Southwestern Utah has been on our radar for a while. We decided that this was the year to explore the state and national parks. We stopped at scenic views along 1-70 on our way to Southern Utah.
My good law school friend Maureen lives near Zion National Park, and we got to stay with her for a weekend. On our way to her house from Las Vegas, we stopped in Snow Canyon State Park for some hiking. We chose a moderate 3-mile loop that took us on several different trails. Navigating the park is easy because the trails are marked and well-maintained.
The next day we drove to Bryce Canyon. Henry is technically in 4th grade this year, so we have the 4th grade national park pass that gets us into the national parks for free. It was a two-hour drive from Maureen’s house, but it was worth it. On the drive to Bryce Canyon, we saw beautiful fall colors and majestic mountains. Along the way, we stopped at Cedar Breaks National Monument. It is a Natural amphitheater near Cedar City that is 3-miles wide and 2,000 feet deep. We stopped at a scenic viewpoint over 10,000 feet above sea level.
When we arrived at Bryce Canyon, we opted to park at the shuttle stop just outside the park. The parking spots in the park fill up, so the shuttle is a great alternative to driving. It comes about every 10
minutes and makes several stops throughout the park. We took the shuttle to Bryce Point, the furthest shuttle stop from the entrance. Then we did a 4-mile hike into the Canyon and back up to Sunset Point (another stop on the shuttle route)
Looking over into Bryce Canyon for the first time is incredible. It is unlike anything we have ever seen before. It is full of hoodoos (irregular columns of rock). Bryce Canyon has the largest concentration of hoodoos than anywhere else on Earth. Each turn around a corner elicits more ooohs and aaahs than the last.
On our last day in Utah, we went to Zion National Park. We hiked 8 miles through the canyon. We did not hike the Narrows this time, but we plan to do it next time we visit Zion.
We only just scratched the surface of hiking in southern Utah. Utah should be a top travel destination for anyone who loves the outdoors.
