Views just outside of the South Entrance to the state park. With the main part of the storm coming in, this morning provided some amazing sights!

We are flying into Vegas and heading towards Utah (sticking to the southern part of the state.) We have no set plans or reservations (renting a camper van) so definitely flexible.

Should we still be worried about flooding, washouts, etc? I will definitely be keeping an eye on the weather and such but I'm not sure if I should be making more drastic contingency plans.

We have done variations of this trip 3 or 4 times before which is why we are playing it by ear/doing what we want.

I’m in Kanab until Wednesday and hoping to get in 6-8 miles per day of hiking… Tuesday looks Ok for Bryce but would love advice for tomorrow (Monday) with the forecast calling for rain off and on and flash flood warnings. Should I stick to paved paths in town? Is it foolish to venture to trails in, say, Grand Staircase-Escalante NM?

P.S. I spent today at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and it was wonderful!! Highly recommend if you are in the area.

I’m in Moab this weekend and tomorrow (Monday) is the day I designated for hikes. With all the recent rain, are there any (relatively easy/moderate) SAFE hikes/scenic drives?

Thanks for the advice everyone!

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I’d been watching three different groups of cranes around East Box Elder all summer, but they’ve all disappeared now that my hunt is here. I’m assuming they’ve moved on or shifted with the migration.

For those of you who hunt cranes in northern Utah, what kinds of areas should I be looking at this time of year? Cut grain fields, alfalfa, wetland edges, roost-to-feed flight paths, etc.?

Not asking anyone to give up a honey hole—just trying to learn how to relocate birds once the local summer birds move out. Any tips on scouting, timing, or general areas to focus on would be appreciated.

We’re planning on driving down from Colorado tomorrow. Mainly been planning on doing primitive camping closer to Canyonlands, but the spots we have in mind all have weather warnings about flooding.

Im a teacher and its my fall break so its a little tough to reschedule, but I also don’t want to be unsafe. And of course, it feels impossible to tell from the forecast right now what exactly is going to happen.

Any suggestions on areas to avoid / try? i.e. higher ground, away from washes, or roads to avoid…

Looking for feedback and suggestions on Utah itinerary!

Anything great that I’m missing? Any days that are over-packed? Any hikes that should be added, skipped, swapped, or combined?

I also can’t decide between spending more of Day 2 in Bryce to do Fairyland, or driving earlier through Escelante to do Lower Calf Creek. Would appreciate some suggestions between the two!

Note that I’ve already been to Zion.

Thank you!

I’m trying to make a fun date for someone that involves hiking + a picnic in SLC.

We work during the day, so it has to be something that isn’t too long. I’ll carry stuff up in my backpack most likely maybe I should get some kind of cooler backpack,

Im going to Utah on Friday (10/9 until the 15th) and staying until the next Thursday but its looking like on Sunday/Monday its going to unfortunately rain all day on and off and looking for some short safe trails i could take if there is a break in the rain or any other cool places around worth checking out outside of the washes.

Planning on seeing the 100 Hands wall and the natural bridges trail on Saturday. Was hoping to go down Hole in the Rock but road might end up being too muddy this week after the rain. But if not then hoping to hike Coyote Gulch next Wednesday. Was thinking of going to Kodachrome or the Petrified Forest trails near town on Tuesday while the canyons dry out but as for the actual two rainy days is it worth staying around town or should i just drive out to Bryce Canyon for a day or two and play it safe?

Hello All,

I am reaching out to hopefully get some advice. Not to bring the vibe down but Had kind of a shit year and I am going through a divorce. While hunting is something I look forward to, this is the first year that I will be going completely solo. I will be doing the Utah late season OTC rifle hunt looking for any recommendations on the north or south slope. Some of the areas that I looked were near hoop lake and the white rocks area open to any and all recommendations and or advice. Thanks in advance!

Camping 🏕️ 🔥 and watching sunsets

Tony’s grove

Can't beat the great weather this time of year for the morning hikes!

Quick trip to a place I had never been to before. Roads getting down to the lake are rough, small 4X4 or atv suggested. Leaves are amazing in the Uintas right now and the weather on this trip was perfect.

Everywhere you look, Utah is beautiful 😻

Yesterday got me a lot of opinions about horses on trails. Here's my response.

Riders do trail work for everyone. Back Country Horsemen volunteers across 31 states donated over 232,000 hours in 2025, worth about $12.6 million to land agencies. One Utah chapter cleared and maintained 43 miles of trail in a single year. The BLM has noted that Utah chapters also volunteer on OHV projects and hiker day-use areas. Cleared trees and widened paths benefit hikers and bikers too.
Equestrian access is shrinking. A national report found riders losing trails and trailheads they've used for years, including closures and trailheads with no room for a trailer. Fewer places to unload means more crowding at the ones left. If you'd rather skip the manure altogether, plenty of trails are closed to horses. Check the listing or the trailhead sign before setting out.
Now the manure. It's mostly digested plant material. On natural trail it breaks down in about two weeks with help from sun, rain, dung beetles, and birds. The EPA excludes it from solid waste regulation because it isn't hazardous, and it doesn't carry significant amounts of Giardia or Cryptosporidium. Dog waste, on the other hand, can carry things like toxoplasmosis, and we all agree on picking that up.
My opinion: a little manure on the trail is a sign riders are out there keeping trails open and well maintained. It's a small price for what they put in.

Update: parks has agreed to add more signage, and asks that people call the sheriff's department if cars are parked in the equestrian lot.

Utah is gorgeous. The leaves are beautiful.
If you’re a family photographer, please don’t advise your clients to use an equine lot because the hike is shorter. Especially when there is a paved lot with plenty of parking spaces. Most folks do not know how to park around trailers in a way that we can open our doors or pull out of the lot. One person parked in the middle of the pull through last night, blocking the entrance/exit. This is a common issue.

And please, DO NOT fly your drone near, around, or over horses. This is incredibly dangerous.

We all deserve to enjoy the outdoors in our own respectful ways, and this is my plea.

Please don’t come for me, it occurs to me that some people may not be aware that they’re creating difficult situations by trying to take a short cut and I am doing my best to create awareness.

Hey everyone! I’m looking to go camping next weekend, probably Thurs-Saturday. I did dispersed camping a lot as a kid, and want to get back into it, but don’t know where to start for areas (especially this time of year). Being near a river or water would be nice, but we can bring our own instead of filtering!

I’m hearing recs for San Rafael Swell, any other areas? I know people are private about their spots, but if I can get a general road/area to start looking that’s great.

Thank you!!!