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Utah
Bryce Canyon National
Park
A nickname for Utah's Canyon Country is "Color Country," and if you visit Bryce Canyon National Park, it's easy to understand why. Its unique horseshoe-shaped rock amphitheaters are a riot of color -- orange, pink, lavender, white, and gray. In the sequence of rock layers called the Grand Staircase Bryce is part of the Pink Cliffs. It's also home to the hoodoos, those funny-shaped rock spires with names like Thor's Hammer, the Hunter, and the Rabbit. Stop at the Visitor Center to pick up a park map and other information and ask the rangers any questions you might have. You can follow a driving route along the canyon rim with overlooks where you can see sights like Molly's Nipple. If you enjoy hiking, Bryce has some great trails, especially the Queen's Garden/Navajo Loop combination. It's only 2.9 miles, but it descends a steep 580 feet in elevation via switchbacks ... and then rises another steep 580 feet back up to the rim! Along the way you'll see Wall Street, a narrow slot between two rock formations where a tree somehow managed to grow. On any of Bryce's trails it's important to wear good hiking boots for traction and ankle support and take along plenty of water. This is high desert country, and on a warm day dehydration can come quickly to those who aren't well prepared. Other activities available at Bryce include camping, horseback riding, and wildlife watching.
Cedar Breaks National Monument
South of Bryce Canyon National Park on U.S. Highway 89 is Cedar Breaks National Monument, a huge natural amphitheater that's part of Utah's Grand Staircase. The amphitheater's rim is over 10,000 feet above sea level, and the canyon itself is over 2,000 feet deep. Like Bryce, it's a multicolored beauty with a visitor center, scenic drive with overlooks, a picnic area, and a campground. There are also two hiking trails and the opportunity for wildflower enthusiasts to snap photos of the many flowers in the alpine meadows.
Golden Spike National Historic Site
Once upon a time travel across the United States from one coast to the other was by horseback, wagon train, or walking, but in 1869 the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads were joined and cross-country travel and trade changed forever. Golden Spike National Historic Site commemorates that event, and today's visitors can see the Jupiter and No. 119 steam locomotives and exhibits about the railroad's construction, watch movies or listen to a ranger bring the story to life, drive along the Promontory Trail Auto Tour, or just take a walk along the Big Fill and learn about some of the railroad's most difficult achievements.
Zion National Park
Unlike Bryce Canyon or Arizona's Grand Canyon where visitors start on the rim and hike or look down, most visitors to Zion Canyon National Park start in the canyon bottom and look up at the majestic walls and rock formations or hike trails that climb up the canyon. In the prime tourism months of April through October access to the canyon bottom is by park shuttle bus; park your car at the Visitor Center or if it's full, park in the town of Springdale and ride the town shuttle to the Visitor Center and catch the park shuttle there. You could just ride the shuttle bus around the park loop and say you've seen it, but it's much more fun and interesting to join a ranger-led hike, hike on your own, or even ride a bicycle on the canyon's scenic drive. Zion offers lots of photographic opportunities as well as birdwatching and wildflower viewing. There are three campgrounds, one requiring reservations and the other two are first come, first served. If you want to see Zion Canyon from the rim instead of the bottom, take Route 9 east and near the East Entrance you'll find the East Rim Trail. Also on Route 9 is the tunnel with windows carved out for vistas of the canyonlands.
Book review:
I found a great book at REI that is going to be invaluable for my trip. It's called Hiking the Southwest's Canyon Country by Sandra Hinchman. Basically it breaks down the Southwest into different areas (i.e., Zion and Bryce are in one section), and it is sorta structured like a Rick Steves book insofar as it gives you itineraries for trips of various lengths. She's got all types of side trips, day hikes, and overnight hikes with lengths, hand-drawn maps, difficulty ratings, etc.
I looked at it and saw some great ideas. I'm sure I won't follow it all the way (she doesn't cover Moab), but I think it will be very useful to help see the types of hikes that are available and whatnot.
