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As one of the most important decisions you can make when it comes to backpacking gear, your choice of a backpacking tent can have quite the impact in regards to your comfort in camp and protection from the elements. Additionally, choosing the best backpacking tent can also have an impact when it comes to weight carried on the trail (as one of, if not the heaviest items in your pack), and a tent decision can have quite the impact on your wallet, as well.

With many factors to consider, in this article we’ll look at the top backpacking tents currently on the market, with a preference towards tents that of course offer protection from the elements, but also are lightweight and include plenty of space for the weight (including headroom), while remaining sufficiently durable and easy to use. Additionally preference here leans towards tents that haven’t had any flame or fire retardant chemicals applied, and for tents that are easy to get in and out of and have space to store gear.
Best Solo & Ultralight Backpacking Tents
For solo use I look to save just about as much weight as possible and space is less of a concern – I find a little extra space to be much more useful and important when there’s more than one person sharing a tent. If it’s just me and in this day and age, I’ll look to go with a Dyneema Composite Fabric tent every time and will look for an ultralight tent under the 20 ounce mark or so. Previously my choice has been the (discontinued) Zpacks Hexamid Twin, which while designed for two was much more workable for one person having only a single side door and one vestibule. This tent however still only weighed around a pound.

An ultralight Dyneema Composite Fabric tent from Zpacks
Luckily there are modern-day alternatives available from Zpacks via their Plex Solo tent ($599, 14.6 oz.) as well as their Altaplex Solo tent ($669, 16.5 oz.), with the Altaplex being designed for taller hikers. I like a rectangular, non-tapering floorplan whenever I can get it no matter what tent I’m looking at, and as such the Altaplex would be an intriguing ultralight option. That said for those using standard-width pads who want the lightest pack, the Plex Solo and the Plex Solo Lite tent (featuring more ultralight materials and further weight savings) are equally interesting choices.
With the solo tent category one door and one vestibule work great, as can be found in the tent designs discussed above. However, especially for those that backpack with a wide pad and like space, the Duplex Lite tent ($669, 14.9 oz.) should be given strong consideration. The Duplex Lite is also an option for 2 with standard-width pads, who want to save as much weight as possible and don’t mind bumping elbows.
Regardless of which Zpacks tent you go with, I’d suggest at least considering their .75 oz. canopy material over the default .55 oz. Dyneema. I’ve used the .55 oz. material for years without issue – it’s not a bad default material and my tents have withstood years of use and severe weather. However, future DCF tents that I purchase will likely be of the .75 oz. variety just for all-around insurance.
The .75 oz. material will be stronger and offer greater puncture resistance, which may be appreciated over the long haul and when you need it, without too much of a weight penalty. As you might have guessed, Zpacks offering buyers the choice of this fabric option is one reason their tents are recommended so highly in this article. Note that as you might expect, their "Lite" tents are not offered in this heavier duty fabric, but are still worth consideration as the lightest of the light.

However, if you’re not sold on Dyneema and prefer a more traditionally-designed tent, one that does stand out in this category can be found in the NEMO Hornet Elite Osmo 1-Person tent ($550, 29 oz.). With 39” of headroom this tent may not be the most ideal choice for the tallest of users, but this height is on par with other tents in the more traditional, double-walled and freestanding (or semi-freestanding) tent market. At less than 2 pounds this tent will not weigh you down and can even fit a rectangular large and wide sleeping pad. If you’re looking to save some cash, NEMO also offers a standard version of the Hornet Osmo, which still comes in at a respectable weight with slightly smaller interior dimensions.
Best 2-Person Backpacking Tents
For a 2-person backpacking tent, I look for 2 doors with side entries and 2 matching vestibules, without question. This allows each person their own entry and exit (no having to crawl over anyone) and their own space to store gear at night. Generally, around 3lbs. or less is a good target here. For many years my go-to option here was the Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo ($395, 45 oz.). This tent features all the prerequisites above, but the weight of their lighter backpacking model (previously known as the Explorer model, and suggested if budget allows over their heavier Lunar Duo Outfitter) has crept up a bit in recent years.

The Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo 2-person backpacking tent
That said, the Lunar Duo backpacking model is not exactly heavy by any means and is a wonderful design with a 54x90” floorplan. This is one of the best floor measurements for a 2-person tent I’ve ever used. It’s long enough for tall hikers, wide enough for 2 wide pads, and isn’t excessive even with 2 standard pads…extra space is always nice. Additionally, the 45” centered height is great for sitting up in the tent. If at least one hiker uses a shorter pad, you can easily fit 2 people plus a dog or very small child in this tent as well, with gear being stored in the large vestibules. Find our Lunar Duo review here.
About the only downside to this tent is that, as with all silnylon / silpoly tents including those to follow from Tarptent, you’ll need to seal the seams with something like SeamGrip SIL seam sealer at home before you head out, although many manufacturers are now offering this as an add-on service. Many backpackers – including myself – have long hoped that Six Moon Designs would come out with a Dyneema Lunar Duo to take things from lightweight to ultralight...we’ll continue to keep our hopes up.

