A Calcutt's Pictures

For our final day in Zion we decided to take it easy and explore the park in relative luxury. We rented bikes from a shop in town and then rode up to the main entrance. We were able to put the bikes on the shuttle bus, take it up to the last stop, and then ride back out at our leisure. It was a great way to do it. We got to pick our way down the canyon at our own pace, taking in the various points of interest without regard for the bus schedules. We stopped for a lunch at the Zion National Park Lodge and relaxed on the lawn.

We were surprised in the early afternoon by a brief thunderstorm, but were able to take shelter on the tram to keep (mostly) dry. We took the opportunity to go to the visitor center and watch the introductory video, then went back up to ride the canyon again. We wrapped up our canyon adventures that evening with a nice dinner in town before heading back to Las Vegas.

On our first full day in Zion we got up early and made our way into the canyon. We rode up to the end of the shuttle line with our special boots and our trekking poles and waded out into the river, heading into The Narrows. At first there were a few other people around, but fairly quickly we got to the point where we were nearly alone in the canyon. Though you can never see far, there is an incredible amount to see. The canyon is quite varied. The hike itself was also a lot of fun given how different it was from what we normally do. We ended up going over 4 miles back into the canyon, a good bit more than we had expected we would do.

On our way out we discovered where all of the others were. We passed a steady stream of hikers heading up river as we were on our way back out. The scenes unfolding ahead of us got stranger and stranger as the hikers we were passing were less and less prepared for what they were doing.

After returning to town for lunch I drove up the highway through the tunnel once again to check out the Canyon Overlook trail. Although short, it offers quite a reward at the end. The views down into Zion Canyon are quite impressive. It really showed off the color and size of the canyon walls.

We left Bryce in the late morning and made our way out to Zion. Much of the drive re-traced our route out to Bryce, but once we got closer to Zion things really got interesting. Though we didn’t realize it going in, the Zion – Mount Carmel Highway is quite a beautiful drive! We enjoyed seeing a number of mesas, rock formations, and wildlife, followed by the tunnel itself and the amazing views of Zion Canyon that follow.

The next morning I decided to wake up early enough to see the sunrise over Bryce. I decided to head to Sunset Point (I know, it sounds wrong) and walk a little ways down the Navajo Loop Trail so I had a view of some of the ridges, as well as the iconic Thor’s Hammer. The sunrise ended up being a bit of a letdown due to some clouds, but it still delivered some nice colors and gave me a nice peaceful quiet experience before the crowds arrived.

After returning to get breakfast, we headed out to the eastern edge of the part to take a short hike up the Mossy Cave trail before heading out. The trail provided a nice short walk with a different kind of perspective given the lower elevation.

We once again woke up early to get out into the canyon and really get a taste for what Bryce has to offer. We took a hike across the main amphitheater from Bryce Point to Sunset Point using the Peekaboo Loop and Navajo Loop trails. It was a great way to see the hoodoos up close and see the amazing colors and layers up close. Finishing the hike with the climb up through Wall Street also let us save the most dramatic parts for last, though it did come at the cost of more crowds.

After a lunch break we poked around the rim of the canyon some more, travelling between various overlooks and scenic points. There were a number of nice views, but also a lot of driving in between. All in all we found Bryce to be a quick place to visit. Certainly worth a trip, but not worth a long stay.

After getting our fill of slot canyons, we hit the road for Bryce. All in all it was not a very eventful drive, but it did take us through some great scenery. A real variety of sights and terrain. We made it to Bryce just in time to catch the tail end of a sunset that rewarded us with some pretty wild storm clouds.