Six summer hikes to help beat the heat

Hiking in the summer in Southern Utah can be a challenge. Far too many of us see temperatures forecast in the triple digits and we hunker down in our air conditioning and wait for fall.

If we do get out, most hikes require getting up early enough in order to avoid the hottest parts of the day, slathering yourself in sunscreen and carrying gallons of water in order to avoid disaster.

But there are a few spectacular hikes in the area that provide shade for much of the day, are located at a high enough altitude that the heat is less of a concern, or have water flowing year round along the way that make then much easier to accomplish when hot weather makes more exposed hike unbearable.

Here’s a list of a half-dozen hikes, a couple easy ones, two that are a little harder and two more that are fairly difficult that can help get you out of the house and hiking no matter how hot the weather gets.

Some of these hikes do require entrance fees or parking fees, but for detailed directions to each of these hikes, visit the related links at the end of this column at TheSpectrum.com.

Riverside Walk - Zion National Park - Easy 

The Riverside Walk trail runs for a little over a mile from the Temple of Sinawava parking lot to the entrance to the Narrows in Zion National Park.

You’ll get to enjoy the shuttle ride all the way up Zion Canyon from the visitor’s center to the trailhead at the shuttle’s last stop. Then, you’ll hike along a paved trail through trees and in the shade of the canyon as the Virgin River babbles along beside you.

After 45 minutes or so, you’ll arrive at the entrance the Narrows and the end of the Riverside Walk Trail. Dip your toes in the water, build a few rock cairns in the riverbed, enjoy a picnic lunch and return the way you came, or for the more adventurous, you can wade upstream along the Virgin and explore the Narrows before turning around.

Either way, it’s a spectacular hike that provides plenty of shade, and plenty of cool refreshing water to take the edge of even the hottest day in Southern Utah.

Stacking cairns to commune with nature

Santa Clara River Walkway - Pine Valley Recreation Area - Easy

Another paved trail that winds alongside a river, the Santa Clara River Walkway offers those looking to escape the heat a high-altitude, shade covered walk through the woods.

Perfect for pushing strollers or wheelchairs, the paved trail offers anyone and everyone a chance to enjoy nature without having to conquer rugged terrain.

The trail can be accessed from numerous points in the recreation area, including the campground and the Pine Valley Reservoir. It’s located on the south side of the recreation area’s main road and is a little over two miles total in length. There are benches placed periodically so you can sit and soak in the sounds of nature along the trail.

Bring your fishing pole and see if you can catch a few fish from Pine Valley Reservoir while you’re there, or enjoy a picnic at one of the numerous picnic areas in Pine Valley.

Forest green, lichen-charged air at Santa Clara River Trail

Kanarraville Falls - Kanarraville / BLM Spring Creek Wilderness Study Area - Medium

From the parking lot at 100 North and 400 East in Kanarraville you hike up a dirt road for maybe a mile before entering the slots along the Kanarra Creek. From there you’ll be hiking in water anywhere from ankle to waist deep, and really the hike can be as short or as long as you want to make it. You’ll do yourself a great disservice, however, if you don’t at least make it up and over the first waterfall.

The slot canyon provides plenty of shade and that fact coupled with the water flowing through the canyon make this hike a perfect summertime escape from the heat.

The hidden treasures of Kanarraville Falls

Cascade Falls - Navajo Lake Campground - Medium

I must confess, I’ve never done this hike but my colleague, Brian Passey has and his story has me eager to give it a try.

The trail to Cascade Falls is fairly short, less than a mile, and the reward is a visit to waterfalls shooting out of lava tubes and red rocks. Another short and fairly easy hike is the Bristlecone Trail. A half-mile loop leads to grove of Bristlecone pine trees which are the world’s longest lived tree and is really a pretty fascinating organism.

If you’re looking for some longer trails, there is a loop around the entire lake you can explore and the 31-mile-long Virgin River Rim Trail that can be broken up into three shorter sections or you can hike the whole thing from Woods Ranch all the way to Strawberry Point.

I put Cascade Falls on the list, though, because there are all kinds of trails around Navajo Lake atop Cedar Mountain worth exploring and the high elevations up there really make it a wonderful place to escape the summer heat.

Cascade Falls, Bristlecone trails boast brilliant views

Valentine Peak Trail - Parowan - Difficult

The 7-mile round trip trail starts at the cemetery in Parowan and climbs to top of Valentine Peak. Spectacular views can be enjoyed from several places along the trail and there are even a few benches placed atop the first hill you crest where you can take in the beauty of the surrounding valley and head home if you’d like a shorter and less strenuous hike. It’s a tough climb and you’ll want to bring along plenty of water and get a pretty early start. The trail climbs a little over 2,000 feet in the 3.5 miles it takes to hike to the top, but the elevation both in Parowan and all along the trail make for cooler temperatures than those of us who live in St. George usually experience in August.

The trial is also very dog friendly; there are several places where water and bowls have been left along the trail for your furry hiking companions.

Parowan's spectacular Valentine Peak Trail

Burger/Signal Peaks via Forsyth Canyon - Pine Valley - Difficult

If you’re looking to escape the high temps by getting to higher elevations, you can't get any higher in Washington County than Signal Peak at the top of Pine Valley Mountain. The trailhead for the Forsyth Canyon Trail is actually outside the Pine Valley Recreation Area. You’ll turn right at the fire station and head south before you reach the entrance station.

You can also reach Burger and Signal Peaks from the Oak Grove and the Blake Gubler trails on the St. George side of the mountain and a few trails like the Brown’s Point trail that run up the mountain side from the recreation area, but I’ve found the Forstyth Trail is the easiest means of reaching the summit. The Forsyth trail also has a creek running alongside it for a little ways and is much shadier than either of the routes on the southern flank of the mountain. It’s a climb and it’s a long hike, but the views at the top are well worth the effort.

Forsyth Canyon was impacted by last month’s Saddle Fire, however, and I haven’t been up there since the trail reopened so it might not be as lush and green as it was on my last trip up the mountain.

Getting high in Washington County

Whatever trail you choose to escape the heat, take advantage of the warmer weather while you can. Once winter arrives, some of these higher elevation trails become inaccessible due to snow and hiking through running water becomes far less attractive when the temperatures are in the 50s.

Summer really is a great time for hiking in Southern Utah, you just have to know where to go.

Follow Jud Burkett on Twitter and Instagram @judburkett. Email him atjburkett@thespectrum.com or call him at 435-674-6262.