With its 90" long floor, the Lunar Duo from Six Moon Designs can fit 2 people with extra room, especially if at least one person utilizes a shorter sleeping pad.
For something lighter but significantly more expensive, the Zpacks Duplex tent ($699, 17.9 oz.) or the larger ZPacks Triplex tent ($799, 21.4 oz.) are worth significant consideration. Zpacks tents are made from Dyneema Composite Fabric to save weight and you’ll end up with a tent that won’t sag in the rain like you can get with silnylon. At a 45” floor width, the Duplex will be tight for 2 people and both hikers will have to use standard-width sleeping pads, unless you want to absolutely max out the width of the floor with 1 wide and 1 regular-width sleeping pad…something I don’t recommend. The Triplex however, at a 60” floor width would be extremely tight for 3, but has plenty of room for 2 people with wide pads and room for gear or possibly a dog or small child as well. For 2+ look at the Offset Trio tent which will offer a little more width at the head of the tent, and a bit more length as well which can make fitting a dog in much easier.

The Zpacks Triplex features a 60" wide floor, offering room for 2 people using wide sleeping pads with room to spare.
Mainstream manufacturer Big Agnes makes some interesting tents in their Platinum and Carbon lines that are either freestanding or semi-freestanding, however there are some compromises to be had related to interior space or entry configuration (a side door, even when solo, is preferred). For example the Tiger Wall 2 Platinum tent ($650, 40 oz.) will get you a semi-freestanding tent for 2 using standard-width pads, but the 86” length and 39” peak height combined with a lengthwise sloping ceiling would be cramped for taller users. The Copper Spur 3 Platinum ($700, 52 oz.) is an interesting tent that boosts the interior length and height while using a more domed design, and is fully freestanding. This tent would be a palace for something like 2 people using wide pads that want plenty of personal space, or two and a dog (and as a 3-person tent of course – more on that later).

All said, the Zpacks Triplex (for more see our full Zpacks Triplex review) is a top choice in this category for maximum flexibility (tents only seem smaller in the field). 60” is a bit much, and something close to the width of the Lunar Duo would be closer to perfect for 2. That said, we’re not making a custom tent here and beggars can’t be choosers. For two using wide pads who also have a dog along, the aforementioned Offset Trio would be a better fit. Both of these tents feature 2 doors and 2 vestibules. You can view both the Triplex and the Offset Series of tents here at Zpacks.com.
Best Family or Group Backpacking Tents
There is not much discussion to be had here when it comes to the best group and family backpacking tent, as unfortunately it seems manufacturers pour most of their research and development into their 1 or 2-person tent designs. The Tarptent Hogback ($569, 63.2 oz.) is my choice in this category with few competitors. The Hogback is a 4-person tent that weighs in around 4 pounds and features an 86x86” floorplan that can fit up to 4 standard-width pads, or 3 wide pads, and features double-wall construction with either mesh or partial-solid fabric inner options. 4 people in the Hogback will be a squeeze and you’ll be fighting for vestibule space, but we’ve used it for 3 plus a dog on many occasions.

Tarptent Hogback 4-person backpacking tent
Although for years Tarptent declined to entertain the idea of making Dyneema Composite Fabric tents, in recent years they began to utilize this weight-saving non-stretch fabric, but it hasn’t made it up the line to the Hogback quite yet (which would save quite a bit of weight in a tent this large). That said, we’ve been quite happy with the silnylon fly utilized in our Hogback and about 4lbs is still quite light for a tent of this size. You can read our full Tarptent Hogback review here.
Although more of a backpacking shelter than a tent due to its floorless nature, the Black Diamond Mega Light tent ($400, 45 oz.) is also worth considering in this category and these tents and tents of a similar design have been successfully used by educational expeditions for many years. Depending on where you’re backpacking however, the extra bug and weather protection you get with an integrated floor like you’ll find on the Hogback may be appreciated.
There is an optional nest available for the Mega Light; however it more than doubles the weight and almost doubles the price. For a lighter option Hyperlite Mountain Gear offers their UltaMid 4 pyramid ($1440 as a tent, 62 oz. with the floored mesh insert and pole). With either of these shelters you'll need to be aware of some compromises pyramid shelters can have – like a pole in the center of the tent, typically one (relatively) small door for entry and exit, lack of vestibule space, and the possibility of rain getting into the tent when entering and exiting due to the slanted walls.

