Travel notes, photos, videos, and comments from all over the world. I may earn income from purchases of advertised products or clicking links. Please follow via email. Thanks Geoff Sutton of Sutton Travels blog and YouTube
Friends
recommended we visit Dead Horse Point State Park whilst in the Moab area. So, we did.
After
exiting Canyonlands National Park on the east side, we turned south on SR 313
to Dead Horse Point State Park. There’s a fee so, see their website for
details.
In the
distance you can see blue potash ponds.
We followed
the East Rim Trail, stopping at viewpoints along the way.
The grand
view is at Dead Horse Point Overlook. This is where you can see the Colorado
River and the canyon, which is about 2,000 feet below the rim. At this point,
the Colorado makes a giant S-shaped curve.
Here's a video of the hike along the rim with views of the Colorado River.
We visited Canyonlands National Park on 9 April 2021. As we drove toward the park from the east entrance, it wasn’t impressive. But that impression soon changed when we saw the majestic canyons.
We are in
the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands National Park. Our first hike is
along the Grand View Point Trail.
People all
dressed up begin their marriage on the rocks.
The trail
ends at a point where from left to right you see a panorama of stunning shades
of red against a deep blue sky.
Chipmunks
scramble for food dropped by snackers feasting on the visuals.
We hiked
over to Upheaval Dome, which looks more like a crater. A nice moderate trail
that was more interesting than the dome itself.
Our final
trail took us to Mesa Arch, which is one of those picture-perfect spots people
love. It’s an easy trail leading to an arch on the edge of a cliff. Beyond the
canyon are the La Sal Mountains.
Here's my video of the Canyonlands from my YouTube Channel.
We visited
Arches National Park 8 April 2021. Friends warned us about the crowds and
difficulty parking so we got up at 6:00 AM, got a breakfast grab bag and
immediately saw the busy hotel hallways.
We easily entered the
park from the South just off highway 191. We couldn’t resist a few stops for early morning photos.
We turned
onto the Delicate Arch Road. Parking for the famous Delicate Arch was full so
we parked a mile further along the road at a lot where you can view the arch in
the distance.
Delicate Arch Viewpoint & Parking Area
The distant Delicate Arch from the Viewpoint
We walked back to the trail head, which of course added two miles
to the hike. There are toilets and parking by the trailhead.
The 3-mile
trail to the Delicate Arch is rated “strenuous.” It is one of the most famous
arches in the world and a symbol of Utah. The park itself has over 2,000 arches.
By the time we returned to our vehicle, we had walked over 5 miles.
The rocky areas and narrow path near the top requires caution. I recommend good hiking shoes and the capacity for balance and dealing with looking over the sides of cliffs. I slipped once but wasn't hurt.
We stopped at
a viewpoint for lunch--not our lovely dog but who could resist this face?
Next we
drove to a two part trail. One path led to Sand Dune Arch.
The other
path led to Broken Arch.
Our last
hike was to Landscape Arch, which you can see is long like a rock bridge.
Sign for Landscape Arch
Landscape Arch
I took some videos throughout the park, which are on my YouTube Channel: SuttonTravels
Zion National Park is Utah's first national park and is located in the southwestern corner of the state. We traveled from Bryce Canyon National Park so entered using the eastern entrance on Route 9. Close to the entrance is Checkerboard Mesa.
Close to the Eastern Entrance is a scenic view. And, by the way, there are toilets near the entrance.
This video shows the colourful rock strata close to the Checkerboard Mesa on Route 9. It is available in 4K (Pixel 4).
Here's a panorama along the scenic route.
After dealing with slow traffic through the long tunnel (Zion-Mt Carmel Tunnel), we stopped for a break and this video.
We turned south toward the visitor's center because points north were only available by shuttle bus or bicycle. The parking lot was full so we rode around a few times before getting lucky. We had our lunch in the car and selected the Pa'rus trail, which runs along the Virgin River.
I took three short videos along this easy trail. The first video is near the trailhead.
The second video is a short scene along the way.
And the third video is a refreshing small waterfall.
The trail is easy for hikers and bikers. We kept to the sides because a lot of people were on bikes. There are a number of dogs but all were on leashes. The views are amazing so I recommend the trail, but seasoned hikers won't find a challenge. Here's one panorama.
After returning to the visitor's center, we checked out the possibility of getting shuttle bus tickets. These tickets are limited and should be purchased in advance--see the link on the park's website. Walk-up tickets began at 2 PM. Luckily, we got our shuttle wrist band and were sent to the front seat. However, the shuttle service uses a bendy-bus so our views of the northern section of the park were from the side windows of the "second class" section.
We spent the night in Springdale, Utah, which is close to the southern entrance. Shuttles are available so you could leave a vehicle at your nearby hotel and ride into the park. We enjoyed a nice stay at the Best Western Plus, with fabulous views from our balcony.
After relaxing, we enjoyed fish n' chips at Blondie's Diner in Springdale, Utah. There are several restaurants in the area. Our hotel host suggested getting an early dinner because the crowds leave the park around 6 PM.
The next day, we were up early to beat the crowds. We drove up Interstate 15 and used Exit 40 to enter the Kolob Canyons section of Zion National Park.
We drove to the end of the scenic Kolob Canyons Road and hiked the Timber Creek Trail to the overlook point. Hardly anyone was in the area!
Here's a look from the top.
I took this video from the overview point at the top of the trail.
If you are planning a visit, do check the website for the latest news, trail information, hours, tickets, and more. We were lucky to get the shuttle tickets and we saw a lot in our two part-days. There's so much more to see here. And many of the longer trails look interesting; however, we prefer less crowded settings.
