Mark and I vacationed ‘out west’ about 20 years ago and we visited the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks. Two things stuck with me from that trip: (a) Zion National Park is my hands-down-all-time-favorite National Park and (b) hiking the Zion Narrows catapulted to the top of my bucket list. On our recent trip, I was able to confirm that (a) is still relevant and we completed a hike in the Zion Narrows that exceeded all expectations!

Bryce Canyon

After our slot canyon adventures in Escalante – Grand Staircase National Monument, we drove to Bryce Canyon National Park. Our original plan was to backpack in the canyon with Bob and Garrett; however, overnight temperatures were projected to be in the 20s. Instead, we secured one of the last spots in the Bryce Canyon campground.

Bryce Canyon has the most hoodoos in the entire world and the Navajo Loop trail winds through rock formations that are up to 10 stories tall! We hiked the 3 mile loop hike at sunset and then we watched a giant moon rise over the canyon. It struck us that there weren’t any man made structures in our line of sight; we could only see the beautiful rock formations and the twilight sky!

(click on any picture to open the gallery and read the captions)

Zion Narrows

Although the drive from Bryce Canyon to Zion National Park takes less than 3 hours, we allotted an entire day for travel. We needed to arrive in Springdale, Utah by early afternoon to secure our Zion Narrows camping permit as well as rent gear for our upcoming hike. The Zion Narrows is literally a 16 mile hike in the Virgin River. During our visit in mid-October, the river temperature was dropping into the 50s. A local outfitter provided us with drysuits, neoprene socks, boots and a walking stick. Mark and I joked that we looked like The Wonder Twins (super heroes from the 1970s)!

The morning of our hike in the Zion Narrows went like this:

• 5:00 AM – alarm goes off
• 6:00 AM – board hired shuttle to the trailhead
• 6:49 AM – scream like a banshee when a deer runs in front of the shuttle (the deer was fine but our driver may have permanent hearing damage)
• 7:15 AM – shuttle drop off at Chamberlain’s Ranch Trailhead
• 7:15 AM – 7:45 AM – finalize backpack situation, go to the bathroom no less than 3 times (for fear of needing to pee while in the Wonder Twins outfit) and put on the drysuit
• 7:45 AM – 9:00 AM – cross a small creek and then hike 3 miles on a dirt road
• 9:11 AM – toes are in the Virgin River to start our hike in the Zion Narrows!

The scenery in this park is nothing short of amazing. The 1,000-foot high sandstone cliffs tower over the landscape and the fall foliage added to the surrounding beauty. Hiking in the vast canyon carved by the Virgin River was an incomparable and indescribable experience. It was so easy to fall into the trap of looking around at the beautiful scenery; however, the river walking was downright difficult. First of all, there was a constant fast moving current. Luckily, we were hiking with the current downstream, but it was quite strong in places and required concentration to stay upright! Another challenge was the footing placement because we were walking on boulders for the majority of the hike. It was almost like walking on bowling balls! While the majority of the rocks weren’t slippery, they had all been smoothed by the rushing water and they moved around quite easily!

We hiked 10 miles to our campsite (#8) on our first day, quickly hung our clothes to dry, inhaled some dinner and were in our tents and asleep by 7:30!

We hiked past the named ‘highlights’ on Day 2 including Big Springs, Wallstreet, Floating Rock and Mystery Falls. While we had the river to ourselves on Day 1, it was interesting to see the influx of people as we made our way further down the river. You see, an alternate option is to start ‘at the bottom’ and do an out-and-back day hike. The river grew busier the closer we hiked to the southern end of the trail.

I have never tackled a hike like this and it could very well be the hardest hike I have ever completed. The unstable footing, the continuous current and the cold water temperature were all contributors. While it was challenging and mentally exhausting, it was definitely one of the most rewarding and beautiful hikes I have ever done.