For freestanding options, the previously mentioned Big Agnes Copper Spur 3 Platinum ($700, 52 oz.) can fit 3 people with standard-width pads with room to spare, or 1 person with a wide pad and 2 others with 20” wide sleeping pads. The Copper Spur HV UL4 tent ($800, 91 oz.), with its larger 86x96” floorplan can fit 4 people with up to 3 of those 4 people even using wide sleeping pads, and this tent also has an impressive 50” inside height. This will get everyone in the same tent, although you’ll be well over 5lbs. And if the HV UL4 still isn’t enough space, you can take a look at the 86x108” Copper Spur HV UL5 ($900, 117 oz.) which, as you might expect, is designed for groups of 5 and features 60” – or 5 feet, of headroom.
The Copper Spur HV line is typically a leader on the spec sheets – just be aware that to achieve light weight in a traditional design Big Agnes uses very light 15 an 20D fabrics that are lower on the hydrostatic head scale and feature a PU coating. Coatings are very waterproof and allow manufacturers to tape seams, but coatings wear off, unlike impregnated silicone or Dyneema waterproof fabrics. At some point and once the group size gets larger, taking multiple smaller separate tents may make the most sense and can even save weight over a single larger tent – although depending on your tent choice, this can potentially be more expensive.
Best Budget Backpacking Tents
Budget is relative, but for this category we can go ahead and rule out ultralight Dyneema tents and set our focus on the much more affordable nylon and polyester options. The Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo ($260, 26 oz.) can be had for less with free shipping and a sign-up discount, and if you catch it on sale it can even go for under $200. The Lunar Solo is roomy for one, fitting either standard or wide pads. The REI Half Dome Series of tents with a 2-person as well as a 3-person option has also been a go-to choice for many years.
The REI Co-op Flash Series of tents offer lighter weight options, and can typically be found on sale at intervals throughout the year. The venerable Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo can also be found in their heavier but much cheaper polyester Outfitter Tent version, which will get you a palace for 2 people in a package under 4lbs. for around $200. If you’re looking to save and aren’t too picky on an exact model, checking the REI Co-op Outlet from time to time can lead to some good savings on a variety of tent models from various manufacturers.
Best 4-Season Backpacking Tents
All the tents listed here thus far are primarily targeted towards 3-season use, but if you’re wanting to extend your trips into winter where heavy snow load can be expected and freestanding features become more important, you’ll need to look into 4-season options. The Black Diamond Firstlight 2P ($450, 54 oz.) has been a popular option for solo and 2-person use for years – you can find our full review of the Firstlight 2P tent here. If you like the Firstlight but want a little more space for 2 people, look at the Black Diamond Firstlight 3P ($500, 64 oz.). Black Diamond also offers their Hilight 2P tent as well as the Hilight 3P tent, which are very similar to the Firstlight except with upgraded features at a weight penalty.

Tarptent Scarp 2 4-season tent
For my use, I like the Tarptent Scarp 2 ($489, 56 oz.), however the weight is getting up there with the crossing poles and you’ll need to set a couple snow anchors with this one. For more, take a look at our Tarptent Scarp 2 review. When it comes to 4-season tents and winter backpacking, you don't want to make any compromises in regards to protection from the elements or the sturdiness of your tent, and extra weight carried here is typically worth it.
Final Thoughts
Overall when selecting the best backpacking tent you need to find a balance between weather and bug protection, weight, space, and price – and getting that balance just right will be a little different for each of us. However, with hundreds of options on the market the perfect tent is likely out there for everyone no matter your needs.
For more on baseline information and factors to consider when choosing a backpacking tent or shelter, see our guide on how to choose a backpacking tent that goes into tent design and factors to consider on a more overall and general level. For a list of additional backpacking tents to consider from various manufacturers that you can narrow down by capacity, season, and more, check out this page at REI.com.

Southern Utah, the Colorado Plateau Desert; of all the world this place is unique. Here the desert is a maze. Canyons and gulches dissect the plateau into a great network, a labyrinth of lost alcoves and secret glens which one could spend a lifetime exploring without even scratching the surface. This is a land of colorful sandstone sculpture, carved by water as the artist.

Water can do incredible things when sandstone is its canvas. Given time, a tiny river here carves a grand canyon. The Grand Canyon itself is an example of what water has done to the Colorado Plateau, but in southern Utah, there are thousands of canyons sculpted from the rock by the Colorado River and its tributaries. Take a look at the mysterious Escalante River, you’ll likely agree the canyon it’s carved is equally as striking and similar to the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River. The sandstone earth in Utah is bright and it is red. It’s so red the contrast of the blue sky begins to hurt your eyes. Viewing the river at the bottom of the great red canyon, it looks as only a swathe of green trees snaking through the land.

The Colorado Plateau isn’t truly a desert, it is borderline, receiving enough rain to be classified not as desert but as semi-arid or a steppe climate. All the water which falls here heads for the Colorado River, the main drainage for the area, by way of many smaller rivers like the Escalante. The Escalante etches the sandstone as it carries along, likewise, smaller streams which drain to the Escalante cut the sandstone as they travel through. An incredibly complicated maze is what we’re left with, and of course, the beauty is in the details.

