Hiking the Four Corners: A Guide to the Area's Greatest Hiking Adventures

by JD Tanner, Emily Ressler-Tanner

Overview

Hiking the Four Corners offers day hikes and is encouraged for visitors, locals looking for fun challenges, and families wanting to hike together. Every hike includes prominent landmarks, GPS coordinates and waypoints, detailed hike descriptions and maps, and easy-to-find trailhead directions, along with excellent full-color photos portraying the amazing scenery that makes up the Four Corners. This guide includes everything from serene high plains desert hikes in New Mexico and Arizona to trails that take hikers back through time as they reach the ancient ruins in the Utah canyons. Hikers will be directed to popular Colorado 14,000 foot peaks and less known hidden treasures in northwest New Mexico.

Look inside to find:

• Mile-by-mile directional cues
• Difficulty ratings, trail contacts, fees/permits, and best hiking seasons
• Invaluable trip-planning information, including local lodging and campgrounds
• Full-color photos throughout

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780762791941
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	01/07/2015
Series:	Regional Hiking Series
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	1,084,276
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

JD Tanner and Emily Ressler are originally from the Midwest, but they have spent much of their “adulthood” traveling across the United States. Their educational backgrounds are in outdoor recreation and education and they have 20 years of combined outdoor education experience.

Before writing for FalconGuides, they spent three years promoting responsible outdoor recreation as part of the Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer program. This unique opportunity gave them the opportunity to visit 48 states and work with a wide range of outdoor enthusiasts. Logging over 600 nights in a tent during that time, they visited almost 50 National Parks as they climbed, hiked, biked and paddled throughout the US.

Their shared interest in wild places and their commitment to environmental education has provided them with the opportunity to work with people from all walks of life. When the two are not off teaching a course, you might find them searching for state highpoints, planning their next big adventure, hitting the trail for FalconGuides, or hanging out with their two favorite canines, Arnie and Aspen. They reside in Sparta, Illinois.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction 1

Weather 2

Flora and Fauna 5

Wilderness Restrictions/Regulations 8

Hazards 9

Be Prepared 12

Zero Impact 14

How to Use This Guide 14

Trail Finder 16

Map Legend 17

The Hikes

Arizona Region 19

1 White House Trail: Canyon de Chelly National Monument 20

2 Wildcat Trail: Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park 24

Honorable Mentions

A Betatakin/Talastima Tour: Navajo National Monument 28

B Navajo National Monument Trails 28

C Rainbow Bridge Trail: Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park 28

D Upper Antelope Canyon: Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park 29

E Lower Antelope Canyon: Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park 29

Colorado Region 31

3 Square Tower Trail: Hovenweep National Monument 32

4 Sand Canyon Trail: Canyons of the Ancients National Monument 36

5 Rock of Ages Trail #429: Uncompahgre National Forest 40

6 Pass Creek Trail to Engineer Mountain: San Juan National Forest 45

7 Spud (Potato) Lake Trail #661: San Juan National Forest 49

8 Purgacory Trail #511: San Juan National Forest 52

9 Animas Mountain Trail: City of Durango 56

10 Colorado Trail: Southern Terminus Trailhead to Qiunn Creek 60

11 Animas River Trail: City of Durango 64

12 Mancos State Park Trails 68

13 Prater Ridge Trail: Mesa Verde National Park 72

14 Petroglyph Point Trail: Mesa Verde National Park 76

Honorable Mentions

F Spruce Canyon Trail: Mesa Verde National Park 80

G Rock Creek Trail: Canyons of the Ancients National Monument 80

H West Mancos/Transfer Trails: San Juan National Forest 80

I Sharkstooth Trail: San Juan National Forest 81

J Crater Lake Trail: San Juan National Forest 81

K Highland Mary Lakes Trail: San Juan National Forest 81

New Mexico Region 83

15 Dancing Horse Trail: Four Corners Monument 84

16 Anasazi Arch Trail: Bureau of Laud Management 87

17 Simon Canyon Ruin Trail: Bureau of Land Management 92

18 Alien Run Trail: Bureau of Land Management 96

19 Angel Peak Trail: Bureau of Land Management 101

20 Farmington Paver Trails 105

21 Penasco Blanco Trail: Chaco Culture National Historical Park 109

22 Pueblo Alto Trail: Chaco Culture National Historical Park 114

23 Bisti De-Na-Zin Wilderness: Bureau of Land Management 119

24 Bisti Badlands: Bureau of Land Management 123

Honorable Mentions

L Self-Guided Trail: Aztec Rums National Monument 127

M South Mesa Trail: Chaco Culture National Historical Park 127

N Wijiji Trail: Chaco Culture National Historical Park 127

Utah Region 129

25 Honaker Trail: Bureau of Land Management 130

26 House on Fire Ruin Trail: Bureau of Land Management 134

27 Owachomo Natural Bridge Trail: Natural Bridges National Monument 138

28 Sipapu and Kachma Bridges Loop Trail: Natural Bridges National Monument 142

29 Hidden Valley Trail: Bureau of Land Management 147

30 Hunters Canyon Trail: Bureau of Land Management 151

31 Negro Bill Canvon Trail: Bureau of Land Management 155

32 Amphitheater Loop Trail: Bureau of Land Management 160

33 Corona Arch Trail: Bureau of Land Management 165

34 Park Avenue Trail: Arches National Park 168

35 Delicate Arch Trail: Arches National Park 173

Honorable Mentions

O Kane Gulch to Grand Gulch: Bureau of Land Management 178

P Road Canvon: Bureau of Land Management 178

Q Government Trail: Bureau of Land Management 179

R Sundance Trail: Bureau of Land Management 179

S Buder Wash Ruins: Bureau of Land Management 180

T Owl Creek to Nevills Arch: Bureau of Land Management 180

The Art of Hiking 181

Hike Index 211

About the Authors 213