Are you interested in hiking? Do you enjoy visiting US national parks? Do you like hiking in national parks? If so, get ready to take notes as we present these 10 must-do desert hikes in US national parks.

10 Must-Do Desert Hikes in US National Parks

1. Golden Canyon, Gower Gulch, and Badlands Loop, California And Nevada

One favorite desert hike in Death Valley National Park is this loop hike through the golden badlands. The circuit is a total of eight miles. It is a strenuous hike and thus requires between four and five hours to complete.  

Start your hike in the Badwater Road parking lot. This allows you to save the downhill portion for your return. This hike will take you through the shadeless, hot desert landscape to Zabriskie Point and Red Cathedral. As is the case with any hike, remember to take water and sunscreen, and start your hike as early as possible.

(Continued on next page)

Devils Garden Primitive Trail Loop, Arches National Park, Utah

The Primitive Trail at Devils Garden is the best day hike in the entire park. This is a strenuous hike. Begin your trek at the Devils Garden Parking Area and the end of the Park Road just beyond the famous Landscape Arch.

If you plan on hiking everything including the spur trails, you’ll hike a total of nine miles. Give yourself four to five hours. This trail is, indeed, primitive with steep slopes, drop-offs, and few markers. You’ll see seven rock arches including Double O Arch, the famous Landscape Arch, Partition Arch, and even the Dark Angel rock formation.

(Continued on next page)

Bright Angel Trail to Plateau Point, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

The well-known Bright Angel Trail allows you to truly experience the Grand Canyon. It’s strenuous, includes countless switchbacks, and covers a total of 12 miles out and back. In the summer, this place can get extremely hot and dry.  

You’ll need between six to eight hours. The trailhead is just west of the Bright Angel Lodge near the mule corral. Your descent is initially steep and continues to the Colorado River. Check out the view at Plateau Point, (Have a free weekend? Hike the entire Grand Canyon rim to rim like yours truly did.)

(Continued on next page)

Kaʻū Desert Trail to Maunaiki, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii

This lava desert hike on the Big Island is considered to be only of moderate difficulty. The hike begins roughly 15 minutes out of Volcano Village in the parking area on Highway 11’s south side. The total distance of this hike, out and back, is 3.6 miles. Plan on hiking for two hours.

Highlights here include the Footprints Shelter where you’ll see preserved footprints of Hawaiians who were taken by surprise by a sudden volcanic eruption in 1790. There’s also the Maunaiki lava field where nothing grows on the southwest slope of the planet’s most active volcano, Kīlauea.

(Continued on next page)

Lost Palms Oasis Trail, Joshua Tree National Park, California

Although it’s strenuous, it is a favorite of several travel writers. It’s also one of the park’s longest day hikes with a distance of 7.5 miles roundtrip. You begin your hike at Cottonwood Spring not far from the Cottonwood Campground.  

The hike will take between 3 and four hours. You’ll travel over rock-strewn hills and sand-bottomed washes of the arid Colorado Desert. Your destination is the Lost Palms Oasis. Since there isn’t any shade anywhere else, this large group of fan palms will be especially welcome.

(Continued on next page)

King Canyon Trail To Wasson Peak, Saguaro National Park, Arizona

This is a strenuous, 7-mile round trip to Wasson Peak, a massive mountain summit with a height of 4,687 feet. It’s the highest of all the Tucson Mountains. Give yourself three to four hours and start your hike from the parking area across from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

This trail overlaps the popular King Canyon-Gould Mine Loop, which is another exceptional day hike. If you take the Gould Mine Trail back on your descent you could do both hikes together.

(Continued on next page)

Sliding Sands Trail, Haleakalā National Park, Hawaii

This trail is known to the locals on Maui island as the Keonehe‘ehe‘e Trail. You begin your descent into the Haleakalā Crater at the Haleakalā Visitor Center parking lot. The total distance covered on this strenuous volcanic desert hike, out and back, is almost 11.5 miles and will take between six and seven hours. Your destination on this trip is a place near the Halali‘i cinder cone known to the locals as Pele’s Paint Pot. It’s well-known for its exceptional bright colors.

(Continued on next page)

Chimney Rock Loop, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

This hike begins on the north side of scenic Utah State Route 24 in the western section of this underrated park. The distance of this moderate to strenuous hike is 3.6 miles in total. Give yourself two hours to hike up to and around the scarlet-rock plateau behind prominent Chimney Rock. The panoramic views here, especially of Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile-long “geological wrinkle”, are incredible. It’s also a great place to see the sunset.

(Continued on next page)

Painted Desert Wilderness Hike, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

The Painted Desert is officially a part of the Petrified Forest National Wilderness Area. This moderately difficult backcountry hike begins at the historic Painted Desert Inn. There’s not exactly a clear official trail here but give yourself at least an hour to complete an out-and-back hike of at least two miles through the largely pristine wilderness of a petrified forest. You can camp here with a free permit.

(Continued on next page)

10. High Dune On First Ridge, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

This 30-square-mile dune field is another place without any official hiking trails. Start your hike from the main parking lot and head for High Dune on First Ridge. The total distance out and back is under three miles. Still, give yourself three to four hours for this strenuous hike. After all, zig-zag hiking on soft sand is generally more difficult than on more solid terrain. Still, the view from the top is worth the effort.

The post 10 Must-Do Desert Hikes In US National Parks appeared first on Add to Bucketlist , Vacation Deals.