Bob presented our trip to Solar Outdoors and provided background information on the area, more pictures and video footage of our antics. If you are interested in learning more about our trip to Escalante, Bryce and the Zion Narrows, then I encourage you to watch this Zoom recording:
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/tw2O0Vo4C-0KKokWlvc0hFhXVjuFRpFOw6VH2F1bm_J-JL6plbLByS8G3AZ7dDmX.Tlcp4SWvhCF_yWOk (Passcode: 1#i^f$g0)

Zion Narrows Day 1

Zion Narrows Day 2

Angels Landing and the Pa’rus Trail

Kolob Canyon

After Bob and Garrett returned to Michigan, Mark and I explored a bit more in Zion NP. Notably, at the northwest corner of the park is an area named Kolob Canyon. This area can only be reached by exiting the ‘main’ park and driving 45 minutes. Needless to say, this area is much less visited and we enjoyed a quiet hike to the Kolob Arch. Kolob Arch is the second longest spanning arch in the world (behind Landscape Arch in Arches National Park).

Exploring this area of the park provided great views of sandstone formations without the throngs of people. This area also has overlooks, pull offs and short hikes to fantastic viewpoints. For those seeking some adventure, there are backpacking routes that include both Kolob Canyon and Zion Canyon with water sources along the way. If you find yourself in Zion, I would recommend a trip to this less-visited area of the park!

Summary of Our Time In Utah

We spent 31 days in Utah and, seemingly, have a longer list of ‘things to do’ for our return trip than we had when we started! I initially underestimated Utah, because, seriously, how many rocks can a girl really handle? But we saw so much more than rocks during our time in this gorgeous state!

• Salt Lake City is a great town. In addition to having a multitude of hiking opportunities around every corner, the ability to bike most anywhere was a fantastic surprise. The downtown area was brimming with history, clean, and felt safe. We spent 6 days here and could easily return to spend more time.
• We stayed in the small towns of Moab, Escalante and Kanab. All were quaint cities with small, independent businesses. In fact, once we left Salt Lake City, we didn’t see a Target until somewhere in Arizona!
• We experienced multiple slot canyons in Escalante – Grand Staircase National Monument and left several unexplored. The beauty of that area is unmatched and was like nothing I had ever seen.
• We viewed dinosaur tracks, petroglyphs and pictographs galore! Heck, we even learned the difference between petroglyphs (carved into the rock) and pictographs (painted on the rock)!
• The ‘Mighty 5’ National Parks (Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce and Zion) are each amazing in their own right
  • Despite the crowds (anyone remember ‘unbalanced rock’?), we were able to find solitude and enjoy the spectacular formations at Arches National Park. Our advice is to arrive in the park early!
  • Canyonlands is a massive park with great opportunities for hiking, backpacking and 4-wheeling. There are points of interest and overlooks too, but our time hiking in the Needles area has been a true highlight of our trip.
  • Capitol Reef is a geologic wonder. If you visit, then do yourself a favor and go to the Ranger-led geology talk. It will help you understand and appreciate why this park is a big deal. Also, if you visit in the summer, then you will have the opportunity to pick fruit from century-old orchards and you always have the chance to eat pie! It’s a win-win!
  • The hoodoos in Bryce Canyon are simply stunning. There are several trails that will take you into the ‘heart of it all’; however, the view is just as beautiful from the rim of the canyon looking into the formations.
  • The high sandstone walls in Zion National Park continue to amaze me. Undoubtedly, we will return again to this magical place. If you visit, then I highly recommend a drive to the Kolob Canyon area in addition to the trails along the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. Of course, the Zion Narrows were breathtaking and magnificent and should be on any adventurer’s bucket list (besides, who wouldn’t want to hike across bowling balls in 50 degree water while looking like a 1970s super hero?)!

I hope you are having a wonderful week and preparing to spend time with family and friends over the holidays! We are discussing 2022 travel plans and I hope our paths cross somewhere along the way!

Sending all the best for a joyous holiday season – Debbie and Mark