Natural Bridges National Monument covers a small area of SE Utah, and is therefore very remote and not close to any of "Utah's Mighty Five" National parks.
Visiting Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park – Scenic Drive & Wildcat Trail Hike
Our Day Trip from Goosenecks State Park
On our first full day exploring Southeastern Utah, we crossed the state line into Arizona to visit Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. From our base camp at Goosenecks State Park, the drive took just 45 minutes—an easy and scenic route.
When planning our trip, we initially considered taking a guided tour. However, due to budget constraints, we looked into self-guided options instead. It’s important to note that Monument Valley regulations prohibit visitors from leaving their vehicles on the scenic drive to hike around iconic formations like the Mittens—unless accompanied by a Navajo guide or holding a permit..
Thankfully, we discovered that one trail is open to the public without a guide: the Wildcat Trail, a must-do if you're exploring the area on a budget or prefer hiking at your own pace.
Exploring Fremont Indian State Park After Mystic Hot Springs
After a relaxing soak at Mystic Hot Springs, we continued west on I-70 for about 20 minutes until we arrived at Fremont Indian State Park. This underrated gem is packed with fascinating history, scenic trails, and cultural insights into one of Utah’s oldest Indigenous communities.
The Wind Caves Trail is located in Logan Canyon about 1.5 hours northeast of SLC. Our plan was to make a day trip of it, and hike this trail and one across the road called The Crimson Trail, which gets you above the China Wall.
Valley of Fire State Park is the oldest Nevada State Park, which was dedicated in 1935. It covers approximately 35,000 acres, and was named appropriately for the magnificent red sandstone formations that resemble a realm of flames. These formations resulted from the shifting sand dunes more than 150 million years ago in the Mesozoic Era. Surrounding rock includes limestone, shale, and conglomerates.
Slickrock Trail, the world famous mountain biking trail, is located in Moab, Utah. Most people bike this 10.5 mile loop, but we hiked it! Slickrock Trail is located at the Sand Flats Recreation Area, about 10 minutes outside of Moab, where we also camped for two nights. This trail is popular for its scenic, rugged expanse of Navajo Sandstone, the remnant of wind blown sand dunes. Slickrock Trail was established in 1969 for motorcycles, but the trail is now popular for both mountain bikes and motorcycles - it is closed to all four-wheeled vehicles.
The Parrish Canyon Trail starts along the Wasatch Mountains in Centerville, Utah. Despite its name, the hike actually takes you up the face of the mountain, over a course of several switchbacks, gaining elevation steeply until you have beautiful views of Davis County. This is a nice hike to do in Winter to get out of the inversion and to get the dogs out. If you hike up the actual creek, about 1/2 mile up you will see the Parrish Creek Pictographs. In Winter they are not usually visible due to snow.
I debated on creating a post for our attempt to Pilot Peak (10,720 ft), mainly because we didn't actually summit. I realized that not every summit will be successful or the most enjoyable, but at least I can share my experience with everyone, and I hope that this can help somewhat guide you and not make the same mistakes we did.
Tetzlaff Peak (6,267 ft) is located in the West Desert in the Silver Mountain Range, northeast of Wendover, UT. It is an obscure peak, meaning that hardly anyone has hiked it because of its location, it can be somewhat hard to get to the TH, and simply because no one has heard of it. It's not the tallest peak in the Silver Mountains (Graham Peak is the tallest) but it's definitely a worthy peak to bag. It's perfect for summiting in the winter months when avalanche danger is high in the Wasatch Mountains, and you are looking to escape hiking in snow. The peaks in the Silver Mountains offer no trail, no shade, and no water, so hiking here in Winter is not as harsh. I highly recommend you don't hike this area in Summer when the temperatures are extremely hot.
Little Black Mountain sits above the Avenues neighborhood in SLC, and although it seems close, it's looks are deceiving. This trail offers great views of the SLC valley and the BST (Bonneville Shoreline Trails), but get ready to give your hips and calves a work out. Most of the trail is along the BST ridgeline, but gains 900 ft in 1/2 mile!