 1963, and the National Geographic had the honor of naming it. It is home to 70 monolithic spires, ranging from 6-170 ft tall.

Devil's Garden is apart of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and is home to Metate Arch as well as hoodoos. Not to be confused with The Devils Garden Loop Trail in Moab, this area is only 640 acres and is part of a Wilderness Study Area, for the purpose of possible wilderness designation; however, wilderness status was not recommended by the BLM back in 1991. One of the reasons state was that the existing roads, parking lot, picnic tables, and port-a-potty are all in close proximity to a natural area. The second reason was the likelihood of several groups of people coming to this area at the same time to the same formations (all of which are within a 2 minute walk from the trailhead). Both of those reasons diminish the wilderness experience of solitude.

GUEST POST by Katie Wanders Katie Wanders follows New England native, Katie, around the globe. Katie swapped her oceans for mountains and moved to Utah for two years to see what "Life Elevated" was all about. Katie Wanders follows trips around the American West, adventures along the coasts, trips abroad, and showcases her love of New England. Currently, you can find her in a 2016 Penske truck with her dog and cat, wandering around National Parks and making her way back to the Atlantic. You can follow all of her adventures on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!

After our visit to Mystic Hot Springs, we drove west down I-70 for another 20 minutes until we reached Fremont Indian State Park. Thousands of years ago this area was home to the largest population of Fremont Indians. Many petroglyphs (engraved rock with symbols) still exists, and the park offers a small trail system to view them. Inside the museum are artifacts, a film, petroglyph tours, hands-on activities for kids, and exhibits that reveal the lives of the Fremont. The park also offers RV and tent camping, you can rent out a Tipi, and there's also access the famous Paiute ATV Trail.

My weekend adventure took me to the heart of the San Rafael Swell to a unique rock formation called the Cosmic Ashtray. This is one of the most mystifying geological formations in Utah.

Little Wild Horse Canyon is the perfect introduction to slot canyons in Utah - it was actually my first slot canyon in April 2014. This slot canyon is easy to navigate, the trail is well marked, it's usually free of standing water, the canyon walls are just wide enough for you to fit through, you can drive to the trail head in a small, compact car (most slot canyon entrances require a 4X4 car to get to the TH), you can hike this within 2 hours, and it's like a fun maze for kids and dogs. You can make this hike longer by completing it as a loop with Bell Canyon, however most people just hike in as far as they want up Little Wild Horse, then return they way they came.

Goblin Valley State Park feels like another world - most say it resembles what would be Mars, however the park sits at the northern end of the San Rafael Swell. The hoodoos ("goblins") are mushroom-shaped pinnacles that are only a few feet high. The formations have large orange/red boulders of hard rock on top, with weaker sand layers below that have eroded more quickly over millions of years from the combined effects of rain and wind.

Spotted Wolf Canyon is located off I-70 at the Northern end of the San Rafael Swell, which makes up about 1/4 of Utah. "The Swell" as us Utahns call it, is what most people think of when they think of Utah. The arid area, with little vegetation is often very scenic, with mesas, cliffs, buttes, springs, and many canyons; these are sometimes wide or can be very narrow such as Little Wild Horse Canyon. Most of the swell is owned by the BLM and encompasses 2,000 square miles! This is great for 3 main reasons in my opinion: 1) the land is protected and will not be built on 2) dogs are allowed off leash 3) you can camp almost anywhere, for free!

 The Wave is a hiker & photographers dream destination! The smooth, unique rock formations make for an unforgettable experience. The Wave has become so popular in the last few years due to social media, photographers, and many articles naming it one of the "coolest", "most unique", "most isolated", most blah blah places on earth! And it really is. However, people don't do their research before hiking here and many have needed to be rescued or have even died while gone missing. Why? The reason is because they go unprepared. There is no trail, the temperatures can be up to 115 degrees in summer, and people don't bring enough water and food.

The Subway in Zion National Park is a hiker and photographers dream destination! The Subway follows the Left Fork Canyon in Zion NP, and along the way you'll have a vast view of the canyon, you'll walk along the river and hike by several deep pools, and hike where only 80 people are allowed in each day. After living in Utah for 2 years, I finally got the opportunity to go by applying (and winning) a permit.

Kanarra Falls is a great Utah waterfall hike. You get to hike in a very accessible and beautiful slot canyon, a chance to walk in the river on a hot day, and see several beautiful waterfalls. The biggest downside to this hike is the crowds - it has become a big issue in the past year or so (read about the issues going on here). Kanarra Falls is the perfect stop for amateur photographers looking for professional photo opportunities. This is also a great family hike - it requires only a 2-3 hours, noequipment or gear is needed, nor a high level of hiking skill. Even the kids will love this hike! You'll want to be sure to wear sturdy, water shoes as most of this hike is in the river.

Kayenta Canyon Trail is known by two names: Kayenta Canyon, and to the locals, Hellhole Canyon. This trail starts in the town of Ivins, UT, about 15 minutes west of St. George, UT. If you don't like walking in sand washes, this is not the trail for you. 90% of this trail is walking in the wash, and on a sunny day (most days in Southern Utah), it can get very hot. There is no water, no shade, and no restrooms.