A nickname for Utah's Canyon Country is "Color Country," and if you visit Bryce Canyon National Park, it's easy to understand why. Its unique horseshoe-shaped rock amphitheaters are a riot of color -- orange, pink, lavender, white, and gray. In the sequence of rock layers called the Grand Staircase Bryce is part of the Pink Cliffs. It's also home to the hoodoos, those funny-shaped rock spires with names like Thor's Hammer, the Hunter, and the Rabbit. Stop at the Visitor Center to pick up a park map and other information and ask the rangers any questions you might have. You can follow a driving route along the canyon rim with overlooks where you can see sights like Molly's Nipple. If you enjoy hiking, Bryce has some great trails, especially the Queen's Garden/Navajo Loop combination. It's only 2.9 miles, but it descends a steep 580 feet in elevation via switchbacks ... and then rises another steep 580 feet back up to the rim! Along the way you'll see Wall Street, a narrow slot between two rock formations where a tree somehow managed to grow. On any of Bryce's trails it's important to wear good hiking boots for traction and ankle support and take along plenty of water. This is high desert country, and on a warm day dehydration can come quickly to those who aren't well prepared. Other activities available at Bryce include camping, horseback riding, and wildlife watching.
Cedar Breaks National Monument
South of Bryce Canyon National Park on U.S. Highway 89 is Cedar Breaks National Monument, a huge natural amphitheater that's part of Utah's Grand Staircase. The amphitheater's rim is over 10,000 feet above sea level, and the canyon itself is over 2,000 feet deep. Like Bryce, it's a multicolored beauty with a visitor center, scenic drive with overlooks, a picnic area, and a campground. There are also two hiking trails and the opportunity for wildflower enthusiasts to snap photos of the many flowers in the alpine meadows.
Golden Spike National Historic Site
Once upon a time travel across the United States from one coast to the other was by horseback, wagon train, or walking, but in 1869 the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads were joined and cross-country travel and trade changed forever. Golden Spike National Historic Site commemorates that event, and today's visitors can see the Jupiter and No. 119 steam locomotives and exhibits about the railroad's construction, watch movies or listen to a ranger bring the story to life, drive along the Promontory Trail Auto Tour, or just take a walk along the Big Fill and learn about some of the railroad's most difficult achievements.
Zion National Park
Unlike Bryce Canyon or Arizona's Grand Canyon where visitors start on the rim and hike or look down, most visitors to Zion Canyon National Park start in the canyon bottom and look up at the majestic walls and rock formations or hike trails that climb up the canyon. In the prime tourism months of April through October access to the canyon bottom is by park shuttle bus; park your car at the Visitor Center or if it's full, park in the town of Springdale and ride the town shuttle to the Visitor Center and catch the park shuttle there. You could just ride the shuttle bus around the park loop and say you've seen it, but it's much more fun and interesting to join a ranger-led hike, hike on your own, or even ride a bicycle on the canyon's scenic drive. Zion offers lots of photographic opportunities as well as birdwatching and wildflower viewing. There are three campgrounds, one requiring reservations and the other two are first come, first served. If you want to see Zion Canyon from the rim instead of the bottom, take Route 9 east and near the East Entrance you'll find the East Rim Trail. Also on Route 9 is the tunnel with windows carved out for vistas of the canyonlands.
Book review:
I found a great book at REI that is going to be invaluable for my trip. It's called Hiking the Southwest's Canyon Country by Sandra Hinchman. Basically it breaks down the Southwest into different areas (i.e., Zion and Bryce are in one section), and it is sorta structured like a Rick Steves book insofar as it gives you itineraries for trips of various lengths. She's got all types of side trips, day hikes, and overnight hikes with lengths, hand-drawn maps, difficulty ratings, etc.
I looked at it and saw some great ideas. I'm sure I won't follow it all the way (she doesn't cover Moab), but I think it will be very useful to help see the types of hikes that are available and whatnot.