Utah National Parks & More Adventure
October 13th – 29th, 2023 (16 nights)
The primary goal of this adventure was to see Utah’s national parks (except for Zion which we visited on a previous trip). We were able to reserve some of the national parks long in advance, except for Bryce which was first come first served during the time of our trip. However, for those national parks where reservations weren’t available, we found alternative locations, such as surrounding State parks and private campgrounds. Because our home base of Carlsbad (San Diego) is far from Utah, we traversed through the states of Arizona and Nevada on this journey. We didn’t make reservations in advance for Arizona because we wanted some flexibility in selecting cool locations in case the weather didn’t dip down in time for our trip.
Days 1 & 2: Prescott, Arizona
The night before our trip, we checked weather for our first planned stop, Painted Rock Petroglyph Site and Campground (about five hours from home). It turned out temperatures were still in the upper 80’s. Since we had no reservations here, we looked at our route and, instead, headed for the mountains to Prescott, Arizona (low 70’s daytime temps, 40’s at night). We made calls on the way and found a private campground, Point of Rocks, nestled up in the Granite Dells area near Watson Lake (only about 8 minutes from downtown Prescott). We were offered site #50, a premium site which butts up against granite stones (part of the Dells) (around $60/night). The site has full hookups (water, electric, and sewer) and there is free WiFi (which was fast — we were able to stream movies). The area is spectacular with stunning scenery of granite stone formations. There is a trail right from the campground that leads to Watson Lake and a series of trails that follow the lake’s perimeter. One could spend days hiking here. We also enjoyed walking through historic downtown Prescott. There is a town square with a clock tower and historic court building. We walked streets lined with old Victorian homes (built in the 1800s) which are beautiful. The farmer’s market (Saturday mornings 7:30 -Noon) was also really interesting — we purchased catsclaw honey, concord jam, Aebellskyvers (Swedish donuts), homemade berry pie, and turkey eggs! We enjoyed our first day so much, we asked if we could stay another night and, luckily, they accommodated us!
Day 3: Flagstaff
Our next stop was supposed to be Sedona (a must visit for anyone who hasn’t seen the spectacular red rocks here). However, like our initial planned stop, the temperatures in Sedona were in the upper 80’s. So, instead, we continued to head to a higher elevation with cooler temperatures. At over 7,000 feet, Flagstaff is a cool place to visit (daytime temperatures during our stay in the low 70’s, mid 30’s at night). We found out the the state campgrounds had just closed their season (around Oct. 10th), so, again, we researched some private ones and found a nice one very close to downtown Flagstaff (Woody Mountain Campground). We chose one of their very private campsites (A70), which is dry ($49/night) (although they have many with hookups for not much more money, but the sites are closer together). There is free WiFi, but we found it to be very slow at our campsite. However, our Verizon here was extremely fast (over 100mps download), so we opted to use it instead of the campground WiFi.
Flagstaff is a university town (Northern Arizona University) and, thus, the downtown is very busy with lots of students. There are numerous shops and restaurants and the famous Route 66 runs through downtown. There is an Amtrak station in the middle of town and over 100 trains a day pass through! We spent a couple of hours walking around and perusing the shops before heading back to and enjoying our quiet campsite. There are a number of interesting things to do in Flagstaff, including visiting the world famous Lowell Observatory. The Visitor’s Center at the Amtrak Station provides a lot of good information.
Day 4: Monument Valley, Utah
Back on our regularly scheduled itinerary, we arrived in Monument Valley, Utah at one of the few campgrounds within the valley — Gouldings RV and Campground. Gouldings is a private campground which also has a lodge as well as individual homes that can be rented that overlook the majesty of Monument Valley. We had campsite #66 ($65/night) which has full hookups. The site is spaced out ok, but, if we came back, we would ask for campsite T10, which is priced the same as #66 but is an end spot overlooking the valley. The campground provides Wi-Fi, but it is very slow. However, when we tried our Verizon service, we received even slower data rates (even though we had 5 bars!). We’ve been in other remote areas before (e.g. Death Valley) where Verizon shows 5 bars but the service is barely useable. Gouldings is a full resort and campground reservations include access to all the amenities (e.g. movie theater, indoor swimming pool, laundry room, etc.). There are also some nice nature trails that originate from the campground.
