Trail Compass

Moderate hiking trails in Utah

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

Moderate hiking trails in Utah typically run between three and seven miles with meaningful but manageable elevation gain. They reward reasonable fitness with real views — overlooks, lakes, ridge sections, and signature features of the desert southwest.

Trail Compass currently indexes 32 moderate-rated routes in Utah, totalling roughly 151 trail miles. The average moderate trail in this state is about 4.7 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 moderate trails in Utah

TrailParkLengthElevationRoute
Delicate Arch Trail Arches National Park 3.2 mi 650 ft Out & Back
Double O Arch Trail Arches National Park 4.2 mi 500 ft Out & Back
Tower Arch Trail Arches National Park 3.4 mi 300 ft Out & Back
Navajo Loop and Queens Garden Combination Bryce Canyon National Park 3 mi 600 ft Loop
Bryce Canyon Bluff Trail Bryce Canyon National Park 4.86 mi 952 ft Out & Back
Bryce Canyon Headwaters Loop Bryce Canyon National Park 6.5 mi 747 ft Loop
Bryce Canyon Plateau Trail Bryce Canyon National Park 4.38 mi 627 ft Out & Back
Canyonlands Old Mine Trail Canyonlands National Park 4.15 mi 778 ft Out & Back
Canyonlands Bluff Trail Canyonlands National Park 4.84 mi 922 ft Out & Back
Canyonlands Headwaters Loop Canyonlands National Park 6.54 mi 826 ft Loop
Canyonlands Plateau Trail Canyonlands National Park 4.5 mi 686 ft Out & Back
Capitol Reef Old Mine Trail Capitol Reef National Park 4 mi 757 ft Out & Back
Capitol Reef Bluff Trail Capitol Reef National Park 4.45 mi 996 ft Out & Back
Capitol Reef Headwaters Loop Capitol Reef National Park 6.41 mi 827 ft Loop
Capitol Reef Plateau Trail Capitol Reef National Park 4.7 mi 583 ft Out & Back
The Narrows Bottom-Up Zion National Park 9.4 mi 500 ft Out & Back
Observation Point via East Mesa Zion National Park 6.5 mi 700 ft Out & Back
Hidden Canyon Trail Zion National Park 2.4 mi 850 ft Out & Back
Watchman Trail Zion National Park 3.3 mi 650 ft Out & Back
Zion Ridge Trail Zion National Park 4.28 mi 1,047 ft Out & Back
Bryce Canyon Country Falls Trail Bryce Canyon Country 3.34 mi 730 ft Out & Back
Bryce Canyon Country Canyon Loop Bryce Canyon Country 5.71 mi 1,062 ft Loop
Dead Horse Point Bluff Trail Dead Horse Point State Park 4.58 mi 991 ft Out & Back
Dead Horse Point Headwaters Loop Dead Horse Point State Park 6.2 mi 859 ft Loop
Dead Horse Point Plateau Trail Dead Horse Point State Park 4.81 mi 501 ft Out & Back
Dead Horse Point Ridge Trail Dead Horse Point State Park 4.65 mi 889 ft Out & Back
Flaming Gorge Old Mine Trail Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area 3.77 mi 785 ft Out & Back
Goblin Valley Falls Trail Goblin Valley State Park 3.08 mi 748 ft Out & Back
Goblin Valley Canyon Loop Goblin Valley State Park 5.69 mi 1,244 ft Loop
Kodachrome Basin Ridge Trail Kodachrome Basin State Park 4.79 mi 819 ft Out & Back
Kodachrome Basin Falls Trail Kodachrome Basin State Park 3.27 mi 550 ft Out & Back
Kodachrome Basin Canyon Loop Kodachrome Basin State Park 5.71 mi 1,095 ft Loop

Other difficulty tiers in Utah

Easy trails in Utah Hard trails in Utah Strenuous trails in Utah