We stumbled upon this trail while looking for another one, and it was so cool it quickly became the happiest accident of our visit to southern Utah.
Located just outside the entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park, Red Rock Canyon offers plenty of those super cool rock formations called hoodoos, but here we didn't have to share them with the packs of selfie-takers swarming the national parks. In fact, the only other people we saw while hiking here were a group of horseback riders and a few mountain bikers. The trail will take you up to the top pf Thunder Mountain, but we only did a few meandering miles, mostly enjoying a break from the hordes of other tourists before we braved another national park. This hike was also great for getting some exercise with the dog outside the park, because while Bryce Canyon does have one dog-friendly trail, it looked nowhere near as lush and scenic as the Pa'rus Trail in Zion NP.
Words to the wise: This is definitely not a hike to do in hot weather. There is no water for you or the dog, and even in the cool of the fall the sun was relentless with very little shade. There were bathrooms, though, and plenty of parking along Highway 12, about six miles from the entrance to Bryce Canyon NP.
The road to this trail was an adventure all its own, both one of the worst and one of the best I've ever driven to a hike. One of the worst because the last two miles is on a steep, narrow and deeply rutted dirt road that you can certainly tell would be impassable when wet. Then one of the best because as soon as we reached the end, a man hopped out of the only other vehicle parked at the trailhead with a huge grin on his face and thrust his arms into the air in a "V" for victory that proclaimed, "We made it!"
Even if you don't have your own cheerleader at the top like we did, I still think you'll feel the drive was worth it. Especially if your favorite hikes are in remote wilderness areas where your dog can be off-leash and there will be few other people. Even though we hiked this trail on a Saturday, other than the man parked at the trailhead, we didn't see another soul until the end of our hike.
What we did see, however, were plenty of trees and cool rocks full of colorful lichen at our side, plus lots of cacti and flowers at our feet. And always in the distance, there were the towering rock faces of Zion National Park. Since dogs aren't allowed in most areas of Zion, we chose to do this hike on our way to the park to give the dog a chance to stretch her legs beforehand. Which turned out to be a very good decision, since our first visit to the park featured bumper-to-bumper traffic and no opportunity to park or pull over. (Luckily, on our second visit we found a parking space near the only dog-friendly trail in the park, which is another hike I highly recommend.)
Words to the wise: Since this trail is in the desert, I definitely recommend hiking it early to beat the heat. Also, bring plenty of water for you and your dog, because there was no human water available and we didn't find any creeks for the dog to drink from, either. But there are bathrooms at the parking lot.
As for leashes, this trail is on BLM land so your dog can be off-leash, but if your dog is not used to hiking among cacti and lives to hunt like ours, you might want to keep them on-leash until they learn to avoid cacti. Our dog stayed clear of the ones with long, pointy spears, but she did get a small clump of super thin spines in her leg that we could barely see and were very difficult to remove without also removing her fur.
If You Go: The trail islocated off Highway 9 near Springdale, and you cross a cool bridge over the Virgin River to reach the dirt road (Bridge Road/200 East) up to the trail. I found this trail and many other great ones in Southern Utah thanks to the book "Best Dog Hikes Utah by Nicole Tomlin."
You can also hike INSIDE Zion National Park on the Pa'rus Trail.
We never got out of the car on our first visit to Zion National Park, mostly because there was no place to park, but also we couldn't do much with the dog. The views were so spectacular, though, I honestly would have been content to just drive through this extremely crowded park. But on our second visit, we found what felt like the last parking space on earth right next to the only dog-friendly trail, so I jumped at the chance to walk on the Pa'rus Trail. And I can't recommend it highly enough, with or without a dog.
You can start the trail near the South Campground, but we found a parking space at the Zion Human History Museum, so picked up the trail near there. As you look for the signs pointing you to the trail near the parking lot, keep an eye out for wildlife visiting the canal tucked between the main road (Highway 9) and the parking lot. In the short time we were there, I saw many deer, birds and squirrels drinking out of it. A sign and path leads you down and under the road, and after you navigate the stairs and uneven pathways from the parking lot, the trail itself is flat and paved, so keep your eyes peeled for bicyclists. And maybe even Bigfoot! (Check out the video to see him and get just a taste of the trail, which has sweeping views of the rock cliffs soaring above you.)
For the most part on our visit we had the trail ourselves, and enjoying those outstanding views in near solitude felt like the second miracle of the day: finding a corner of this very popular park that wasn't teeming with people and vehicles. The first, of course, was finding a parking space! If the views and relative solitude on this trail aren't enough to tempt you, it also features several bridges over the Virgin River, and many side paths you can use to reach the water. The trail is only 1.7 miles one-way, and mostly flat and accessible.
Like many others lined with aspen trees, this trail is a stunner in the fall. But unlike other hikes I've done in the Eastern Sierras, the trek to Lamarck Lakes includes a walk to the trailhead that was just as beautiful, giving you a two-for-one with just a bit of extra mileage.
The trail starts in a campground with no parking for hikers, but the extra views you get of trembling aspens in their fall colors and the mountains in the distance are well worth the added effort.
Shortly after finding the signs for Lamarck Lakes, you head over some seasonal streams where your dog can take a dip and get a drink. When we visited in early October, however, the water in these creeks was so cold there were icicles and snow still clinging to branches above them, so the dog barely wanted to touch that water.