I went one day with my brother to explore some of these details, in the vicinity of the remote and still pristine wilderness around the Escalante River. There are so many little niches of this river to explore, it’s hard to choose what to see if you only have a couple days. The country here will call me back for further exploration time and time again. The hike we did took only a couple hours, and is actually quite far from the river itself. Peekaboo Gulch and adjacent Spooky Gulch have been carved by the rapid drainage of water during floods, carved somehow into such narrow channels through malleable stone. These are slot canyons.
Hiking Peekaboo Gulch and Spooky Gulch
We arrived at the Dry Fork Trailhead early in the morning and it was a springtime drizzle. My brother donned his hiking boots but his feet were chewed up. We had been having a week of extreme Utah adventure before this and now he had a blister on every toe and a festering sore on his heel. He decided he couldn’t walk and would spend the morning reading in the truck, waiting for me to do the hike. I went in Spooky Gulch. Most people will begin the loop in Peekaboo first but I had received a tip from a local to start in Spooky. I’d stand by this tip. To find Spooky, walk down from the first slick rock bench at the trailhead to come to the Dry Fork Gulch. There you will see a slot canyon entering the rock off to your left and one slightly to your right. The right hand one is Peekaboo. Walk past Peekaboo, follow the cairns leading up the wash and when you see Spooky, it will be obvious. Tentatively I walked in.

I quickly found myself in the slots. I pressed on, and they just keep going farther and farther back. Boom, I heard a sound echo through. Extreme tightness for a long ways in both directions, it’s a squeeze. Hopefully it’s not a flash flood up there. Confronted by such claustrophobia, panic ensues. I found myself full of adrenaline and racing through, get out of the slots! Time to climb out of Spooky, and spooky it is. You must navigate a boulder choked chute to exit.
All of a sudden I was free, the top of the spacious slick rock bench was exhilarating after coming out of the dark canyon depths. I decided it had been one of the best experiences of my life. I followed an excellent cairn trail to bring me across the plateau and to Peekaboo Gulch. Peekaboo Gulch was far less claustrophobic, just beautiful and serene, filled with artful rock formations, and had a few small obstacles to navigate.

I went back to the truck, having hurried, the hike took an hour and a half. I showed my brother these pictures, and now he was convinced. He had to put his shoes back on, suffer through the pain and come see this place. He was so glad he did. I was more than happy to do the hike a second time.
It was later in the day and other groups had showed up to do this fairly popular hike. You usually will have the world to yourself if you rise early in the morning. We found ourselves now stuck behind a family of 10 people and 2 dogs in Spooky Gulch. Finding it impossible to pass them, we just waited in the narrows and listened, laughing to hear them having a spooky time of their own navigating the slots.

The mother screamed at the kids, the dogs barked, the sounds of shuffling, scrambling, and panic echoed back to us, we saw fur clinging to the canyon walls. Yes, hilarious traffic jams are a common occurrence on this dazzling and fun filled Utah slot canyon loop hike. Definitely put this hike on your list, it’s an experience of a lifetime.
Need to Know
Information
If you plan to stay overnight, you can fill out a permit at the trailhead, no permit is required for a day hike. Still a good idea to check in with the BLM at the interagency visitor’s center in Escalante. The rangers there will be able to give you any advice or directions you want about the hike as well as current weather information. Rain anywhere the area can cause flash floods in the canyons.
Getting There
Head to the remote town of Escalante, Utah, along scenic Highway 12. Take the famous turn for Hole in the Rock Road, a well graded, 2 wheel drive gravel road. From my experience it’s a comfortable ride for about the first 17 miles. After that it gets a bit rougher, the left turn you’re looking for is 26.3 miles in, look for a sign for Dry Fork Trailhead. Take this road for .7 miles and then bear to the left, where you will see a sign “high clearance only”, the trailhead is .9 miles further. The road past the sign was terribly washed out so one side of my truck was much lower than the other side. It was a roller coaster ride!
Best Time to Go
The best seasons of the year to be here will be spring or fall. Summer can be ok too, but much hotter especially mid-day. In mid-July through mid-September especially it's typically monsoon season in the canyon country. Assuming the road is open, a winter hike here could potentially be quite enjoyable, but more challenging if the slick rock is icy or if there’s snow on the ground. Rangers would have up to date information on conditions.
Books
Utah’s Favorite Hiking Trails, by David Day. A comprehensive guide to 77 excellent trails in Utah including the Peekboo/ Spooky loop hike. The guide touches base on all aspects of the dynamic state of Utah, which can be divided into 3 regions: The Rocky Mountains, The Great Basin Desert and the Colorado Plateau Desert. These three totally different environments are sparsely populated and in fact 63% of the state is federally owned land, protected as wilderness. This book guides you through many of the endless hiking opportunities in Utah’s 5 national parks, 7 national monuments, 2 national recreation areas and 6 national forests. The author also includes 250 photos in color and black and white, as well as 80 detailed trail maps.
100 Hikes in Utah, by Steve Mann & Rhett Olson. Another great option, this book is packed with information for 100 hikes in all corners of Utah. The maps are detailed and read easily, and the book contains many photos mostly in black and white.
Maps
National Geographic, Canyons of the Escalante. The map I used, a beautiful edition to any map collection. This map will not replace a 7.5 minute topo map for a trip requiring extended route finding. It is, however, a useful tool for exploring the various sights off Escalante’s Hole in the Rock Road. For getting to and from the trailhead and exploring other destinations in the state, the Utah Delorme Atlas & Gazetteer can be useful.
Editor's Note: This article by contributor Michael Swanbeck originally appeared in Issue 24 of TrailGroove Magazine. You can read the original article here for additional photos and content.

