Desert hiking is a blast! From the orange hoodoos of Bryce Canyon and the colorful badlands of Petrified Forest to the red rocks of Sedona and the slot canyons of Page, there is so much incredible diversity to discover in the desert.
And the best way to explore the desert? By hiking!
While I’m a mountain girl through and through, the desert has become my second home. It’s not somewhere I’d want to live full-time, but I love venturing out there for a few weeks at a time to hike, camp, and explore the rugged landscapes.
So if you’re ready to embrace the scorching heat and the relentless sunshine and experience otherworldly landscapes, you’re in the right place. In this guide, I’m sharing eleven essential hiking tips, so you can stay safe and fully enjoy all the perks that come with hiking in this terrain.
11 Essential Desert Hiking Tips
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1. Wear Sun Protection
First and foremost, you’ll want to protect yourself from the harsh desert sunlight by wearing sun protection!
At the very minimum, I’d wear a light-colored, breathable sun hoodie, sunglasses, and sunscreen. But for additional protection, consider wearing UPF pants, a sun hat, or carrying a lightweight sun umbrella.
The umbrella has been a total game-changer for me for hiking in the sun and rain!
READ NEXT: What to Wear Hiking in the Summer (As a Woman)
2. Keep Your Eyes Peeled For Cairns
Hiking trails in the desert are marked differently than hiking trails in the mountains or forests. Since there are rarely trees to paint blazes on and rarely any soft ground to pound posts into, cairns and rock paths are typically used to mark trails in the desert.
Cairns are stacks of mismatched rocks – stacked from largest on the bottom to smallest on top – that help hikers navigate the trail.
Rock paths are lines of rocks on opposite sides of the path that are used to mark the direction of the trail.
Cairns and rock paths can be hard to find at first because they tend to blend into the landscape. (Not to mention, they sometimes get knocked down, blown over, or kicked over.) But once you spot a few, you’ll get the hang of it. I always try to spot another cairn up ahead before I continue, to make sure that I don’t get lost.
As always, download offline maps using an app like AllTrails or Gaia GPS to ensure that you stay on the trail at all times.
IMPORTANT NOTE: It might seem like you’re doing other hikers a favor if you assemble or move cairns, but this is NOT allowed. Only park rangers, staff, and official volunteers are allowed to assemble and disassemble cairns.
READ NEXT: How to Avoid Getting Lost on Trails
3. Pack Electrolytes & Salty Snacks
Did you know that you lose electrolytes when you sweat? And if you overhydrate with water (which we tend to do in the desert!), the electrolytes in your body can become dangerously low.
So since you’ll be drinking a lot more water in the desert, and you’ll be sweating profusely, it’s important to replenish your electrolytes.
To replenish your electrolytes, you can bring powdered electrolyte drink mixes or tablets that dissolve in water. You can also consume foods like pretzels, chips, and trail mix because salty snacks help your body retain water.
PRO TIP: Have a separate bottle for your electrolytes so that your water bottle or hydration bladder stays clean.
READ NEXT: LMNT Vs. Liquid IV: Which Is Best For Hiking?
4. Pick Trails With Some Shade and Water
Do your research ahead of time to ensure you are hiking trails with shade and/or water. Having these two things on the trail will make your desert hike much more tolerable.
If you’re hiking in constant sun with no shade relief, you’ll find yourself slowing down and your energy draining.
If you hike in an area with no water, you’ll have to carry in all your water, which can get pretty heavy. Especially since you’ll be drinking more than you would on a “normal” hike with “normal” temperatures. And you will miss out on that refreshingly cold body of water to cool off in!
TIP: Call the nearest ranger station to get up-to-date information on water sources on and around the trail. Circle water sources on your map, and fill your bottle up using a filter when you come across sources.
READ NEXT: 5 Best Hikes in Joshua Tree National Park
5. Hike in the Spring and Fall
The best time of year to go hiking in the desert is the spring and fall.
