Trail Compass

Easy hiking trails in Utah

32 trails rated easy across Utah state parks, national forests, and recreation areas.

Easy hiking trails in Utah state parks, national forests, and recreation areas are short, mostly level, and welcoming to first-time hikers, families with school-age kids, and visitors who want a quick taste of the desert southwest without committing a full day.

Trail Compass currently indexes 32 easy-rated routes in Utah, totalling roughly 80 trail miles. The average easy trail in this state is about 2.5 miles long, which is a useful starting point when you are sketching a weekend.

Across the desert southwest, the most reliable hiking season is late October through early April; summer heat regularly exceeds 100°F and makes mid-day hiking genuinely dangerous. Shoulder-season visits can deliver beautiful empty trails but tilt the difficulty upward — short days, possible snow, and unstaffed entry stations all add friction.

Expect wildlife typical of the desert southwest: desert bighorn sheep, jackrabbits, roadrunners, collared lizards, and the occasional rattlesnake basking on warm rock. The risk of a serious encounter is low, but the cost of getting it wrong is high — give animals space, store food correctly, and never approach a young animal even if no parent is visible.

How to use this page: every trail listed below links through to a full guide with distance, elevation gain, route type, best-season notes, wildlife expectations, parking guidance, and nearby attractions. Combine this filter with the Trail Compass park pages to plan a trip around a specific Utah destination.

All easy trails in Utah

TrailParkLengthElevationRoute
Landscape Arch Trail Arches National Park 1.9 mi 250 ft Out & Back
Park Avenue Trail Arches National Park 2 mi 250 ft Point-to-Point
Windows Loop Arches National Park 1 mi 150 ft Loop
Arches Rim Walk Arches National Park 3.32 mi 165 ft Out & Back
Rim Trail (Sunrise to Sunset) Bryce Canyon National Park 1 mi 50 ft Point-to-Point
Mossy Cave Trail Bryce Canyon National Park 0.8 mi 150 ft Out & Back
Bristlecone Loop Bryce Canyon National Park 1 mi 150 ft Loop
Canyonlands Rim Walk Canyonlands National Park 3.4 mi 406 ft Out & Back
Canyonlands Pine Forest Trail Canyonlands National Park 2.9 mi 323 ft Loop
Canyonlands Cabin Loop Canyonlands National Park 2.9 mi 439 ft Loop
Canyonlands Creek Trail Canyonlands National Park 5.36 mi 577 ft Out & Back
Capitol Reef Pine Forest Trail Capitol Reef National Park 2.64 mi 421 ft Loop
Capitol Reef Cabin Loop Capitol Reef National Park 3.39 mi 193 ft Loop
Capitol Reef Creek Trail Capitol Reef National Park 5.26 mi 506 ft Out & Back
Capitol Reef Wild Garden Loop Capitol Reef National Park 1.29 mi 20 ft Loop
Emerald Pools Trail Zion National Park 3 mi 620 ft Loop
Canyon Overlook Trail Zion National Park 1 mi 160 ft Out & Back
Pa'rus Trail Zion National Park 3.5 mi 50 ft Loop
Bryce Canyon Country Overlook Trail Bryce Canyon Country 2.89 mi 577 ft Out & Back
Bryce Canyon Country Lakeshore Trail Bryce Canyon Country 2.29 mi 187 ft Loop
Bryce Canyon Country Meadow Loop Bryce Canyon Country 1.48 mi 274 ft Loop
Dead Horse Point Wild Garden Loop Dead Horse Point State Park 1.36 mi 20 ft Loop
Dead Horse Point Vista Loop Dead Horse Point State Park 2.04 mi 319 ft Loop
Flaming Gorge Pine Forest Trail Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area 2.91 mi 567 ft Loop
Flaming Gorge Cabin Loop Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area 2.98 mi 292 ft Loop
Flaming Gorge Creek Trail Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area 5.12 mi 482 ft Out & Back
Goblin Valley Overlook Trail Goblin Valley State Park 2.98 mi 383 ft Out & Back
Goblin Valley Lakeshore Trail Goblin Valley State Park 2.75 mi 314 ft Loop
Goblin Valley Meadow Loop Goblin Valley State Park 1.54 mi 20 ft Loop
Kodachrome Basin Wild Garden Loop Kodachrome Basin State Park 0.85 mi 20 ft Loop
Kodachrome Basin Vista Loop Kodachrome Basin State Park 1.91 mi 154 ft Loop
Kodachrome Basin Overlook Trail Kodachrome Basin State Park 2.96 mi 396 ft Out & Back

Other difficulty tiers in Utah

Moderate trails in Utah Hard trails in Utah Strenuous trails in Utah