We weren’t exactly sure if we’d make it to Zion National Park since we had reservations in the Grand Canyon at Phantom Ranch. However, we had a couple days left before we needed to be there, so we ended up getting to see the highlights at this amazing place. I definitely want to check it out again to do back country camping and hike much further. We arrived around 4pm through the east entrance. Considering the later time,…
Another Utah park means more rock formations! With 2 million visitors every year, Bryce Canyon, is one of the most popular parks in the country. It is known for it’s “hoo doos” which were really beautiful. These are created by canyon walls or “fins” that erode into windows or arches, and finally, collapse into hoo doos! The water also plays a part here with it’s freeze-thaw cycles; it goes from freezing temps to water overnight over 200 days a year,…
After Arches, we headed to the next Utah National Park; Capitol Reef, which is in the city of Fruita. Besides beautiful rock formations (like every park in Utah) this park is also an important Mormon pioneer historical site. We arrived around sunset again (I told you, we’re on a good groove of sunsets and mornings at the parks!) and we drove the Scenic Drive. This was simply stunning – the rock formations here are more layered with various colors…
Mike and I were in a pretty good rhythm at this point – visit a park in the morning, drive or do something indoors during the day, and then visit a park in the late afternoon and evening. This helps avoid the heat and the summer crowds. After Canyonlands, we headed to Moab which is where Arches National Park is located too. As we drove by in the afternoon, it was pretty obvious that Arches is one of the most…
Canyonlands National Park has three sections; Island in the Sky, the Needles, and the Maze. These sections are separated by the Colorado and Green River and there is no way to access the different sections unless you leave the park. Island in the Sky is the most popular (i.e the most crowded) due to its proximity to Moab, while the Needles is the next most visited section, and the Maze is extremely remote and has limited visitors due to it mostly…