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Hiking to Mt. Waas, LaSal Mountains, Grand County High Point, Hiking in Utah with Dogs

Mt. Waas (12,331 ft) is the Grand County High Point, and highest peak on the north end of the La Sal Mountains near Moab, Utah. The La Sals can be seen as far away from Green River and parts of Colorado, yet hardly anyone makes the trek to the several summits available, making a great place to seek solitude. The Moab valley can be in the 100s for daily high temperatures in the Summer, yet in the LaSals, it can be at least 20-30F cooler depending on how high you reach. The La Sals area only accessible during summer months when the gates are open, and the roads are dry and clear of snow, typically July - October. Winter of 2017 was extremely dry so we were able to summit late June 2018 with only one patch of snow.

Hiking the Behunin Trail & Meeks Lake Loop, Boulder Mountain

The Behunin Trail and Meeks Lake Trail are both located on Boulder Mountain, Utah, and are often done as separate hikes. However, you can combine them into one big loop to really see the East side of Boulder Mountain, and on clear days, all the way to the Henry Mountains. First, you'll hike up to "Boulder Top", the ridge, where you'll cross several open meadows, a stream, and will pass by an old airplane crash. Then you'll make your way over to Pleasant Lake, which offers great trout fishing and refreshing cooler temperatures, since the lake is at an elevation of 10,300 ft. After that, you'll hike over to Meeks Lake, another popular lake, and though it's pretty, doesn't have many fish. At the end of the day, you'll drop down the Meeks Lake Trail, and make your way through more meadows, and end back at your car.

Backpacking the Ashdown Gorge via Rattlesnake Creek

The Ashdown Gorge is located on the boundary line of Cedar Breaks National Monument, and lies within the Ashdown Gorge Wilderness near Cedar City, Utah. The trail starts by following the Rattlesnake Creek Trail at 10,500 ft, and eventually drops into the gorge descending a total of 4,100 ft. This route is best done point-to-point, with 1 over night backpacking. You can definitely do this in one day, but to really experience the canyon and take your time, backpacking this trail is perfect.

Hiking the Butch Cassidy Trail, Red Canyon near Bryce Canyon National Park

Red Canyon is located off HWY 12 near Bryce Canyon National Park, which compared to its famous neighbor, sees half the visitors. And for good reason - there's no national park name attached it, and many people do not realize how many trails are in the canyon. In particular, the Cassidy Trail, is one of the best in the canyon. No fees, dog friendly, shade, and amazing views all located in the Dixie National Forest - does it get any better?

Hiking Pine Creek (The Box Trail) in Escalante, Utah, Hiking in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Hiking in Utah with Dogs

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.

Bowington Arch Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument (GSENM), Hiking with Dogs in Utah

Bowington Arch is located in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument (GSENM) near the town of Escalante, UT. It's an easy hike that crosses the Escalante River several times, and therefore it's important to wear water shoes. You will also hike through sandy sections with sage brush and cottonwood trees. Bowington Arch is dog-friendly and (possibly) kid friendly. There are no obstacles of any kind except for one small scramble the the dogs can easily do, and some younger kids might need help with. I say possibly kid friendly since this trail is close to 8 miles round trip, but is completely flat the whole way. Make sure you have a map of the area downloaded on your phone or GPS, as there is no sign for where to turn off for the arch. I highly recommend the Gaia GPS app.

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