But once the climb to Grass Lake warmed us all up, she didn't want to leave that water, running and jumping in and around it during a crazed canine gymnastics routine that alpine lakes in particular seem to draw out of her.
Getting there:You reach this trail by taking Highway 168 ( West line Road) west from Highway 395 in Bishop to North Lake Road, which was a bit steep and narrow at parts, but overall pretty tame compared to other roads we've braved for a great hike. We parked about a mile away on North Lake Road because hikers can't park in the campground, but there is a closer parking lot for hikers if you keep driving until you see the wooden Bishop Pack Outfitter sign to the right and pull in there.
Full disclosure: Since we had just completed a strenuous, high-altitude hike the day before, us humans were not up to continuing on to even Lower Lamarck Lake, let alone Upper Lamarck Lake. But based on the description in the hiking book I used to find this hike and many others, Best Dog Hikes in Northern California, going the extra mile or so to the first lake at least is definitely worth it.
Words to the wise: There were toilets at the trailhead and plenty of water for the dog in early fall, but I don't remember water being available for humans. Once you get away from the campground and into the wilderness, your dog can be off-leash as long as you have voice control.
Since you can't hike with your dog inside Yosemite National Park, this trail offers a great alternative just outside its borders. The hike is short but super steep, and had us humans panting like crazy up the hill, wondering if we were ever going to reach Gardisky Lake.
So when water finally came into view, all the huffing and puffing felt more than worth it!
Getting there: We drove over Tioga Road (Highway 120) through Yosemite to reach Saddlebag Lake Road. We then drove about two miles on this dirt road, which was a bit bumpy, but nowhere near as bad as other roads I've taken to lesser hikes. And as always when we reach a trailhead, no matter how far out I think we've gone, there was already one car parked in the lot when we arrived: a Jeep belonging to a fisherman who had hiked up to the lake to fish. "It's short, but it's steep," he said of the trail. And boy, was he right.
It is only about a mile to the lake (the trail map says 1.3 miles) but the climb is relentless. And the whole way up you see no sign of the lake, but are rewarded with awesome views behind you until you reach the top. Words to the wise: Water: There was no human water at the trailhead, but in early October there were still streams flowing for the dog to drink from. Off-leash: This trail is "voice-control," but there are lots of chipmunks running around if your dog likes to chase things.
Celebrating reaching the lake.
How I found this hike: I never would have known about this trail, and so many others, without the great book by Linda and David Mullally, "Best Dog Hikes Northern California."
The dog and I loved this trail. For me it was a green oasis with a floor of ferns, walls of moss and a ceiling of tree branches. For her, it was off-leash roaming in a dense forest full of tantalizing new smells.
Photo by Nathan DeHart
The Elk River Trail is located in the Headwaters Forest Reserve near Eureka. And its free parking lot is reached after a few miles on Elk River Road, a lovely adventure of its own featuring barns and rolling pastures full of grazing horses and cows.
Covered bridge on Zanes Road
And if you love covered bridges, keep your eyes peeled for one on Zanes Road that is definitely worth a stop before or after your hike. I read there were two in the area, but we only found the one.
The first mile of the Elk River Trail is paved and very flat, but little spur trails can take you off the pavement and closer to the water. Dogs are allowed to hike with you and can even be off-leash, but you are asked to keep them out of the river so they don't disturb the spawning fish.
Photo by Nathan DeHart
If you like dense forest canopies, I can't recommend this hike enough, and I can't wait to return.
Bathrooms & water: There were pit toilets at the trailhead, but I didn't find any drinking water. I also never would have found this trail if it weren't for the book "Best Dog Hikes in Northern California" by Linda Mullally. Videos below of the forest and the bridge:
This hike is so short, I easily spent three times as much time driving to the trail than I spent walking on it. But the views of the Pacific Ocean you see from atop Trinidad Head immediately dissolved every minute I spent in the car to reach them.
Just one of the many spur trails leading to great views (All photos by Nathan DeHart.)
The trail begins.
And those views begin even before you park at the beach, with the pier and cove at the foot of Trinidad Head leading you to where the pavement turns to sand. The parking lot was easy to find, but the trailhead wasn't, tucked discreetly into a corner of the parking lot. The trail immediately heads uphill, but the climb is short and far from arduous, especially with the ocean beckoning at every turn.
There are many dirt spur trails leading off the pavement and I recommend heading down every one of them, as each had a better view than the last. Until, of course, you reach the one that has a rock staircase leading to a rocky cliff edge that gives you the feeling of floating above the ocean. (And can also make you very uncomfortable if you are afraid of heights.) But even without the ocean views the trail is beautiful, lined with colorful flowers and tall hedges so lush they form tunnels and made me feel as if I were in the tropics.
This trail was likely not very exciting for the dog, she cares far more about roaming off-leash than gazing at the ocean, but it is still a great trail made even greater because I could share it with my dog. How to get there: To reach the Trinidad Head Loop, take the Trinidad exit off Highway 101 (about 30 miles north of Eureka) and head west toward the water and the pier. Once the road ends you will find a cove to the left and a parking lot to the right. If you head past the lighthouse to the cove, you'll find bathrooms and a drinking fountain, as well as a restaurant that comes highly recommended by both the hiking book "Northern California Hiking" and a close friend, but I did not eat there.
The book also recommended doing the 1.5 mile loop in a counter-clockwise direction, which I did do, but I'm not sure it would make the views any less stunning if you went in the opposite direction.
