Trail Compass

Hard hiking trails in Utah

16 trails rated hard across Utah state parks, national forests, and recreation areas.

Hard hiking trails in Utah are serious half-day to full-day commitments. Long mileage, sustained climbing, and sometimes rocky or exposed terrain push these routes well past a casual outing in the desert southwest.

Trail Compass currently indexes 16 hard-rated routes in Utah, totalling roughly 131 trail miles. The average hard trail in this state is about 8.2 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 hard trails in Utah

TrailParkLengthElevationRoute
Devils Garden Primitive Loop Arches National Park 7.9 mi 1,100 ft Loop
Fiery Furnace (Permit) Arches National Park 2.2 mi 300 ft Loop
Arches Backcountry Traverse Arches National Park 12.35 mi 2,824 ft Point-to-Point
Peekaboo Loop Bryce Canyon National Park 5.5 mi 1,500 ft Loop
Fairyland Loop Bryce Canyon National Park 8 mi 2,300 ft Loop
Canyonlands Wilderness Loop Canyonlands National Park 9.56 mi 1,965 ft Loop
Canyonlands Saddle Trail Canyonlands National Park 6.58 mi 1,669 ft Out & Back
Capitol Reef Wilderness Loop Capitol Reef National Park 9.56 mi 1,847 ft Loop
Capitol Reef Saddle Trail Capitol Reef National Park 6.81 mi 1,773 ft Out & Back
Angels Landing Zion National Park 5.4 mi 1,500 ft Out & Back
Bryce Canyon Country Summit Trail Bryce Canyon Country 8.08 mi 2,139 ft Out & Back
Bryce Canyon Country Backcountry Traverse Bryce Canyon Country 12.39 mi 2,839 ft Point-to-Point
Flaming Gorge Wilderness Loop Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area 9.51 mi 1,965 ft Loop
Flaming Gorge Saddle Trail Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area 6.73 mi 1,791 ft Out & Back
Goblin Valley Summit Trail Goblin Valley State Park 7.83 mi 2,351 ft Out & Back
Goblin Valley Backcountry Traverse Goblin Valley State Park 12.35 mi 2,659 ft Point-to-Point

Other difficulty tiers in Utah

Easy trails in Utah Moderate trails in Utah Strenuous trails in Utah