Alcove Spring

This is not a casual stroll — you're dropping over a thousand vertical feet into the Taylor Canyon drainage, which means every step down is a step you'll have to earn back on the return. The trail begins with a steep, rocky descent past a massive sandstone alcove that could shelter a small village, then levels out as it threads through a wide, sandy canyon floor. The real draw here is the approach to the Moses and Zeus towers — two jaw-dropping sandstone spires that rise hundreds of feet from the desert floor like something out of a fever dream. The canyon is exposed and quiet, with virtually no one else around. Expect slickrock sections, cairn-following, and loose sand that makes the miles feel longer than they are. This trail is built for hikers who want to feel genuinely remote without needing a permit or a shuttle.