New trail opens in Utah

A pair of veteran outdoorsmen have founded a new, long-distance hiking trail across the Southwest canyonlands and released a guidebook this month to help people navigate it.

Named after a character in Edward Abbey’s “The Monkey Wrench Gang,” the 810-mile Hayduke Trail traverses Zion, Grand Canyon and Arches national parks in Utah and northern Arizona. The undesignated path follows trails, unpaved roads, cattle and game routes, ridges and washes.

“With the exception of Moab, our trail does not pass through or even near a town,” says coauthor Mike Coronella.

The book “The Hayduke Trail” (University of Utah Press; 288 pages, 119 maps, 65 photos; $19.95) is expected to reach stores this week.

-- Scott Doggett