Summer in America’s Desert Southwest can be brutal and even dangerously hot, but that doesn’t stop tourists from visiting. After all, summer is when most families have the best chances to take vacations, and it’s when many people from other countries are on holiday.
For outdoor activity, it’s best to pursue short objectives early and late in the day and then keep out of the heat during the middle of the day, but what if you want to do more?
Here are some places and ways to keep things cool, literally, in some of the best of our national parks and other public lands.
The Panamint Range– Death Valley National Park, California
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Temperatures at Badwater Basin, the lowest point in the Northern Hemisphere, can exceed 130 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the Panamint Range across the valley has peaks ranging from 9,000 to over 11,000’ in elevation.
For every 1000’ you ascend, temperatures drop by about three degrees, so do the math. In the Panamints, you have two hiking options: Telescope Peak at 11,049’ and Wildrose Peak at 9,066’. If you hike the former at sunrise, you might actually want a jacket!
Lamoille Canyon– Ruby Mountains, Nevada
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The Rubies, near Elko, are an alpine island in the parched desert that covers most of Nevada. Lamoille Canyon provides vehicle access high into these mountains where snow can linger for most of the summer. Trails get you even higher to beautiful mountain lakes and mountain passes.
Great Basin National Park, Nevada
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The Snake Range is another “sky island,” and it’s higher than the Rubies are. Great Basin National Park includes most of the range. Hike to a mountain lake and take a dip, trek to the summit of 13,065’ Wheeler Peak, or go on a tour of the caverns here known as the Lehman Caves.
Lava Point and West Rim– Zion National Park, Utah
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Lava Point is the highest road-accessible point in Zion. There’s a campground there, and it’s also the upper end of the West Rim Trail, one of the park’s most scenic and which descends to the floor of Zion Canyon. Using a shuttle, start this trail early in the day when temperatures are cool, and by the time the lower areas are roasting, you’ll be down in the shade of Zion Canyon.
The Narrows– Zion National Park, Utah
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One of the best and most unique hikes in our national parks is the Virgin River Narrows, where the river is the trail and you hike through a narrow canyon with towering walls. Most people do the Narrows as an out-and-back hike from the Temple of Sinawava, where the road up Zion Canyon ends. In summer, you have to use the free shuttle system to get there.
The Subway– Zion National Park, Utah
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The Subway is in the park’s Kolob Terraces area. It’s similar to the Narrows but narrower, shadier, colder, and a little more challenging. Parts are very much like traveling through a tube. Hiking the Subway requires a permit, and they can be hard to get.
Technical Slot Canyons– Zion National Park, Utah
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If you like the whole getting-wet thing in the park’s canyons and want some more adventure, try one of the park’s technical slot canyons. These require specialized gear, and rappels and swims will be mandatory.
Commercial guiding isn’t allowed in the park, but you can buy or rent gear in Springdale (or go on guided trips outside the park). Two of the easiest Zion technical slots to access are Pine Creek Canyon and Keyhole Canyon, both on the east side.
Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
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Parts of Bryce Canyon get over 9000’ in elevation, so when the low areas of Zion are in the 90s or triple digits, temps at Bryce will often be 15-20 degrees cooler. This will make a longer hike through the famous amphitheater here a pretty pleasant experience, and the nights get cold.
Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah
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Cedar Breaks is geologically similar to Bryce Canyon and is even higher, exceeding 10,000’. Close by the park’s northern entrance, actually literally across the road, is Brian Head, a peak over 11,000’ in altitude. A road leads to the summit.
Buckskin Gulch, Utah
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Buckskin Gulch is a slot canyon with one of the longest continual stretches of narrows in the world. There are a few different ways to access it, but the easiest and most popular is via Wire Pass near Kanab.
Buckskin is so narrow that its floor only gets sunlight during the brief period each day when the sun is directly overhead, so it stays a lot cooler than the surrounding desert does. It’s usually dry, but if you’re going the whole length, be aware that there is a permanent spot of water called the Cesspool that you’ll have to swim or wade through.
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah
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Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River filled some pristine canyons and created Glen Canyon Lake. Although created as a reservoir, the lake is open to swimming and boating and has several places to camp and get supplies.
Grand Canyon North Rim, Arizona
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The North Rim is a long drive to get to, and it’s a good 1000’ higher than the South Rim is and much more forested, so it’s a good deal cooler as well. It’s only open late spring through early fall most years due to heavy winter snowfall. If you’re camping here, have cool-weather sleeping bags; it gets cold here at night, sometimes below freezing.
Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico
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Above ground, this national park is arid peaks and desert, but it stays cool underground all year. Carlsbad Caverns is also among the relatively few caverns where you can go on self-guided tours. At sunset, as the temperature starts to fall, you can gather at the amphitheater to watch swarms of bats emerge to go feasting on insects throughout the night.
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