Monument Valley is Navajo country and one gets a feeling of the old West when visiting. Gouldings warns campers not to leave their shoes out as wild dogs may chew on them in the night. We encountered a number of roaming dogs (likely from the Navajo reservation) in the campground and on the trails. However, they were well behaved and kept their distance. The main draw for visiting Monument Valley is to take in the grander of the magnificent rock formations (e.g. buttes, spires, mesas, …) and beautiful sunrises and sunsets. If one has time, Gouldings sells tours through Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park — a seat on one of their open air trucks (covered by tarp) that last 2 or more hours (about $80/person). Alternatively, one can buy entrance into the park ($8) and drive the 17 mile road on their own (although it is unpaved and can be bumpy). We didn’t have time for a tour, but found plenty of excellent scenic viewing areas while driving out of town on the way to our next stop, Dead Horse Point State Park. We left early so we had plenty of time for photographing the dramatic rock formations within Monument Valley. While taking some aerial images along the road, a herd of wild horses ran by us!
Days 5, 6, & 7: Moab, Utah
Moab is the town that is home base for many tourists and rock climbers/boulderers flocking to the area to explore. There are nice hotels, shops, restaurants, and numerous adventure outfitters. Tour companies here offer off-road buggy trips into the desert among many other outdoor adventures. And, Arches National Park is located only about ten minutes outside town. Of course, if one has a small travel trailer, it’s not necessary to stay where most of the tourists congregate. Instead, numerous campgrounds provide more natural and uncrowded surrounds. We did explore Moab a couple of times — once when driving into the area on our way to our campground (we had lunch and bought some t-shirts) and another time after visiting Arches National Park to have lunch (try Quesadilla Mobilla for an awesome quesadilla!) and do laundry (Moab Laundry Express, which is across the street from Quesadilla Mobilla). Make sure to fill your tow vehicle when in Moab as there are no gas stations outside the town (in the state and national park areas and campgrounds).
We chose to stay at Deadhorse Point State Park (DHSP), which is about 45 minutes away from Moab. The location is ideal because the state park is located between two of Utah’s five national parks. Arches National Park is about a 45 minute drive in the direction of Moab, and Canyonlands National Park is about 20 minutes’ drive in the opposite direction of Deadhorse Point State Park. There are at least a couple of campgrounds inside Deadhorse Point SP, Wingate Campground and Kayenta Campground, as well as some dispersed camping. Of the two organized campgrounds, we chose Kayenta Campground because of its beautiful natural surroundings on a canyon rim. We stayed in campsite #3 ($50/night) for three nights, which has a spectacular view of the canyon. The site has an electrical hookup along with a firepit, BBQ, picnic table and pavilion. This is the first time we used our 30A extension cord — it came in handy in allowing us to back our 2020 Scamp 13′ all the way next to the picnic area pavilion (which provides shade), while at the same time being able to reach the electric hookup pedestal. There are no water spigots, but we were able to attach our portable drinking water safe hose with water filter onto the threads at the dish wash station to fill our water jugs (for shower and sink water). The campground does have a free central dump station. There is almost no cellular service here, but the Visitor’s Center close by has free Wi-Fi (along with a nice gift shop) and we also found some signal up at Deadhorse Point Overlook.
There is plenty to do just inside Deadhorse Point State Park itself for a few days without even considering the national parks nearby. We are glad we scheduled three nights here but could have been very content and busy doubling that time. The best view of the Colorado River as it snakes around a bend is up at Deadhorse Point Overlook. We watched a sunrise and a couple of sunsets here. We found sunrise the best time for photographing the river against the bright orange backsplash of buttes, spires, and mesas. Visitors are only allowed to fly drones here November through February (with a permit). There are a number of trails connected to the campground. The West Rim trail is a recommended highlight as is mountain biking (if that’s your thing) on the Intrepid Trail. Make sure to leave a half day for exploring Canyonlands National Park and another half day for hiking through Arches National Park. Having an America Beautiful Pass ($80 annual pass) makes things convenient and avoids the $30 vehicle entry charges (if you are 62 years old or older, get the Senior Pass as it is a lifetime pass for the same price and gives 50% discounts at many campgrounds). Reserving a timed entry slot ($2) at recreagtion.gov is necessary for Arches National Park if you want to visit the park anytime between 7am to 4pm (we made ours using the Visitor Center WiFi the night before our visit — a limited number of slots open after 6 p.m. the night before for last minute reservations but up to 3 months in advance for those planning way in advance). A timed entry reservation isn’t necessary if arriving before 7 a.m. If possible, plan to go as early as possible to avoid the crowds and the heat of the day. We reserved a 7 a.m. – 8 a.m. slot at Arches, arrived at 7:15 a.m. (no line), and finished our tour of the park by around Noon.
