In preparing for Spring Break, I was conflicted. I wanted to go to the desert, and I wanted to backpack. In the end, my mother-in-law agreed to backpack the Syncline Loop in Canyonlands. The loop drops down into the bottom of a canyon, circles some interesting geological formations then climbs right back out to the top of the canyon. The trip does require a permit, because it is in the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands. There's reliable water near the campsite, too.
Yep! My mother-in-law is pretty rad!