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TOP 25 DAY HIKES IN THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST

Wire Pass en route to Buckskin Gulch, Arizona Delicate Arch, Arches National Park Lower Calf Creek Falls, Utah

Welcome to the Bigroads.com guide to the top 25 day hikes in the American Southwest!

We are obsessed with the American Southwest, but we aren't the only ones. The monumental scenery found here is unlike anything else in the world, so hikers from all over the globe come here in droves each year.

With thousands of miles of trails in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, Utah and a chunk of California, it can be tough to figure out which trails are the very best in the Southwest. We've done that homework for you, and as such, we are proud to present what we feel are the top 25 day hikes in the Southwest. If you have the opportunity to hike any of these trails, you absolutely should.

Author/Contributor: Greg Parsons

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STATE HIKE / TRAIL NAME PARK TOTAL ROUND-TRIP DISTANCE
Arizona Coyote Buttes North / The Wave Vermillion Cliffs National Monument 5.5 miles
Arizona Horseshoe Bend Glen Canyon National Recreation Area 1.5 miles
Arizona Humphrey's Peak / Humphrey's Trail Coconino National Forest / Kachina Peaks Wilderness 9.0 miles (longer options are available)
Arizona South Kaibab Trail Grand Canyon National Park minimum of 3.0 miles (longer options are available)
Arizona White Pocket Vermillion Cliffs National Monument 1-2 miles
Nevada Fire Wave Valley of Fire State Park 1.25 miles
New Mexico Alkali Flats Trail White Sands National Monument 4.6 mile loop
New Mexico Cave Loop Trail / Slot Canyon Trail Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument 3.6 miles
New Mexico Wheeler Peak Carson National Forest 14.0 miles
Texas Emory Peak Trail / Emory Peak Big Bend National Park 9.0 miles
Texas Guadalupe Peak Trail / Guadalupe Peak Guadalupe Mountains National Park 8.4 miles
Utah Angels Landing Zion National Park 5.0 miles
Utah Buckskin Gulch (via Wire Pass) Vermillion Cliffs National Monument minimum of 3.4 miles (longer options are available)
Utah Corona Arch BLM-land 3.0 miles
Utah Delicate Arch Arches National Park 3.0 miles
Utah Devil's Garden Loop Arches National Park 7.2 mile loop
Utah Druid Arch Canyonlands National Park 10.8 miles (longer options are available)
Utah Fairyland Loop Bryce Canyon National Park 8.6 mile loop
Utah Lower Calf Creek Falls Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument 6.2 miles
Utah Observation Point Zion National Park 8.0 miles
Utah Peekaboo Loop Bryce Canyon National Park 5.5 miles (longer options are available)
Utah Peek-a-Boo Canyon & Spooky Gulch Loop Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument 3.5 mile loop
Utah Queens Garden / Navajo Loop Trail Bryce Canyon National Park 3.0 mile loop (longer options are available)
Utah Wahweap Hoodoos Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument 9.2 miles
Utah Zion Narrows / Virgin River Narrows Zion National Park up to 6 miles (upstream) or 16 miles (downstream)


The Wave, Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona
The Wave, Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona

Horseshoe Bend, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona
Horseshoe Bend, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona

South Kaibab Trail, South Rim, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
South Kaibab Trail, South Rim, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Alkali Flats Loop, White Sands National Monument, New Mexico
Alkali Flats Loop, White Sands National Monument, New Mexico

Slot Canyon Trail, Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, New Mexico
Slot Canyon Trail, Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, New Mexico

Emory Peak, Big Bend National Park, Texas
Emory Peak, Big Bend National Park, Texas

Guadalupe Peak Trail, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas
Guadalupe Peak Trail, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas

Angels Landing, Zion National Park, Utah
Angels Landing, Zion National Park, Utah

Wire Pass on the way to Buckskin Gulch, Utah
Wire Pass on the way to Buckskin Gulch, Utah

Corona Arch, BLM-land, Moab, Utah
Corona Arch, BLM-land, Moab, Utah

Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, Utah
Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, Utah

Devils Garden Loop, Arches National Park, Utah
Devils Garden Loop, Arches National Park, Utah

Druid Arch, Needles District, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Druid Arch, Needles District, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Lower Calf Creek Falls, Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument, Utah
Lower Calf Creek Falls, Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument, Utah

Peekaboo Loop, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Peekaboo Loop, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Navajo Loop Trail, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Navajo Loop Trail, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Zion Narrows, Zion National Park, Utah
Zion Narrows, Zion National Park, Utah

RUNNER-UPS: HIKES ALMOST GOOD ENOUGH TO MAKE THE TOP 25 LIST

Here are a list of other fantastic hikes in the American Southwest that we considered for the top 25 list above. We highly recommend each and every one of these hikes (in other words, make sure they are all placed on your bucket list). Please send us an email @ gparsons66@hotmail.com if you know of any hikes worthy of being on this list.

STATE HIKE / TRAIL NAME PARK
Arizona Arizona Hot Springs Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Arizona Camelback Mountain Echo Canyon Recreation Area
Arizona Cobra Arch Vermillion Cliffs National Monument
Arizona Bright Angel Trail Grand Canyon National Park
Arizona Devil's Bridge / Devil's Bridge Trail Coconino National Forest
Arizona Flatiron Lost Dutchman State Park
Arizona Heart of Rocks Chiricahua National Monument
Arizona Hugh Norris Trail / Wasson Peak Saguaro National Park
Arizona Hunter Trail / Picacho Peak Picacho Peak State Park
Arizona North Kaibab Trail Grand Canyon National Park
Arizona Rim Trail Grand Canyon National Park
Arizona Piestewa Park Phoenix Mountains Preserve
Arizona West Fork Trail / Oak Creek Canyon Coconino National Forest
Arizona Wilson Mountain Coconino National Forest
California Badwater Basin Death Valley National Park
California Fall Canyon Death Valley National Park
California Golden Canyon / Gower Gulch Death Valley National Park
California Grotto Canyon Death Valley National Park
California Palm Canyon Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
California Ryan Mountain Trail / Ryan Mountain Joshua Tree National Park
California Wildrose Peak Trail Death Valley National Park
New Mexico Alcove House / Main Loop Trail Bandelier National Monument
New Mexico Bisti Badlands Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness
New Mexico Kitchen Mesa Ghost Ranch (privately owned)
New Mexico Ruins Trail Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
Nevada Ice Box Canyon Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
Nevada Little Finland BLM-land
Nevada White Domes Loop Valley of Fire State Park
Texas Hot Springs Big Bend National Park
Texas Lighthouse Trail / The Lighthouse Palo Duro Canyon State Park
Texas McKittrick Canyon Trail Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Utah Cassidy Arch Capitol Reef National Park
Utah Chesler Park Canyonlands National Park
Utah Escalante River Trail Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Utah Fiery Furnace Arches National Park
Utah Fisher Towers BLM-land
Utah Golden Cathedral / Neon Canyon Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Utah Hickman Bridge Capitol Reef National Park
Utah Horseshoe Canyon Canyonlands National Park
Utah Kanarra Creek BLM-land
Utah Little Wildhorse Canyon / Bell Canyon Loop BLM-land
Utah Mesa Arch Canyonlands National Park
Utah Moon House Ruins BLM-land
Utah Natural Bridges Loop National Bridges National Monument
Utah Navajo Knobs / Rim Overlook Capitol Reef National Park
Utah Rim Trail Bryce Canyon National Park
Utah Robbers Roost BLM-land
Utah Syncline Loop Canyonlands National Park
Utah Tower Arch Arches National Park
Utah Willis Creek Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Utah Yellow Rock Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

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