Indian Trail (Ogden): Easily accessible from downtown Ogden, this 4.2-mile trail gets you out of town quickly, into a thick forest of spruce and fir, and onto a mountainside that offers spectacular views of Ogden Canyon, including a beautiful waterfall.
Hidden Piñon Trail, Snow Canyon State Park (St. George): This fairly easy, self-guided nature trail will reward you with breathtaking panoramic views. Wander among lava rock, into canyons, and over rocky flatland, along a trail lined with Mormon tea, cliffrose, prickly pear cactus, banana yucca, and other wild desert plants.
Lower Emerald Pools Trail, Zion National Park: If green is your color, you'll love this trail -- algae makes three pools glow a deep, rich shade of emerald. The first part of the trail, navigable by wheelchairs with assistance, leads through a forest to the Lower Emerald Pool, with its lovely waterfall and hanging garden. The small pool just above it is so still and calm that the reflection of the towering cliffs in the water looks like a photograph.
Navajo Loop/Queen's Garden Trail, Bryce Canyon National Park: To truly experience magical Bryce Canyon, this not-too-difficult trail is a good way to go. Start at Sunset Point and get the hardest part out of the way first. You'll pass Thor's Hammer and wonder why it hasn't fallen, ponder the towering skyscrapers of Wall Street, and visit with majestic Queen Victoria herself -- one of the park's most fanciful formations.
Petrified Forest Trail, Escalante State Park (Escalante): Along this steep nature trail, you'll walk through a stunted forest of junipers and piñons before reaching a field strewn with colorful chunks of petrified wood. The trail offers panoramic views of the town of Escalante and the surrounding stair-step plateaus.