“Half of Colorado is beautiful and half of it is ugly, and the same is true for Oklahoma. But people only talk about the beautiful half of Colorado and the ugly half of Oklahoma.”
Our friend, Steve, said this as we dined together in downtown Aspen, and he is a man who knows, as a fellow native of Oklahoma and longtime resident of Aspen, Colorado. While I think calling any of it ugly is harsh (although, understandably, if you live in Aspen everything pales by comparison), Steve has a point about the way folks view the two states. There’s no need to repeat all the good press Colorado deservedly receives for its scenery. And it may be a similar restatement of the obvious to note that Oklahoma hasn’t shaken its Dust Bowl image in spite of its diverse, well watered terrain.

But in my mind the less spectacular landscapes of eastern Colorado and western Oklahoma simply reflect the more subtle beauty of the Great Plains, half a million square miles of broad, flat grasslands reaching north into Canada and south to Mexico. Conventional wisdom says it’s a place to get across as fast as possible, but I’ve discovered on my travels west that it holds many surprises for the inquisitive traveler willing to slow down and sample some of those seemingly empty places on the map.
Colorado's Picture Canyon
Traveling from our home near Oklahoma City to Utah in early September, 2016, my husband Bill and I decided to route through the corner of southeastern Colorado to explore one of those little-known treasures. Barely north of the Oklahoma border, we left the highway and followed the Baca County roads west to Picture Canyon, a remote outpost of the U.S. Forest Service.
The landscape changed quickly as we approached the canyon, the long views of the prairie yielding to sandstone formations as the dirt road wound into a picnic area as devoid of people as the blank space on the map suggests. Picnic tables and a vault toilet are tucked against a bluff, the tables shaded by white-roofed pavilions against the heat of the sun, an unrelenting force here in July and August. Interpretive panels along a concrete path tell the story of the canyon, named for the rock art left by historic Plains Indians and their prehistoric predecessors.

Here the native people found shelter and spring water in this gentle sandstone canyon amid rolling hills and low buttes. We planned to hike the Arch Rock Trail to see the rock art but it was a warm afternoon and we decided first to explore in our truck. Miles of four-wheel drive roads wind through the yucca and juniper, up and down the canyon, through deep sand and over rocks. We stopped to examine a stone ruin left by homesteaders who settled the area in the late 1880s. The remaining walls of the structure were filled with gourd vines and probably a rattlesnake or two. The hope for living off this land was lost to farmers during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Now it’s part of a half-million acre preserve in southeastern Colorado called the Comanche National Grasslands.
Soon it was time to settle on a campsite. We would hike the next day, in the cool of the morning. Dispersed camping is allowed anywhere in the Grasslands and we found a perfect spot in a grove of cottonwoods. Gnats swarmed around my head as we set up camp but a good shot of Deep Woods Off alleviated my annoyance and my irritation faded altogether when, after dinner, we escaped to our truck-top tent. There we listened to heavy raindrops thumping on the roof as a thunderstorm passed through. When the storm dissipated, coyotes announced their presence and we fell asleep to their serenade.

The next morning we set out on Arch Rock Trail, a 4-mile loop. Along the canyon walls are alcoves housing pictographs (ancient drawings or paintings on rock walls) and petroglyphs (rock carvings). There was a tour group – four people on horseback – ahead of us on the trail and when we caught up with them the guide, Laneha Everett of Canyon Journeys, invited us to tag along. Some of the markings here have astronomical significance; in particular, those in Crack Cave are illuminated by the sun’s rays at dawn only during the spring and autumn equinox. The Chamber of Commerce in nearby Springfield, Colorado, sponsors equinox festivals and tours of the cave to celebrate the events.
Crack Cave is protected by locked metal gates, but another rock shelter I climbed into has markings that look much the same. Everett says that most people believe the inscriptions are of similar origin. “Traditional thinking has them down as calendrical markings for the passing of time. The non-traditional line of thinking says they are of the alphabet Ogam (an ancient Celtic system of writing) and could even potentially give a message such as 'water found below.’ The marks are often found with solar alignment sites throughout the Oklahoma Panhandle and southeastern Colorado.”

Everett adds that Picture Canyon is unusual in that it houses several sites with many other types of markings similar to other ancient languages. “The statistics of coincidence seems pretty high here,” she says. Some claim that five ancient languages are represented in the rock shelter I explored. “Picture Canyon offers interesting problems,” says Everett. “Either there are ancient languages, which in the case of Crack Cave were deciphered and the message then proven by the presence of an equinox solar alignment site, or the Native Americans were writing in unusual ways that were highly similar to ancient languages from other parts of the world.”
There are two other loop trails here – Homestead and Outlaw – with a combined distance of about 10 miles, including spur trails. The spurs lead to rock art, homestead ruins and Crack Cave, and a rock arch and rock molar. Forest roads accessible by vehicle – including some of those we explored in our truck – are also integrated into this trail system.
Camping at Carrizo Canyon
After our hike we continued our journey west but on our return from Utah a week later, we camped at nearby Carrizo Canyon. Arriving as the sun set, we sought a camp site right away. The area lacks the web of forest roads we enjoyed in Picture Canyon, but we found an out-of-the-way spot to camp in a cattle pasture. There on the edge of the canyon, perched on a slab of sandstone trimmed with prickly pear, we grilled steaks bought in the last town to celebrate our last night of camping.

