Utah Mighty 5

 

If you are limited on time, here's my suggestions from experience.

Arches – drive the scenic road, hike to multiple arches at Windows Section, Landscape Arch.  Delicate Arch is longer, you can also view from below from a viewpoint.

Canyonlands – multiple entrances.  If you only have time for one, I’d do Island in the Sky.  Hike to Mesa Arch.  Stop at Dead Horse State Park on the way into the park.  Needles has nice views.

Capitol Reef – Drive Scenic Road

Bryce – Sunrise to Sunset Viewpoints, Queen’s Garden to Navajo Loop (longer hike into amphitheater), scenic road with pull outs.

Zion – Riverside Walk, Sand Bench Trail, Weeping Rock, Canyon Overlook – if you can get parking

Utah Itineraries - 4 of the Mighty 5 National Parks & a few state parks

 

For Bryce & Zion we flew in and out of Las Vegas.

Day 1 Red Rock Canyon

Day 2 Valley of Fire - Atlatl Rock, Arch Rock, Balancing Rock at Visitor Center, Rainbow Vista, Fire Canyon Overlook, White Domes Loop, Seven Wonders (favorite), Fire Wave, Pink/Pastel canyon, Elephant Rock

Day 3 Hoover Dam - park on Arizona side for free

Ethel M Chocolate - free sample, cactus garden

Strip

Day 4 Drive to St George 

Snow Canyon - Johnson Canyon, Jenny Canyon, Hidden Pinyon, lava flow, Whiterocks Amphitheatre (great at sunset)

Day 5 Zion - Riverside walk, Kayenta to Emerald Pools (3 waterfalls - upper, middle, & low) to Sand Bench  trail, court of patriarchs ( we stayed that night at Panguitch)

Day 6 Bryce - Queen's Garden to Navajo Loop, Agua Canyon, Ponderosa Canyon, Natural Bridge, Bryce Point, Inspiration Point.  All overlooks are good.  Cedar Breaks, 

Day 7 Kolob Canyon

For Arches & Canyonland we flew in & out of Durango.  We stayed at Monticello - much cheaper than Moab when we were there.

Day 1 Stopped at Mesa Verde on the way to Monticello

Day 2 Arches - Landscape Arch, Partition Arch, Double O Arch, Private Arch, Sand Dune Arch, Broken Arch, Delicate Arch, Windows Section & Turret Arch, Double Arch

Day 3 Dead Horse Point State Park, Canyonland - Mesa Arch, Upheaval Dome, Green River Overlook, Buck Canyon Overlook, Grand View Point Overlook, Aztec Butte

Day 4 Canyonlands - the Needles - Elephant Hill, Big Spring Canyon, Pothole Point, Cave Spring

Day 5 Natural Bridges - Kachina Bridge, Sipapu Bridge, Owachomo Bridge, Muley Point, Moki Dugway, Valley of gods, Goosenecks State Park, Mexican Hat

Day 6 - Bluff Fort, 4 Corners, Cortez Colorado - unique sculpture garden

Bryce Canyon National Park

I was excited to see Bryce Canyon with snow but didn't want the trails to be slick.  We got both - snow & clean trails. 

On the bridge into Bryce.

We hiked from Sunset, to Sunrise, to Queen's Garden to Navajo Loop

Queen Victoria

2 Bridges

Thor's Hammer

Viewpoints along scenic road

Natural Bridge

Bryce Point

Inspiration Point

Bryce Canyon Natural Park - Utah

Last week we went to Utah & Nevada without the boys. We figured they'd have more fun with the aunts & grandparents than on this trip. I took over 800 pictures, so I'll try not to bore you. Bryce Canyon was definitely a highlight of the trip. We both liked it better than the Grand Canyon.