In recent years I have hiked a fair number of excellent trails, mostly in the Colorado Plateau and the Chihuahuan Desert. Here are 15 of my favorites.

Abby hikes with her Chihuahua named Sierra at Fisher Towers, October 2007

15. The Lighthouse, Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas. This trail crosses several washes on route to the park’s signature formation, an impressive hoodoo called The Lighthouse, and leads hikers through beautiful areas of “Spanish skirts.”

14. The Bisti De-Na-Zin Wilderness, northwestern New Mexico. This vast area of eroded badlands isn’t technically a trail, since no trails exist, but the area is open to free backcountry roaming. I feel I could return again and again and never see the same thing twice.

13. The Narrows area, Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma. I have been hiking in the Wichitas since I was 16, and there are many areas I recommend. The narrows, and the nearby Kite trail, are excellent wilderness paths.

12. Grapevine Hills, Big Bend National Park, Texas. This easy one-mile trail slices into a beautiful boulder field, ending at a balanced rock.

11. Lathrop Trail, Canyonlands National Park, Utah. The first mile of this trail crosses Gray’s Pasture before leading to slickrock formations and sandstone spires. At about 2.3 miles, it reaches the canyon edge to provide excellent views of the White Rim, the Colorado River, The Needles District, and Hatch Point.

10. The Devil’s Hall, Guadalupe Mountains National Park. This trail is particularly impressive in the autumn, featuring excellent foliage and stunning views of the heart of the ancient permian reef.

9. Squaw Canyon-Big Spring Canyon Loop, Needles District, Canyonlands National Park, Utah. At several points along this loop, the trail ascends and winds along gorgeous slickrock benches, including one in particular that, in my opinion, might be one of the most beautiful and fun stretches of hiking in the southwest.

Sunset, Badlands National Park, Summer 2005

8. The Confluence Overlook, Needles District, Canyonlands National Park. This 5.2-mile hike leads to the confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers in the heart of Canyonlands. The overlook is spectacular, and the trail trail itself crosses numerous slickrock benches and open cryptobiotic soil fields.

7. Primitive Loop at the Devil’s Garden, Arches National Park, Utah. While not actually as “primitive” as most of the trails on this list, this trail does feature a few spots that are challenging. It allows hikers to see vast areas of sandstone fins, hidden arches, and extensive areas of open slickrock.

6. The White Rim Overlook, the Grand View Point and the Grand View Trail, Island in the Sky District, Canyonlands National Park, Utah. This area, which is actually two trails and a central overlook, provides breathtaking views of Monument Basin, the White Rim Road, the Needles District across the Colorado River, the Maze District to the west, and the Abajo Mountains in the distance.

5. Chesler Park, Needles District, Canyonlands National Park, Utah. This area can be accessed either from the Elephant Hill road, or from the Squaw Flat campground, and both routes offer excellent hiking and superb scenery.

4. Any trail at Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. While none of the hikes at Chaco are challenging, the whole nature of the canyon, and the people who once dwelled there, remains a compelling and enduring mystery.

David Martin makes video in the Bisti Wilderness, 2001

Chaco is, for me, one of the most spiritual places on earth.

3. Little Wild Horse Canyon-Bell Canyon Loop, San Rafael Swell, Utah. This loop can be made either direction. For a pair of canyons that doesn’t require any technical work at all, it provides extraordinary views of narrow, beautiful slot canyons.

2. Peek-a-Boo, Canyonlands National Park, Utah. This trail cuts through a huge variety of the Needles District, slicing through open pasture, steep slickrock benches, and lofty cliffs.

1. Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, Utah. The trail to this formation is a moderate 1.3-mile affair that offers excellent scenery. The arch itself (which appears on many of Utah’s license plates) is a spectacular surprise as hikers round a corner to see it suddenly to their right. I first saw this trail in 2002, and found it to be so compelling that I have since returned six times, including the day Abby and I got married at the arch.

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