Next morning, fresh Colorado peaches added sweetness to our breakfast before we hiked the 1-mile loop trail along the east fork of Carrizo Creek. At the trailhead, we greeted a young couple also preparing for the hike. In the high grass of late summer, the trail was difficult to follow and we ended up bushwhacking through a labyrinth of cottonwoods clogged with flood debris, agreeing that winter would be a better time to explore.

We waved to two working cowboys as we left Carrizo Canyon, then turned southeast toward home. On back roads we skirted Oklahoma’s high point – not quite 5,000 feet elevation at Black Mesa, just south of the Colorado border in what was once “No Man’s Land,” now the Oklahoma Panhandle. This is what Steve calls the “ugly half” of Oklahoma and, while these buttes are not the 10,000-foot, aspen-covered, snow-capped peaks of the Rocky Mountains, they do have their charm. Lucky for us, these natural treasures of the southern plains will remain obscure as long as most people consider the area less than appealing, and perhaps it’s better not to dispel that notion. We saw a total of eight people in our visits to the two canyons – six of them on horseback. Solitude is one of the benefits of slow travel through the Great Plains and I suspect there is little danger of that changing.
Need to Know
Information
Canyon Journeys, based in Pritchett, Colorado, offers tours of Baca County heritage sites, educating people through interpretation and excursions into and of local legends, historical and pre-historical sites, wildlife, plant life, geology, and astronomy. Their goal is to foster the desire to preserve, support and love the area and its western culture. Springfield, Colorado and Boise City, Oklahoma are the closest towns with dining and lodging. More information can also be found in this Forest Service document.
Best Time to Go
It’s best to visit in fall or spring, and even winter can be pleasant for hiking here at times. Summers are usually quite hot.
Getting There
To reach Picture Canyon travel to Campo, Colorado (20 miles south of Springfield, Colorado and about 28 miles north of Boise City, Oklahoma) on Highway 287 and turn west on County Road J. Continue for 10 miles, then turn left (south) at County Road 18 for 5 miles. Turn right (south) at the Picture Canyon sign and continue for 1 mile to the parking lot.
To reach Carrizo Canyon, from Springfield, Colorado drive south on Highway 287 for 17 miles. At County Road M Turn right (west) and continue for 22 miles, then turn left (south) at Forest Service Road 539 for 1.9 miles to parking lot.
Books and Maps
Hiking Colorado: A Guide to the State’s Greatest Hiking Adventures (Falcon Guide) and a good gazetteer is always helpful. We used the Colorado Road and Recreation Atlas by Benchmark Maps.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in Issue 35 of TrailGroove Magazine. You can read the original article here for additional photos and content.

A staple technique used in pre-packaged backpacking meals, freeze-drying is a process by which food (typically already cooked or a product that could be eaten raw) is frozen and the pressure in a chamber lowered. As a result moisture in the product is almost completely removed and foods that are freeze-dried can last years or even decades without refrigeration.

A commercially available freeze-dried meal prior to rehydration.
Freeze-Dried Pros and Cons
Compared to at-home or commercial air dehydration, which uses heat, freeze-dried products retain more nutrients, taste, and original textures when rehydrated compared to a dehydrated product. Of course this does come with a couple drawbacks – freeze-drying at home is typically out of reach for the home backpacking chef, and freeze-dried foods are noticeably more expensive.
More Freeze-Dried and Backpacking Meal Resources
See our Top Ten Freeze Dried Backpacking Meals article for more on some of our favorite freeze-dried meals, and for a wide selection of freeze-dried meals on the market, you can see this page at REI Co-op. See our guide to Dehydrating Your Own Backpacking Meals at Home for some quick tips on creating your own meals prior to a trip.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in Issue 54 of TrailGroove Magazine. You can read the original article here.

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument is a vast plateau in north central Arizona and adjoining southern Utah. The 280,000-acre (roughly 20 miles east-west by 20 miles north-south) monument includes the rugged and beautiful Paria Plateau and Coyote Buttes North and South. The plateau is also known as the Sand Hills. Many hikers and photographers visit The Wave, Paw Hole, Cottonwood Cove, and White Pocket. All those are worthy destinations, but going beyond yields even more impressive hikes, views, and experiences.

