Exploring Utah's National Parks

Toni and her husband Andy

​     
​    Before the pandemic hit we had plans to travel to Utah and see several National Parks.  As September rolled around we decided to go.  We flew on Delta and I can assure you that the planes were VERY clean, they followed all the guidelines recommended and every other seat was indeed empty.  Once arriving into Salt Lake City we rented a car (which had already been thoroughly cleaned) and took off.  First stop was Moab which was a 3-4 hour drive.  We stayed three nights so we would have the opportunity to visit three parks…Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park.  Moab was quiet and had loads of restaurants and shopping.  Several restaurants had seating restrictions and most shops had limited hours.  The parks were beautiful and we filled our days with hiking, hiking and more hiking.  The elevation is quite a bit higher than Florida so starting in Moab made sense; it was the lowest of the areas we stayed so we could acclimate as we went along.  You will find that these parks do not have restaurants and if they did they were closed due to the lack of visitors.  We stopped at a little Café on our way out of town each day and grabbed sandwiches and drinks to take along.  Take twice as much water as you think you’ll need. 

​Our second stop was the north rim of the Grand Canyon.  Having been there several years ago we appreciated the quiet and solitude of the north rim over the south rim.  This was a longer drive so we stopped at a couple of spots to sightsee along the way – Vermillion Cliffs and Navajo Bridge at Marble Canyon.  When entering the north rim area we started with the North Rim Scenic Drive which took us 23 miles to Cape Royal at the end.  We stopped at Angel’s View, Point Imperial (highest point in the entire park), Marble Canyon and we could even see the Colorado River.  We spent about 7-8 hours in the park (there was a small place for lunch) before heading to our next destination.

   Zion and Bryce National Parks were next.  We stayed in Duck Creek for two nights which we thought would be close to both but I would not recommend this spot.  The cabins were beautiful and comfortable but it ended up being too far away; it would have been better if we had spent one night near each park.  Zion was my favorite park.  There’s just something about the mountains, trees and water that totally relaxed me.  There’s a great hike here called the Narrows.  It got its name from being in the narrowest area of Zion. This hike is 16 miles in total length and some of it is in the water which is very cold.  Several of us went in as far as we could but we weren’t dressed for the depth of the water which is deeper in the fall/winter.  The canyon is beautiful with walls up to 1000 feet tall. Highly recommend closed toe shoes and walking sticks due to the slick rocks.  There is limited parking here so you should get an advance purchase shuttle pass (they were $1.00 per person) to take you in to the park where the shuttles are located; arrive early.  Bryce Canyon National Park was next and is known for its crimson-colored hoodoos, which are spire-shaped rock formations.  It’s a dry area with good hikes so here you really need to bring a lot of water.  Despite its name it’s not really a canyon but a collection of giant natural amphitheaters.  There was a place to eat here so we didn’t need to bring food into the park with us.
 

​ ​

​Next was a longer drive to get to Capital Reef National Park for two nights.  This was the most beautiful drive so I recommend you take your time, stop along the way for pictures and just enjoy the views.  We had one full day planned to see the overlooks, hike Capitol Gorge, Cassidy Arch, eat some pie and view the petroglyphs and the old school. Unfortunately a member of our little group got a bad case of altitude sickness and we needed to get to a lower level right away.  The elevation on the drive here is over 9,000 feet. 
 
We ended up back at Salt Lake City and visited Antelope Island which has American bison, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, porcupine, badger, coyote, bobcat, mule deer and millions of waterfowl and is located in Salt Lake.  There’s a great story of the ranchers who used to live on the island.  They would move the sheep to better grounds in the winter by walking through Salt Lake City.  As the city grew this became more of a challenge and they had to start using trucks to move them and eventually the state bought them out so they could make the entire island a state park.  We also walked all over the city to enjoy the sights such as the Mormon Tabernacle, Temple Square and many parks and gardens located in the city. ​

      This trip was a wonderful experience; Utah is beautiful.  There is so much to see in the world but while restrictions limit our travel outside of the U.S. at the moment; there’s plenty to see and do within our own borders.  We drove on our own as we are very independent but there are also bus adventures for those of you who would like to experience various parts of the U.S. and leave the driving, hotel bookings, etc. to someone else. There is also a brand new rail adventure out there now; Rocky Mountaineer!  It’s a two day trip between Denver and Moab with an overnight in Glenwood Springs. This new route will give you a Silverleaf experience with breathtaking scenery to the American Southwest.  Please call for details!
 
    If you have any questions regarding traveling in the U.S. at the moment, please feel free to contact me, Toni Werner or your favorite Travel Advisor at VIP World Travel.