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Are you interested in hiking? Do you enjoy visiting US national parks? Do you like hiking in national parks? If so, get ready to take notes as we present these 10 must-do desert hikes in US national parks.
10 Must-Do Desert Hikes in US National Parks
1. Golden Canyon, Gower Gulch, and Badlands Loop, California And Nevada
One favorite desert hike in Death Valley National Park is this loop hike through the golden badlands. The circuit is a total of eight miles. It is a strenuous hike and thus requires between four and five hours to complete.
Start your hike in the Badwater Road parking lot. This allows you to save the downhill portion for your return. This hike will take you through the shadeless, hot desert landscape to Zabriskie Point and Red Cathedral. As is the case with any hike, remember to take water and sunscreen, and start your hike as early as possible.
2Devils Garden Primitive Trail Loop, Arches National Park, Utah
The Primitive Trail at Devils Garden is the best day hike in the entire park. This is a strenuous hike. Begin your trek at the Devils Garden Parking Area and the end of the Park Road just beyond the famous Landscape Arch.
If you plan on hiking everything including the spur trails, you’ll hike a total of nine miles. Give yourself four to five hours. This trail is, indeed, primitive with steep slopes, drop-offs, and few markers. You’ll see seven rock arches including Double O Arch, the famous Landscape Arch, Partition Arch, and even the Dark Angel rock formation.
3Bright Angel Trail to Plateau Point, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
The well-known Bright Angel Trail allows you to truly experience the Grand Canyon. It’s strenuous, includes countless switchbacks, and covers a total of 12 miles out and back. In the summer, this place can get extremely hot and dry.
You’ll need between six to eight hours. The trailhead is just west of the Bright Angel Lodge near the mule corral. Your descent is initially steep and continues to the Colorado River. Check out the view at Plateau Point, (Have a free weekend? Hike the entire Grand Canyon rim to rim like yours truly did.)
4Kaʻū Desert Trail to Maunaiki, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii
This lava desert hike on the Big Island is considered to be only of moderate difficulty. The hike begins roughly 15 minutes out of Volcano Village in the parking area on Highway 11’s south side. The total distance of this hike, out and back, is 3.6 miles. Plan on hiking for two hours.
Highlights here include the Footprints Shelter where you’ll see preserved footprints of Hawaiians who were taken by surprise by a sudden volcanic eruption in 1790. There’s also the Maunaiki lava field where nothing grows on the southwest slope of the planet’s most active volcano, Kīlauea.
5Lost Palms Oasis Trail, Joshua Tree National Park, California
Although it’s strenuous, it is a favorite of several travel writers. It’s also one of the park’s longest day hikes with a distance of 7.5 miles roundtrip. You begin your hike at Cottonwood Spring not far from the Cottonwood Campground.
The hike will take between 3 and four hours. You’ll travel over rock-strewn hills and sand-bottomed washes of the arid Colorado Desert. Your destination is the Lost Palms Oasis. Since there isn’t any shade anywhere else, this large group of fan palms will be especially welcome.
