Beautiful Utah

Four National Parks, two State Parks and a lot of country in between.

When we set out to do our National Parks tour we chose to do this trip as part of fulfilling our long bucket list of places to see.
A few years ago I bought a National Parks pass book where you collect stamps from every park you visit. It has been my goal to see as many National Parks as possible. So far on this journey we have been having WOW moments all along the way. These sights are beyond breathtaking and every park is completely unique yet vast and remarkable.

Arches National Park lives up to it’s name. around every corner there are monstrous arch formations and spectacular scenery of high cliffs and red rock with large boulders balancing one on top of another. It is simply unbelievable how they can balance up there in such a way they do not tip over or fall off of their pedestals. Simply put, amazing. We enjoyed hiking in this area, the trails were fairly easy and very accessible. One thing we did not know upon our arrival is that they were doing a timed entry. So if you are planning on going, get your timed entry ticket ahead.

Canyonlands was a pleasant surprise. While looking at our map trying to find as many National Parks as we could find we came across Canyonlands and added it to our list of must sees. I am so glad we did, this park was stunning. Different than Arches it serves it’s name well. Massive red rock Canyons spread across a valley of colorful crevasse’s as far as the eye can see. A wonderful area to explore full of small hikes and trails, There are no words to describe these two parks.

We then went to Dead Horse Point State Park, it is very close to Canyonlands National Park so we thought, why not? This park was a short visit with a spectacular viewing area also into the Canyon. If you’re in the area and you are driving by on your way to Canyonlands, I would highly recommend stopping. The colors of the valley below just stunned. I have never been any place like these places in my world travels with the exception of Petra in Jordan. Again, I cannot emphasize enough if you get the opportunity to visit the National Parks of Utah, do it!

We then went onto Bryce Canyon National Park, this park was so different again from Arches or Canyonlands. Bryce definitely surprised me. It was in my opinion a combination of the other parks, however the reds in the rock were more stunning, the cliffs more jagged and intense, and the arches just as grand but fewer of them. I really think if I had to pick a favorite Bryce may be it. But I won’t choose a favorite as they were all spectacular. Bryce was also extremely high in elevation . Our highest point we drove to was 9115 Feet, that was called Rainbow Point. This was an amazing spot to soak in the views.

Our final park in Utah was Zion National Park. What an absolutely gorgeous place. This park like the others simply stunned. The one thing I found amazing about this park is that it is separated by a 1.1 mile long tunnel that punches through a huge piece of mountainous rock, and when you come out on the other side the landscape is completely different. On one side it is rocky, full of canyons and jagged stone and on the other side of this tunnel it is covered in sandstone.

We found our time in Zion to be a wonderful bounty of color and beauty that took your breath at times. We hiked down a long canyon following the rivers edge and the beauty was staggering, and then on another hike in Zion we came to the end of the trail only to be met with these beautiful waterfalls raining down from above, a true desert oasis.
Everywhere we were on the five days of this portion of our journey left us awe struck and for us we could see God everywhere we turned. What a wonderful place that will be forever etched in my memory.

I could keep rambling about the beauty of these parks but I will not. Instead I will leave you with this poem I found about Utah.