Slickrock

Slickrock is one of those trails that rewards you far beyond what its modest distance suggests. From the trailhead in the Needles district, you'll cross undulating sandstone — the kind of bare rock that makes you feel like you're walking on the spine of the earth. The trail is marked by cairns rather than a worn path, so you're route-finding across slabs of pale Navajo sandstone interspersed with pockets of desert soil and cryptobiotic crust. The payoff is a series of overlooks delivering enormous 360-degree panoramas: the La Sal Mountains to the east, the Needles spires to the south, and canyon after canyon slicing through the Colorado Plateau. Pick up the geology guide at the trailhead — it transforms a good walk into a geology classroom. This one is ideal for curious hikers who want big views without big mileage.