West-Side Day Hikes

You will not have as many trail choices on this side of the park as you do on the east side, but you'll be sharing those trails with far fewer humans; and your chances of seeing wildlife will be better. Because the west side of the park gets more precipitation than the east, there are more plants, with thicker foliage, here. Views are not quite as dramatic as those from the park's east-side trails, but they're still well worth the effort. It's also usually cooler on this side of the park.