Murphy Point Trail
27 Elephant Hill to Chesler Park
39 Capitol Gorge Trail to The Tanks
46 Weeping Rock to Hidden Canyon
National Park Contact Information
Acknowledgments
I’m fortunate to be in the business of connecting people with nature, both through my writing and by guiding hikers and trekkers on outdoor adventures—a wonderfully rewarding career with roots that can be traced to childhood. I have no recollection of what our living room furniture looked like in my boyhood home or what color carpet we had, or if we even had carpet. All of my memories center on experiences I had in the outdoors. I remember the pale-yellow Sears canvas tent and the smell of the khaki-green sleeping bags we used while camping in the Sierra Nevada. I remember the red asphalt of Zion’s roads and driving through the Zion–Mt. Carmel tunnel in our 1955 Pontiac station wagon. I remember vividly our trips to Yellowstone, Crater Lake, and Glacier National Parks. I’m grateful for parents who planted the seeds of a love for the outdoors. So as I’ve written and researched the hikes in this book, I’ve also been reviving memories from 30, 40, and 50 years ago. What a thrill!
On these hikes I’ve shared the trail with dear friends, including Alan and Kris Colledge, Robert and Cathie Hooke (with whom we hiked five national parks in three days), and Nicki Preece. As always, my wife, Elain, has been close by with lively conversation on the trail as well as fresh ideas and thoughtful edits after the hike.
Every book is a collaborative effort, and the energetic assistance of Cami Lee in organizing photos and assembling maps is much appreciated. And once again it’s been a pleasure working with the talented and professional folks at Menasha Ridge Press—Molly Merkle, Susan Haynes, Tim Jackson, Scott McGrew, Amber Kaye Henderson, and Ritchey Halphen—all of whom are relentlessly dedicated to delivering superbly readable and consistently valuable outdoor books.
—Greg Witt
The Very Best Short Hikes
Make the most of your national-park visit and discover the hikes that offer exactly what you’re looking for. Here are my personal recommendations for the best of the best.
VERY BEST IN EACH NATIONAL PARK
VERY BEST VIEWS
24 Grand View Point Trail An aptly named cliffside route overlooking the Canyonlands basin
47. Observation Point A splendid hike to a spectacular viewpoint above Zion Canyon