The plateau towers nearly 3,000 feet above the plains to the east, and is bounded by Highway 89A and Marble Canyon on the east, Highway 89A on the south, House Rock Road on the west, and Buckskin Gulch and the Paria River on the north. Everywhere on the mesa are Navajo sandstone outcrops and loose sand. The sandstone originated as a huge wind-blown sand dune field, which was subsequently compacted and cemented into rock and is now eroding into a plethora of bizarre and unique shapes to see and photograph. The dune remnants are visible as striated layers, towers of sandstone, hoodoos, “brain rocks,” and strange twisted layers. Driving in the monument is time-consuming even with a high clearance four-wheel drive vehicle, and impossible for a typical passenger vehicle. Hiking in these areas is not easy either, as there are few established trails. Exploring the plateau is a “look and explore” type of experience. Give yourself plenty of time to wander, backtrack, and take pictures. And then take more pictures! One could easily spend several weeks visiting all the amazing locations in this area and still need more weeks to see the areas you missed the first time!
A Vermilion Cliffs & Grand Staircase Trip Begins
In September 2021, my usual hiking buddy Ward and I took a week-long trip to visit the plateau and to see more of it than we had been able to in past trips. This was our fourth trip to the monument, and by far the most extensive and inclusive. On previous trips, we had visited Coyote Buttes North (The Wave) and Coyote Buttes South (Paw Hole and Cottonwood Cove) as well as White Pocket (see TrailGroove Issue 33). For several years we had been wanting to camp on the “edge of the Vermilions,” and this was our chance!

Peppermint Wave in Arizona's Vermilion Cliffs
Arizona's Vermilion Cliffs
Our trip started with a long day of highway driving, ending at Tuba City, AZ where we stayed at the beautiful Moenkopi Inn. Continuing the next morning, we arrived at the plateau after crossing Marble Canyon on Highway 89A and entering the national monument from the southern end of House Rock Road. We headed onto the plateau by the best road into the interior of the monument – BLM 1017. Once we reached Pine Tree Pockets, the real fun began. With my sister’s borrowed 4Runner, we were able to travel on the plateau over miles and miles of single-lane tracks, often with deep sand. This first day, we crossed the nearly 20-mile-wide plateau from west to east on a variety of tracks, passing through a herd of cattle in Pinnacle Valley, and stopping at several places on the way, including The Beehives.
We arrived at the end of the track at the Soap Creek Tank area and parked. In the area near the end of the road is a good stand of scattered mature ponderosa pines and plenty of beautiful exposed sandstone. Lots to see even if you don’t go much farther, but we had a destination – the edge of the cliff! Backpacks on, we hiked in an easterly direction, knowing that it was just over a mile (as the California Condor flies) to the edge of the plateau. Between our parking spot and the cliff, however, was a ridge that was a couple hundred feet above us, and then about 300 feet back down to the level of the plateau’s edge.

Much of the area was easy hiking once we found our way up and down the sometimes steep sides of the ridge. Up and down and across Soap Creek Pasture we went until we got to the eastern edge, then we wandered a bit to find the ideal camping spot. It was a beautiful area, with great views that were somewhat hindered due to smoke from a fire somewhere nearby on the north rim of the Grand Canyon. From the edge of the plateau the cars on the thin gray line that is Highway 89A appeared to be about a pixel wide. Beyond the highway is Marble Canyon, through which the Colorado River flows between Lee’s Ferry and the confluence with the Little Colorado River on its way to the Grand Canyon. One of the highlights that evening was spotting a couple of California Condors, one directly overhead!
The next morning we hiked back to our parking spot (about 1.3 miles), then drove back west and north to stop at Joe’s Ranch. This is one of several old ranches on the plateau. Beginning in the 1880s and through several other owners until the 2000s, the ranchers raised sheep, Angora goats, and cattle. Joe’s cabin, some outbuildings, and fences are still present on the site. The area around the ranch is now owned by the Grand Canyon Trust. We parked and hiked around Joe’s, then drove farther west and then north through Cathedral Valley. We drove, stopped, and hiked numerous times most of the rest of the day, with many photos shot. Included in these stops, we saw the Cowboy Hat, Flame Wave, Pink Sink, as well as several unnamed areas (many of the names of these barely-known places came from a hiker named Dave Coppedge, who has explored much more of the plateau than I ever will). We encountered just one section of road that was too steep/too sandy, so we had to turn back – the only time on the whole trip! Our camping destination for the night was White Pocket, a place we had visited several years ago.

Just to the northeast of White Pocket, there are a series of mesas that the aforementioned Dave has explored. We decided to hike between the two nearest mesas, going northeastward on the east side of Spur Mesa, then across the valley to hike southwestward in the afternoon on the west side of Caterpillar Mesa. We ended up hiking around 5 miles over 5 hours, with over 600 feet of descent and ascent. During all this, we saw absolutely no sign of any other hikers having ever been in the area, although surely there have been a few (including Dave). Along the way we saw Peppermint Wave and the Paria Puppets (Dave’s names) and the Stacked Pancakes (my name). It wasn’t an easy hike, with many ups and downs and no trail at all – just sand, junipers, low brush, and what I called “those dang yellow flowers” which were everywhere, about 3 to 4 feet tall and stiff-stemmed. Definitely not an easy hike, but very scenic!
We got back to our campsite at White Pocket in mid-afternoon, and after a bit of rest I decided that since we were there, I would wander a bit and take a few pictures. Mid-afternoon is not the best time for photography, but still…I could not resist! Once I arrived back at the vehicle, we packed up and headed toward town (Page, AZ in this case). Having driven about 50 miles of sandy tracks over three days (and not getting stuck once!). I handed the keys over to Ward at Pine Tree Pockets for the drive to Page where we got a room for the night (and showers!) and had dinner at The Dam Bar and Grill.

