Mightiest of the Mighty 5: Zion & Bryce

After traveling to the first three of Utah’s National Parks, I’ve recently been able to experience the impressiveness of Zion and Bryce National Parks.

Zion: 

Entering Zion is like taking a step from Utah onto Mars with impressive narrow slot canyons, red and white sandstone formations, 3,000-foot vertical walls, and the mighty Virgin River.  Zion is special due to these geographic wonders with peaks, hoodoos, and canyons that have been sculpted for a millennia by a multitude of forces, from water, wind, ice, volcanic activity, and seismic uplift.

In an effort to beat the crowds and the heat, we arrived early with the first shuttle ride that left at 6AM.  Due to the tourists, cars are not permitted to drive in the Park, but the shuttle service was very convenient. 

Angels Landing:

Everyone. Person. Should. Do. Angels. Landing. Once.  Period.

This 4.4 mile hike was one of my favorite hikes, but I would not be recommended for someone with a fear of heights. Angel’s Landing is a unique fin-like mountain formation that juts out of the center of the main canyon.

The hike begins within the canyon with the first 2 miles being paved, yet steep as you ascend quickly.  After you hike a series of short switchbacks called Walter’s Wiggles, you then reach Scout’s Lookout.  At Scout’s Lookout, you have a great view of the canyon below, and get a view of the Angel’s Landing summit.  This is a good time to decide if you want to continue as past this point the becomes very exposed as you climb up the spine of a mountain.  You will cling to chains as you scramble up 500 vertical feet with less than 5 feet wide of clearance in some areas. 

Narrows:

On a hot, 100-degree Utah day, there was no better day than hiking through the cool Virgin River while staring up to the towering walls through knee-deep water for miles.  With beautiful flowing water and barely any direct sunlight reaching the bottom, this is the slot canyon that all other slot canyons are compared to.

90% of visitors hike the Zion Narrows “Bottom Up” Day Hike from the Temple of Sinawava (the last stop on the free Zion Canyon shuttle).  Once the shuttle drops you off, you hike 1 mile up the Riverside Walk trail and then continue hiking right into the river.  We hiked about 2 hours one-direction until Wallstreet where the trail forked into two paths.  Instead of renting water-proof gear for $30, you can hike in just an old pair of tennis shoes, and you 100% need walking sticks.

Bryce: 

Bryce Canyon is a fantasyland of hoodoos, bizarre rock formations, and sandstone pillars.  These “Hoodoos” are the tall, thin spires that raise from the river basins. Hoodoos form where soft rock, like sandstone, is covered in a thin layer of harder rock. Weathering processes then erode these rocks into the pinnacles that we see today.

After enjoying the Sunrise Point, my favorite hike was the Queen’s Garden Trail to Navajo Loop Trail that left from that lookout.  On these two trails, get up close with the hoodoos, see Thor’s Hammer, and walk through canyons, arches, and forests of pine trees.  This 2.75 mile hike should take about 2-3 hours – and may be my favorite hike yet on this grand adventure!

After this hike your car can do most of the remaining work while driving to the numerous lookout points over Bryce.   Inspiration Point and Bryce Point provide similar views of a multitude of hoodoos rising from the earth.

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Question: If you’ve been to the Mighty 5 of Utah, how would YOU rank your favorite National Parks between Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce, and Zion?

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