Sound of Silence Trail

The Sound of Silence Trail is the second hike to take in Dinosaur National Monument. For an excellent introduction to desert ecology and issues affecting the desert, take the Desert Voices Trail first. The two trails are connected, so they can be done as a single loop from either of the trailheads for a 4.7-mile hike.

For its length, the Sound of Silence Trail gives a great introduction to some of the unique topography of the Utah desert. Following the trail markers clockwise, the trail starts out up a typical wash for the first mile, generally following the bottom but occasionally winding above on one side or the other, revealing an ever-changing panorama of rock formations and colors. At the far west end the trail takes a turn to the right and climbs up through a very interesting maze of red hills that seem to never end. At the top the route continues east on a high ridge with great views to the north and then over to the south side for different vistas. Finally, climbing down the last section is a good introduction to Utah slickrock hiking and light rock scrambling. This is a great hike for kids that are old enough to enjoy navigating the terrain.