Sidestep Canyon in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
For some added off the beaten track hiking, we next went to the southern part of the nearby Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM) to visit Sidestep Canyon. Sidestep is the next canyon west of the better known Wahweap Hoodoos. I’ve had this canyon on my wish list for years, and it did not disappoint! Our hike started at White Rocks Trailhead and went northeast following a dry (at least this time) creek bed for the first mile or so, until we came to a concrete dam blocking further travel. From that point we had to climb up about 300 feet to the top of the mesa and then followed a fairly well travelled path to the edge of the canyon. We saw the upper part of Colorful Canyon (must return someday to see more!) just before we arrived at Sidestep Canyon.
The trail followed the southern edge of the canyon for a good distance before finally petering out at a side canyon. We could see a couple possible ways down into the canyon, all quite steep and sketchy-looking. There was one obvious better way down beyond the side canyon, but we opted to turn back at that point. We did get into the upper part of the canyon before heading back to the truck. This ended up being just over 7 miles of hiking with about 560 feet of climbing and descending.

That night we camped at White House Campground, saw a beautiful sunset, and had a good view of the Milky Way. The next morning, we packed up and headed north on Cottonwood Canyon Road in GSENM to visit The Box of the Paria River and Red Top. We had been to a nearby and better-known area called Yellow Rock years ago and I had noticed this large obvious red outcropping to the south and had wanted to return. Today was the day! We hiked from the truck for a short distance to the river and then were in and out of the meandering flow (it was less than 6 inches deep in most places) for the next mile and a half, at which point we climbed out on a steep slope, ascending about 400 feet in less than a half mile.
After the climb, things got even more interesting – scenic views in every direction and oh so much color! Red, beige, orange, yellow, tan, colors without names, more yellow, and the various greens of the vegetation. It was an up and down cross-country hike the rest of the way to Red Top, and by this time I realized that someday I am going to need to get my knee replaced. The hike ended up being about 5.3 miles with 690 feet of ascent/descent. I suffered most of the way back to the car, but it was worth it for the scenery we saw.

The Vermilion Cliffs National Monument and nearby parts of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument offer a stunning variety of scenery and hiking opportunities. In Vermilion Cliffs, we drove about 50 miles and barely scratched the surface, passing by many scenic outcrops that beg to be explored. In Grand Staircase we merely explored the edge of a monument that covers over 1.8 million acres. If you need to get away from civilization, these are the places for you! During the hikes we took on this trip, we did not encounter a single hiker, with the exception of my short time at White Pocket. The scenery was just as dramatic, and even more so in spots, and the photographic possibilities were endless. There is so much to see in both monuments that I am already planning my next trip to explore even more seldom-seen spots.
Need to Know
Information
General information on Vermilion Cliffs National Monument can be found here. These areas are isolated with no services. The roads are difficult to drive on. You can check conditions before driving – the park service has three nearby ranger stations: The Paria Contact Station, the Big Water Visitor Center, and the Kanab Visitor Center. Cell phone coverage is spotty. We took extra water, extra food, spare tires, and supplies to help get our vehicle unstuck.
Best Time to Go
Spring and fall offer temperatures that are more moderate and comfortable than summer. Summers can be brutally hot (my first trip to the Wave many years ago was on July 4th when it was nearly 100 degrees). Winters can be cold, with occasional snow. I have not yet visited in the winter, but have seen photos of the area with snow, and it looks amazing!
Getting There
From Page, AZ go west on Highway 89 approximately 36 miles, or from Kanab, UT go east approximately 39 miles on Highway 89, then turn south on House Rock Road. Drive approximately 20 miles to Pine Tree Road which heads east onto the plateau (there is a corral on the west side of the road at the intersection). House Rock Road is usually passable by any vehicle, but can become impassable after rain or snow. If you are coming from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, go north to Highway 89a at Jacob Lake, then turn right onto 89a, drive about 14 miles to House Rock Road then turn left and go north to Pine Tree Road.
Maps and Books
National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map #859 (Paria Canyon, Kanab) and Trails Illustrated Map #714 (Grand Staircase Paunsaugunt Plateau) cover all the areas driven and hiked in this article. Individual USGS topographic maps are also available: For the parts of the Paria Plateau that we travelled on this trip: Poverty Flat, Wrather Arch, One Toe Ridge, and The Big Sink. For Sidestep Canyon: Nipple Butte and Lower Coyote Springs. For help planning your trip to and from the trailhead as well as exploring other destinations in the area, the Delorme Arizona Atlas & Gazetteer and the Utah Road & Recreation Atlas from Benchmark Maps can be useful.
For Red Top: Calico Peak and Fivemile Valley. The Paria Plateau is discussed in depth in Hiking and Exploring the Paria River by Michael R. Kelsey and is a great source of information, including the roads, the sights, and the history of Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. Also included in the book are areas from Bryce Canyon to the south through the western parts of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in Issue 52 of TrailGroove Magazine. You can read the original article here for additional photos and content.