Utah

My first real road trip was in May 2021. I had never been to the Southwest before, let alone many states in the US at all. Since international travel was not an option just yet, and I love hiking, Utah was the perfect destination.

Packing/ Tips:

1. Hiking boots, long socks, and sandals- I purchased my pair from REI in Chicago. They have so many options and the staff were super knowledgeable about their products.

 I also recommend bringing a pair of sandals to change into right after hiking, especially since some of the routes include trekking through water.

2. Bathing suit bottoms- If you choose to hike The Narrows in Zion, you might want to consider wearing swimsuit bottoms under your shorts. There is one point in the hike where the water gets pretty deep and your shorts can very easily get soaked. 

3. Make sure your GPS is working when driving in Utah! There aren’t a whole lot of roads, but there are a good number of flash floods that take place in the summer. It’s a nice tool to have in case visibility becomes low.

Accommodations

1. Our Airbnb in Salt Lake City was quaint and modern. The space was clean and tidy; it came with a full kitchen as well, which was nice to store our groceries and water bottles. We had driveway access, which made things less stressful since we were renting a car. The location was just a short walk from the downtown area in a cute little neighborhood. Having air conditioning made this place a huge win.

Salt Lake City

2. The Panguitch House was a charming bed and breakfast located near Bryce Canyon. It was in a small western town near a strip of local shops and restaurants. The Panguitch House has a parking lot, and self-check-in upon arrival. The staff offer to-go sack lunches for those staying in one of their rooms as well. The room we had was a bit small, but suited its purpose.

3. JayLynn was the host for our last Airbnb in Hurricane. The owners rent out a casita at the front of their home for travelers heading to Zion. The room was very charming and cozy. It contains a miniature fridge, tv, and attached bathroom with walk-in shower. There is a wonderful private patio out front as well. The hosts are very friendly and readily available if needed.

Local Recommendations:

1. One place I want to mention for wonderful refreshments is right before the entrance to Zion National Park. It is an independent and eclectic café called Café Soleil. They offer a variety of iced coffees, smoothies, and breakfast items such as bagels and egg scrambles. It’s a great place to re-energize after hiking and be able to sit outside and relax.

 2.  Five Petal Spa is an amazing spot just a few doors down from the cafe. We booked our appointments the day before, and the staff were very accommodating! The facility is modern and extremely clean. I highly recommend treating yourself after Zion!

Backyard View Five Petals Spa

3. Springdale is the quaint town right near Zion, where you can stop in the local shops and pickup unique art and souvenirs. Zion Rock & Gem is a cute shop filled with beautifully colored stones and gems. It’s a great place for collectors, as well as jewelry makers to pick up some magnificent pieces.

4. Sand Hollow State Park is a great stop in Hurricane. There are all sorts of outdoor activities to participate in, from kayaking and biking, to cliff diving and camping. The waters are beautiful and it’s a great place to cool off after a day of hiking in the rocky terrain.

Parks and Natural Attractions:

1. Bonneville Salt Flats: If you are looking for a unique and peaceful experience, these salt flats are a must. The white and gritty salt surface makes everything so bright. It was super quiet on the salt flats as well. There were a few groups of people out there with us and we could barely hear any voices. If you make it on a rainy day, the reflections are stunning.

2.  Bryce Canyon: Pictures do not do Bryce Canyon justice by any means! The rock formations and colors are breath-taking. There are tons of hoodoos and the gradient colors of the rock are beautiful especially when the sun is out.

The Bryce Canyon website is super helpful when planning your trip. There’s a good number of hiking routes to choose from and the site has them all listed, as well as difficulty and estimated time it will take to complete each one. You can also research the viewpoints and sites on each route so you have an idea of what you’d like to see ahead of time. We tackled the most popular Queen’s/Navajo Combination Loop, as well as Peekaboo Loop.

If you are driving to the park, I recommend getting there when it opens so you can have a decent parking spot. It’s also super important to keep track of where you park your car since some of the hiking routes are connected to each other.

Both of the routes we hiked started off at the edge of the canyon, and descended into the base. Queen’s/ Navajo Combination Loop was more memorable to me than Peekaboo Loop. I enjoyed the switchbacks and narrow passageways through the rock. Peekaboo Loop was more of a straightforward descent into the canyon.

There are 4 major viewpoints at Bryce Canyon: Inspiration Point, Bryce Point, Sunset Point, and Sunrise Point. Each has their own features that set the views apart. Honestly, each one is amazing; any panoramic view of the canyon is a sight to see.

3.  Zion National Park: Compared to Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park has more greenery and diverse hiking options. The hiking paths at Zion don’t form a series of loops, but rather are their own individual routes. The two we chose to conquer were The Narrows, and Angel’s Landing.

Zion has a large parking lot at the entrance of the park, and a shuttle takes you to each of the hiking drop-off points. We took the same approach with Zion as we had with Bryce Canyon in that we wanted to get to the park early before the temperature rose.

This really worked to our advantage at Zion; we didn’t have to pay any entrance or parking fees for the two days we went. We were easily able to catch the shuttle from the lot and hop off at both of our hiking destinations.

Keep in mind, if you aren’t able to get a spot in the parking lot, there are shuttles from Springdale as well that can bring you into the park.

Zion is very well organized and maintained; there are resting centers throughout where you can eat and use the facilities. They even have a website and center to rent out various hiking gear such as shoes, dry bibs, and walking sticks.

• We decided to take on Angel’s Landing first. There are a ton of switchbacks at the base of the hike and on the other side of the mountain towards the top. Having hiking boots was important for this hike especially, since the path was mainly dirt and smaller rocks.

The route takes you up the front of the mountain, in between, and around the other side to the top. At the top, there’s the option to continue way up along the anchor chains to the peak of the mountain. There’s only one chain, so people going up and going down have to share the same line and it can get quite crowded.

We did not participate being that it was so busy and we felt like the view from our platform was just as rewarding.

The hike down was actually much more difficult than the way up. Since the switchbacks are long and slanting, your legs muscles are completely engaged the whole way back. It was definitely worth it and I would do it again.

• The Narrows were a different pace than all of the other hikes we’d done on our trip. We had a map of the route and were hoping to make it to WallStreet, but did not give ourselves enough time. The estimated time to make it there and back is 3-4 hours.

For this hike, I would recommend wearing bathing suit bottoms since the water can get quite high at times. It is also a good idea to consider renting dry gear and walking sticks. There are a ton of slippery rocks and pebbles on this hike, so it’s very easy to fall.

Being in the canyon of two massive mountains was amazing. The river itself was pretty calm throughout The Narrows. It mainly just rose and fell at different points, but the current was never overwhelming. Honestly, even though we had a map with us, I’m not sure if we actually met any of the checkpoints.

• At Zion we missed out on doing The Subway hike, which was my only regret. There were flash flooding alerts, so the path was closed.

4.  Valley of Fire: On our way to Vegas, we allotted time to stop at the Valley of Fire and see Elephant Rock. There was no mistake that the formation was an elephant. What made it stand out even more though, were the panoramic views around it. The sky was a crisp blue, and the burnt red rock really contrasted.