25 mile backpacking trip ideas needed

mtthwlw

mtthwlw

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Joined
Jan 18, 2013
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Hey all,
I've been given some great advice here in the past, so I'd like to pick your collective brains for ideas on backpacking with tweens.

I'm looking for ~25 mile backpacking trip ideas for taking my 12 and 13 year old daughters on this coming summer.

The 12 year old hiked the West Rim Trail as an over-nighter last year with my wife (14 miles mostly down hill) and the 13 year old hiked 42 miles with me over 3 days on Cedar Mountain last year-also mostly all down hill although it didn't feel like it.
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I'm interested in doing one 25 miler with both daughters this year. Anywhere in Utah or within close driving distance to Southern Utah could be considered. I'd like it to be a three day trip with water available along the route.

I've considered hiking over Pine Valley Mountain on the Whipple Trail to Wet Sandy and down into Toquerville (where we live) for a memorable trip closer to home, but I'd also enjoy hiking along the Wasatch or, really, anywhere.

We can go any time from late May through the end of July.

Ideas?

Thanks in advance.
 
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Such a broad range of possibilities. Do you have a preference between mountain or desert landscapes? Or how busy the route is?
 
No. I'm open to any suggested terrain. The only catch is, I'd like it to not be strenuous hiking all three days. One tough day would be fine, but three would probably make it miserable for the girls. Also, we wouldn't mind taking the dog with us, but we're fine leaving him if we need to.

As far as how busy the route is- I don't want to hear others while I camp, but otherwise I don't mind seeing a few people along the way.
 
Well I find that desert backpacking is usually less strenuous than mountains. What about something like Coyote Gulch? That's some pretty epic scenery, pretty easy and a nice 22-ish mile loop with options to extend. Nothing but unique terrain for the whole hike. I don't have kids, but I know that always makes me more stoked about a hike.

The Death Hollow point-to-point from air strip to Hwy 12 is just a bit longer, but a whole lot tougher. Lots of hot sand slogging on the way out to the bridge that kids might not enjoy. But that's one of my old favorites.

A point-to-point just doing the upper Escalante from town to bridge is super easy and nice if you can arrange the shuttle. Not hard with the option of hiring one in Escalante or hitchhiking back to town. That's 17 miles one-way with water along the entire route. Easy to add-on mileage in Death Hollow and Sand Creek as desired. Hardly any elevation change.

Further north, in the Uintas, a hike up West Fork Black's Fork through Buck Pasture and on to the Dead Horse Lake cirque is quite nice. Significant elevation change but somehow it doesn't feel like it. It's so very gradual and the views are outstanding all along the way. It has always seemed a thousand times easier to me than just about any other drainage in that range.

I've often thought about doing the Under The Rim point-to-point in Bryce which could be nice in the summer.
 
coyote gulch was the first thing that came to my mind also. but it might be hot between may and july.

hiking through hop valley in zion, and past the kolob canyons is one of the nicest hikes i've done there, but again it might not be as nice may or later. i went in march and thought it was great.

there are a huge number of options in the uintas that others here can give better advice regarding than i can.
 
King's Peak is a fun bucket list hike, I'd come in from the north, up Henry's Fork (easier route) just don't camp at dollar lake (it can be crowded there), in that valley there are several other lakes that are far less visited. Camp a bit away from any lake to limit mosquitos if you're up there in June/July. You can make a base camp and then snag the summit on day two with only day packs, then pack out on day three.
If you could go later in the year I'd suggest Fullers Bottom along the bottom of San Rafael Swell about 18 miles point to point, a gentle down slope the whole way, several doable river crossings.( October for that hike).
 
Grand Gulch.
 
Thanks everyone. I'll look at these options. I hadn't thought much about the hike below the rim at Bryce.
I'm also pretty interested in hiking upper Escalante. Sounds like just the right distance if we add some.
Thanks for the ideas. I love this site!
 
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