Picture this. You begin the hike on the wide and well-maintained West Rim Trail. It follows the river and then crosses the bottom of the canyon, surrounded by 270-million-year-old layers of rock. Relaxing, right? Just wait for it. The trail then starts to climb via a series of switchbacks leading up the side of the mountain. Then more switchbacks: 21 tighter turns, called “Walter’s Wiggles,” where elevation levels rapidly increase. Your heartbeat is probably rapidly increasing at this point, too.
On top of Walter’s Wiggles, you can stop for a stunning view (perhaps with a marriage proposal) and a restroom stop while you contemplate the final stretch of the hike. If you’re afraid of heights, it’s best to turn back now. The last stretch is the real test of bravery.
Tag: Utah
To find the quietest road in each US state, Geotab gathered the latest available (2015) traffic count data from the Highway Performance Monitoring System. Quietness was calculated as the annual average daily traffic, and routes with the lowest in each state were deemed the quietest. The data covers Interstates, US Routes, and State Routes over 10 miles long.
The most scenic routes listed are subjective and the opinion of landscape photographer James Q Martin.