Typically, summers in the desert bring scalding temperatures and relentless sunshine, and winters in the desert produce short days and surprisingly cold nights. The spring and fall “shoulder seasons” are that happy medium – comfortable, but still warm, days, and chilly, but not cold, nights.
BONUS: Desert National Parks like the Utah Mighty Five and Arizona National Parks are often less crowded in the spring and fall.
6. Stay Hydrated
Stay hydrated! Dehydration is one of the most common injuries that hikers fall victim to, especially in the desert.
Make sure you 1) bring enough water to get you through your hike and 2) you actually drink it!
Also, it’s important to note that water can be scarce in many parts of the desert, so even if you bring a water filter, you may not have anywhere to fill it up. Even if you’ve researched the trail, and there’s supposed to be a water source along the path somewhere, there’s a chance that it may have dried up.
Bring enough water for your hike (at least 32 ounces per hour of hot-weather hiking) and don’t rely on a water source unless you’ve contacted a ranger the day of your hike and confirmed that there was indeed running water on the trail.
READ NEXT: How to Keep Water Cold While Hiking
7. Watch Out For Prickly Cacti
In the desert, you won’t find many trees, but you will find lots of prickly plants. While there are a variety of spiky plants found in the desert, such as yucca, aloe, and agave, perhaps the most commonly spotted is the cactus.
Cacti come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, so you’ll likely come across some of these on your desert hike. And sometimes, cacti and other prickly plants/bushes, line the trails, so their spines could potentially scrape your skin or attach to your clothes.
One of the most “dangerous” cacti is the teddybear cholla. These are most famously found in Joshua Tree National Park in the Cholla Cactus Garden. These cacti are nicknamed “jumping cholla” because they easily stick to passersby’s clothing. And their spiky spines are incredibly difficult and painful to remove.
Basically, just watch your step, be aware of your surroundings, and of course, don’t touch the cacti!
8. Beware of Snakes & Other Dangerous Wildlife
While there may not be many bears in the desert, there are plenty of dangerous wildlife that you need to be aware of.
Some examples of wildlife you may find in the desert are foxes, Gila monsters, scorpions, snakes, bobcats, mountain lions, and coyotes.
Before your desert hike, research wildlife that is in the area you’ll be hiking so that you can watch out for them and know how to defend yourself should you need to.
9. Know the Signs of Heat Exhaustion
Heat exhaustion, along with dehydration, is one of the most common illnesses hikers succumb to in the desert.
Some signs of heat exhaustion are heavy sweating, clammy skin, nausea, muscle cramps, tiredness, dizziness, and headaches.
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, move to a cool or shaded location (if possible) and hydrate with water or electrolytes. If you aren’t feeling better, it’s okay to end your hike early. Never push yourself further than you think you can go.
10. Take Plenty of Breaks in the Shade
Since the sun will likely be beating down on you for the duration of your hike, it’s important to take frequent breaks in the shade.
Shade can be tricky to find in the desert so you’ll have to get creative in your searches. Even if it’s in the shadow of a boulder or beside a bush, you need to allow your body to cool down and re-energize.
11. Start Early
Depending on the time of year, the hottest part of the day is usually 10 AM – 5 PM. You’ll probably want to avoid hiking during these hours, especially in the summer.
A good way to avoid hiking the hottest part of the day is by starting early and hiking before sunrise. You could also start late and hike around sunset.
If you will be hiking mid-day, make sure to take plenty of breaks in the shade and hydrate often.
Going to be hiking in the dark? It’s not a bad option for hot desert hikes! Learn how to safely hike in the dark in my night hiking guide.
Discover Your Next Adventure
Where to next? I’ve got some suggestions! (And yes, they’re all in the desert!)
- Joshua Tree National Park
- Petrified Forest National Park
- Bryce Canyon National Park
- Death Valley National Park
- Zion National Park
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