Halloween Haunts

Jack-o'-lanterns facing each other

Ellen Heyn by Ellen Heyn, Communications Associate

Forget haunted houses, horror movies, and ghost stories this Halloween. The names of these hikes alone will have you quaking in your boots! Grab some fun-sized candy bars from your trick-or-treating stash and hit the plateau’s scariest trails this weekend. Just beware of goblins and ghouls disguised as hoodoos!

1. Spooky, Peekaboo & Brimstone Canyons

Spooky Canyon

(Photo: Steve Dunleavy)

This trio of slot canyons is the tightest and darkest in all of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The narrow walls will have you holding your breath! Peekaboo, Spooky, and Brimstone canyons are true slots, so narrow you must take off your pack and shuffle through sideways. You’ll need a headlamp to navigate through these deep, dark, convoluted cracks. Check out this hike ›

2. Devil’s Garden

Devil's Garden

(Photo: Rick Moore)

The Devil’s Garden Trail in Arches National Park threads its way between, over, and along sandstone fins that make up the area known as Devil’s Garden. An optional side trail takes you to Dark Angel, a dramatic sandstone spire that might just tempt you to the other side. Be sure to bring enough water; otherwise you might have a devil of a time dealing with the heat! Hike details ›

3. Goblin Valley State Park

Goblin Valley

 (Photo: Ellen Heyn)

This geological oddity in southern Utah boasts fantastical hoodoos and alien landscapes. Wander through the maze of drainages, play hide-and-seek among the rock formations, but whatever you do, don’t let the circus of goblins spook you! A combination of two trails takes you through an Entrada Sandstone drainage to the top of Curtis Bench, dropping into Goblin Valley for a self-guided return. Get spooky ›

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