Should I wear long sleeves or short sleeves hiking in the desert?

Long sleeves win in direct desert sun. A UPF 50+ sun hoody covers more skin than sunscreen alone can protect reliably, breathes better than cotton in dry heat, and wicks sweat. Short sleeves work fine in the morning shade but leave you burning on exposed ridges or midday trail. Most experienced desert hikers wear long-sleeve sun hoodies year-round.

Can I wear shorts hiking in the desert?

Yes, with caveats. Shorts work fine on maintained trails without dense cactus. On brushy desert trails with cholla, prickly pear, or scrub vegetation, long lightweight pants protect your legs from spines and scrapes. Lightweight nylon hiking pants in desert terrain are cooler than most people expect because direct sun doesn't hit your skin.

What kind of hat is best for desert hiking?

A wide-brim hat with at least a 3-inch brim all the way around. Baseball caps leave your ears and neck exposed — exactly where sun damage accumulates. Sun hoodies with hoods help, but a proper wide-brim hat shades your face better. Tilley, Sunday Afternoons, and Outdoor Research make solid options at different price points.

What should I NOT wear desert hiking?

Cotton is the main one. It holds sweat, takes forever to dry, and offers no UV protection. Dark colors absorb more heat — not a dealbreaker but worth avoiding when lighter options exist. Sandals or open-toe shoes are a bad idea in Sonoran Desert terrain: cholla cactus, sharp rock, and uneven ground make foot protection non-negotiable.

What to Wear Hiking in the Desert: A Complete Guide

Cotton kills in the desert. Not literally — but it makes a hard day significantly worse and a bad day dangerous. The moisture sits against your skin, evaporation slows, and chafing starts within the first mile. Everything else you need to know about desert clothing follows from that one fact.

The Top Half: Sun Hoody

The best single clothing decision for desert hiking is a UPF 50+ sun hoody. A good one covers your arms, wrists, and collar with fabric rated to block 98%+ of UV radiation. That’s more reliable than sunscreen, which needs to be reapplied every 2 hours on sweating skin — something most hikers don’t actually do.

Lightweight sun hoodies breathe surprisingly well in dry desert heat. The Patagonia Capilene Cool Sun Hoody and the Outdoor Research Echo Hoodie are the two we’d recommend without hesitation — both have been tested on summer Sonoran Desert trails. The full comparison is in our best sun hoodies for desert hiking guide.

The Bottom Half

For most desert trails, lightweight nylon or polyester hiking pants or shorts both work. The choice depends on trail type.

Shorts are fine on clear, maintained trails — Sabino Canyon, Saguaro East Loop Road, Romero Ruins. Once you’re on brushy cross-country terrain or any trail with dense cholla or prickly pear, long pants are the better call. A single cholla spine through the shin is enough to end a hike early.

The best hiking pants for desert conditions are lightweight (under 7 oz), quick-drying, and loose enough to allow full stride. REI Sahara Pants and Prana Stretch Zion Pants are the two that consistently hold up across multiple desert seasons.

Footwear

Trail runners and light hiking boots are the two options worth considering.

Trail runners (Salomon Speedcross, Brooks Cascadia, Altra Lone Peak) are lighter and more breathable. They’re the better choice on maintained trails with known surfaces. The tradeoff: less ankle protection, less defense against cactus spines through the mesh.

Hiking boots (Salomon X Ultra, Merrell Moab, HOKA Anacapa) weigh more but give better ankle support on rocky Sonoran Desert terrain and provide more protection against cactus and sharp rock. For beginners on unfamiliar trails, boots are the safer starting point.

Whatever you choose, wear them on at least two shorter hikes before committing to a longer desert outing. Blisters at mile 2 of a 6-mile trail are a worse problem in the desert than on a mountain trail with an easy turnaround.

Hat

A wide-brim hat is non-negotiable above 9am. Minimum 3-inch brim, all the way around. Baseball caps leave your ears, neck, and the sides of your face exposed — that’s where melanoma tends to develop after years of cumulative exposure.

The hat should be breathable enough to wear for 4–6 hours without soaking through. Tilley LTM6 Airflo is the go-to for serious desert hikers. Sunday Afternoons Adventure Hat is a solid step down in price without giving up much functionality.

The Rest

Sunglasses need to block 100% UVA and UVB. Polarized lenses reduce glare off reflective desert surfaces (quartz rock, water in canyon bottoms). Cheap sunglasses with no UV rating are worse than no sunglasses — the tinted lens dilates your pupils while providing zero UV protection.

Gaiters are optional but worth having for sandy desert trails, cactus-heavy terrain, or scree above 5,000 feet. Low-cut gaiters (like Dirty Girl Gaiters or Black Diamond Trail gaiters) keep sand and small debris out of your shoes without the heat of full-length gaiters.

Gloves aren’t typically needed for desert day hikes, but thin sun gloves protect hands on long exposed ridge hikes and are worth packing for early-spring mornings when temperatures start in the 40s.