Other Parks and Monuments of Utah

For those doing "The Tour" of Utah's Five  National Parks, this is a good all-around guide. It gives several itineraries and covers things to do in each park as well as numerous side trips.  

This resource provides great introductory material on equipment, useful phone apps, night photography, and general preparedness for a photographic sojourn in Arches National Park. It includes very specific advice on seven different areas such as Balanced Rock and the Delicate Arch, making it a perfect companion alongside other Arches National Park books. Additionally, for those interested in exploring more, you might consider Bryce Canyon National Park reading to enhance your outdoor photography experience.

Classic book written in 1968 when Edward Abbey was a seasonal ranger.  Back then, Arches was still a National Monument, not becoming a National Park until 1972.   This book covers his experiences not only in the park but also in nearby areas.   Part good stories and part social and environmental commentary, it offers unique insights into the park service.

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Another excellent map from National Geographic. As a smaller park, the map really only takes up one side. The other side is filled with park information, listing several hiking trails, the area's geology, how the arches were formed, natural history, and other general park details.

The geology of southern Utah is explored through 33 sites that cover all the major parks in Utah - Zion, Bryce, Arches, Canyonland, and Capitol Reef, as well as numerous other locations.  The geology of each location is explained in easy-to-read language with numerous pictures and illustrations. 

This book details seven hikes in Arches as well as thirteen others in the area including Goblin Valley State Park and Horseshoe Canyon areas.  The guide books gives a decent overview of hiking in the areas as part of the introduction.  Particularly good is the detail on the "Ten Essentials" which should be carried on every hike.   Arches hikes include Delicate Arch and Devil's Garden as well as several other popular destinations.

A book full of beautiful photography. An older book, generally only available used, it covers the park's geology and how the arches were formed. Other sections cover the plants and animals of the area, as well as the archaeology, modern exploration, and settlement.

A general guide to a large area of southeast Utah. Numerous hikes, scenic drives, and "driveable landmarks" are detailed. Areas covered include Natural Bridges, Mule Canyon, and the Buttes. The book also has lots general informaiton on the area and how to recreate responsibly. 

This book covers the history of human habitation in the area from the Anasazi (the author very specifically uses this term) to modern day. In addition to discussing the area's uniqueness and the challenges it faces, this work is a valuable resource for anyone interested in southern Utah's parks and monuments

Colorado Mountain Club guides are well researched and printed in full color .  This guide covers 25 hikes in the vast Bears Ears area ranging from easy to challenging multi-day trips.  The introductory material is about 45 pages and is very thorough about the risks of hiking in the area given the remoteness of the area and the challenges of the environment. 

In twelve chapters and nearly four hundred pages, this book covers the human history of the Bears Ears.  Starting with mammoth hunters and working through Chaco culture and into modern times, the book is very thorogh in its coverage.  It includes eight pages of references and additonal reading at the end of the book.  It won a prize  for non-fiction.

Due to their proximity, the Zion National Park page features several books that provide substantial information on Bryce Canyon National Park reading, as well as insights from Arches National Park books.

Bryce Canyon is on the smaller side as far as western national parks go, so this map has considerably more information than most. Aside from a more detailed small map of the Amphitheater, the entire back of the map is filled with park information such as trails, natural history, geology, and other general details.

This naturalist guide covers not just Zion, but the entire Colorado Plateau, making it a valuable resource alongside other Arches National Park books. After a short introduction covering the area's geology and ecology, details on the plants and animals native to the area begin. There is also an interesting section on soil and its biology, which complements the Bryce Canyon National Park reading.

This little book of hikes includes eight hikes in Bryce Canyon - all of them are rated moderate or strenuous. It also includes easier hikes in three other areas: Dixie National Forest, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and Kodachrome Basin State Park. In total, there are 17 hikes with maps in this book. It also has some general information on hiking in the area and the geology of Bryce Canyon. 

A more thorough hiking guide with 64 hikes in these two parks. There are 12 hikes in Arches - the rest being in the various units of Canyonlands. There are 20 in the Islands in the Sky district, 22 in the Needles district, with the rest  and 9 spread across the other areas of the park. The hikes range from the very short and very easy to challenging day and multi-day hikes.

A pocket sized guide to twenty hikes in the Canyonlands NP - mostly in the Needles and Island in the Sky districts.  The hikes range from short easy hikes to difficult hikes exceeding ten miles.  The author covers the basics of desert hiking and has a nice couple of pages with tips on photographing this amazing area.

Canyonlands is the largest national park in Utah at over 520 square miles. This map is on a smaller scale than many others. In fact, there are three other maps for the different units of the park that are on a larger scale with more detail.  This map covers all the park and still squeezes in a couple of panels of basic park information. 

Given Canyonlands' size, this map pack helps break it down into more manageable parts. Three maps cover the different districts: Island in the Sky, Needles, and The Maze. These are all on a scale of 1:37,500, which is twice the level of detail of the map that covers the entire park.

A really good guide to photographing three of the Big Five parks of Utah.  Each park has a map with locations noted on it. Each location has tips related to timing, camera setup, and composition as well as brief description of how to get there if it is not near the road.  There is also some general information on photography techniques.

Six chapters of author Craig Child's adventures in Canyonlands National Park.  The book showcases the highlights of the area - its geology, remoteness, and archeology.  Also of note, this is a double book - one side was the print version.  The reverse is a reproduction of the journal Childs recorded his thoughts and illustrations in.  

This is an older, large-format book that has beautiful photography. The book covers the geology of the different districts. It also covers the flora and fauna of the region, as well as the history of human habitation and exploration.

Probably the least known and visited of the Utah parks, this guide is dedicated to the park itself, offering insights that complement popular Arches National Park books. There is little to no coverage of gateway towns, lodging, or dining options. However, it does provide excellent information on scenic drives and hikes, as well as details on the history and ecology of the park, making it a perfect companion for those who also enjoy Bryce Canyon National Park reading.

This medium-sized park is mapped at 1:75,000 scale, which provides some detail but not enough for backcountry hiking.  It does show numerous 4-wheel drive trails that crisscross the park. The map shows several hiking trails, most clustered around the visitor center. All the trails are under five miles and most under two.  The map does have some other informatoin such a geologic profile and a list of road tours.

For those interested in generally shorter and less intense hikes.  This book covers 22 hikes around the park.  Most of the hikes are clustered around the Fruita area.   Four of the hikes are in more remote areas such as Cathedral district.  These are might be easy for experienced hikers, but are not for the casual hiker.  The vast majority are less than five miles with a few a short as a mile or less.  Note, just because these are shorter, they can involve some physical effort due to elevation g

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is another huge monument in southern Utah.  At almost 2 million acres, there is an abundant opportunity for recreation here.  This book covers 25 hikes from easy hikes of a few miles to multi-day treks.  The introductory material covers hiking essentials, leave no trace, and the history and geology of the area.

Located in southeast Utah and southwest Colorado, Hovenweep NM contains thousands of archeological sites.  This hiking guide, while focused on Mesa Verde does contain three hikes at Hovenweep - two easy and one moderate.  The author does a great job on the introductory section and on the trail narrative.