Utah Road Trip Itinerary – Part II

Hello,

Welcome back for part 2 of this Utah Road Trip Itinerary. On this leg of the journey we will tackle 2 more National Parks as well as a quick detour to Lake Powell in Arizona before ending the journey under the bright lights of Las Vegas, Nevada.

After departing Canyonlands, we had a nice 4 hour drive to our next accommodation for the night in a little town called Panguitch, near the entrance to our next Park. Bryce Gatewayinn Cabins are a collection of cute, rustic cabins in the middle of nowhere that provide cheap, comfortable & cosy digs for a good nights sleep before another day of exploring. The rooms have their own bathrooms & kettle/microwave for a quick breakfast in the AM.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park is home to the largest concentration of Hoodoos (Irregular rock formations) on planet Earth! You literally won’t believe your eyes as you enter the park. I recommend parking somewhere around Sunrise or Sunrise Points and put the hiking boots to work from there. It was freezing the day we were there (in September) so we didn’t tackle any big hikes but we did do the Navajo Loop Trail and it was packed with amazing views, my favorite being the Wall Street switchbacks although walking up them was tough on the legs. All the photos below were taken on this trail or at Sunrise/Sunset Points. You can also drive through the park to more viewpoints but this hike was the highlight for me. We only spent about half a day here and felt satisfied we had seen the best of it.

Bonus Hike: Just outside the entrance to Bryce Canyon NP is another small but worthy hike called Mossy Cave Trailhead, approximately 1.5km out and back to a waterfall/cave combo.

Zion National Park

After departing Bryce Canyon, its about a 1.5 Hour drive to the East Entrance of Zion National Park. For me this park is the crème de la crème of the Utah Parks. If you like scenic drives then the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway which takes you in to the park via the East Entrance, will blow your mind. The sunning rock formations, the orangey-red rocks and the views for days are heavenly. We arrived here before sunset in a tactical move to catch the sunset at the top of the Canyon Overlook Trail. Heads up, the parking here is very limited but we got lucky. The trail is about 1.5km out and back with a bit of climbing but it is beyond worth it for the views. The photos do it no justice, you’ll just have to see it for yourself. We stayed in a dive motel that night in Carmel Junction before a full day of hiking the next day.

The next day, we decided to go hard on the hiking and tackle 2 major trails. We parked in Springdale at the South Entrance and took the shuttle bus into the Zion Lodge and picked up a coffee before the activities began. We had to book tickets for the shuttle during that time but I’m not sure if that’s still the case. Always check these things online before visiting!

1. Angel’s Landing – Because we were visiting during Covid times, the Angel’s Landing chains were closed so we could only go as far as Scouts Landing. We started at the Emerald pools and followed the river to the switch backs (Walters Wiggles nearly killed me) before we plateaued at Scouts Landing. The views from here are not normal, they are spectacular. We descended back down to The Grotto afterwards for some lunch and to hop on the shuttle to our next hike. I clocked just over 17km on my watch for this route.

2. The Narrows – This is a huge bucket list item for many people and I was no different. I will preclude this by saying a few things. Please check the weather before attempting this hike, it’s prone to flash flooding which can be lethal. The second this is bring hiking poles or rent them from the park (We did neither of these things and regretted it badly). This trail is set within a gorge and along the Virgin River. You will absolutely get wet on this trail as most of it is in the actual river. We got the shuttle to the trail head and began our adventure. Almost immediately our boots were wet and not too far into the hike, we were waist deep in water for a short section. The hike is very crowded for the first portion but starts to thin out the further you go in. My neck was sore from looking up at how high the sides of the gorge go up into the sky and the sheer scale of everything. The water is cold but bearable. I didn’t get as many photos because I was afraid of dropping my phone. This hike was everything I hoped it would be and more. It’s quite physical and definitely requires poles (we used branches we found along the route but I don’t recommend this). You can go as far as you like, I think we clocked about 5km out and back. We returned to the trailhead and got the shuttle back to the carpark & grabbed some groceries in Springdale for dinner.

We treated ourselves to some nice accommodation after a hard day of hiking. We rented a Tiny Farmhouse Container from Airbnb in Mount Carmel Junction complete with a rooftop deck, bathroom & kitchen. I didn’t get many photos but it was fabulous and so comfortable. Wish we stayed a second night! In hindsight, we should have stayed on the south entrance side of the park for the drive the next day but no ragrats.

After a good nights sleep it was time to hit the road in the direction of Lake Powell, AZ with some fun pitstops along the way including The Belly of the Beast, the Moqui Cave and the town of Kanab. There’s lots of cool history & caves along this route. The journey took about 1.5 Hours.

Lake Powell

Lake Powell is located in a town called Page, just over the Arizonian Border. (You can also find the Welcome to Utah sign on the outskirts of Page when heading back from Lake Powell). Immediately, we rented a double kayak from a local rental company and set off out on the Lake in search of the famous Antelope Canyon. It was closed to the public via foot at the time due to Covid but you can kayak in through the Lake for a secret entry. This is great day out and you can take a nice swim after to cool down. Would also recommend renting a boat for a day on the lake but we didn’t have time on this trip.

Our final hike and one you can’t miss is to Horseshoe Bend at sunset. It’s a few minutes drive from Page. Be prepared for crowds during this time and whilst the car park is big (& cost $10) it fills up fast and there’s a good 20 minute walk to the viewpoint so take that into account so you don’t miss the best part! We stayed in the Best Western View of Lake Powell Hotel for the night and it hit the mark. We had lovely views of the countryside form our room but as far as I know, you can’t actually see the lake.

We chose to end our road trip in style by enjoying some luxury in Las Vegas for 2 nights and celebrating my birthday but that’s a whole separate post. It’s a 4 hour drive from page to Vegas, FYI. I hope these Utah posts helps you plan your Utah trip of dreams. We left 1 National Park off our itinerary (Capitol Reef National Park) because we just couldn’t squeeze it in but rest assured we will be back.

Safe travels,

Olivia

Side Note All of these parks are on Indigenous Land and should be treated with respect while visiting. Read up on the history and as always, leave no trace.