Both Canyonlands and Arches national parks have nice visitor centers with great stuff to buy, including cool t-shirts and souvenirs for those friends and family holding down your home fort. Our highlights at Canyonlands were visiting Mesa Arch (0.6 mile walk), Buck Canyon Overlook, Grand view Point Overlook (1.8 mile hike), and Upheaval Dome 1st Overlook (0.6 miles). Our favorite stops at Arches were Balanced Rock (view), Windows Section with 2 arches (0.5 miles easy trail), Delicate Arch (difficult 3 mile trail, but families with small kids do it!), a petroglyph panel, and finally Devils Garden (with the widest arch of the park, Landscape Arch) (1.9 miles, moderately easy).
Days 8 & 9: Goblin Valley State Park
We left Deadhorse State Park heading to Goblin Valley State Park, one of the most remote places in the United States, without any assurances we would have somewhere to stay. We tried to make reservations at the campground at the earliest possible time (months in advance), but due to the popularity of the place and limited availability (only 24 campsites and two yurts) we were unable to secure a campsite. We crossed our fingers that perhaps the campground sets aside a few “first come first serve” campsites (like we had seen at other campgrounds). Our backup plan would be to look for a free dispersed campsite outside the park (which we had read about online). We made sure we used the dump for our Scamp 13′ before leaving Deadhorse Point SP and fully loaded it with water (plus our three 6 gallon water jugs which we filled at the DHSP dish wash station). These supplies would allow us to stay several days without hookups if necessary. Note: there is a free drinking water pump at the Goblin Valley State Park entrance adjacent to the Visitors Center and campers not staying in the park can dump here for a $15 fee.
We arrived at the Goblin Valley State Park (GVSP) entrance station about 11 a.m. on Friday morning. But, our campground hopes were quickly dashed by a park ranger who told us no GVSP spots ($45/night) were available. He recommended trying the free dispersed campsites down the road and mentioned the park had purchased surrounding land from the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) last year and had created defined sites out on the dirt land off the main road, each with a firepit. He said anything that was cleared was a legitimate free site (e.g. no parking directly on shrubs). So, we drove back down Goblin Valley Road, the one we had just driven to get into the park, about 6 miles from the park entrance and turned left at the first dirt road we saw (a clue was that there were travel trailers parked out in the area). Luckily, after just a very short drive down only a slightly bumpy dirt road, we were able to secure a really nice free spot (first come, first serve) with a great view (click here for video).
We were also able to intermittently get one bar on Verizon service to send and receive texts at this spot. The tradeoff was having to drive about 10 minutes to get into the park, and we did have to pay $20 for a 48 hour access pass to the GVSP park. Note: on our second day, we saw another expansive area of free state park dispersed camping on the road leading to Little Wild Horse Canyon trailhead (although it seemed like there was absolutely no cellphone signal with Verizon in this area).
The main draw inside Goblin Valley SP are the goblins of course! These magical stone hoodoo structures, formed from deposits laid 170 million years ago by a vast inland sea, stand like giants in a remote forest full of goblins. There are three main connected valleys, named appropriately: Valley 1, Valley 2, and Valley 3. We only explored Valley 1, but one can keep hiking for miles to meander through miles of these stone hoodoos. Even though we visited in October, the sun was intense midday and hiking around for an hour or so was enough until dark (the fun doesn’t end at sunset here — we were told the park pass allows one to stay inside the park until 10 p.m.). So, we came back after dark on our first day to explore the park at night. We attended a really interesting ranger station talk about scorpions. After the talk, the ranger led everyone on a trail and used a black light to find and show everyone scorpions (they glow under the light)!
Goblin Valley State Park is so remote that it gets really dark here at night. In fact, it is one of the darkest places on Earth and is a certified Dark Sky Park (offering unparalleled views of the Milky Way, especially in the summer months). A trip here wouldn’t be complete without wandering through the goblin fields under the light of a billion stars. One of our favorite activities during our visit was to photograph some of the goblins under the stars (particularly the Three Sisters formation) on a warm Fall night.
On our second and last day here, we hiked the Little Wild Horse Canyon trail (just outside the park about 5 miles down a side road). Instead of hiking the entire 8 mile loop (which can take up to 8 hours), we turned around after about 2 miles, returning the same way we came. This took us about two hours going at a steady rate (it’s difficult to go very fast because of uneven stone flooring and fun obstacles on the path). This is one of the most amazing hikes we have ever done and is a must when visiting if one is able to do some climbing over small boulders and walk on uneven terrain. The canyon walls are like varied works of art, with different colored earth hued tones smoothly blended onto one another, crafted by millions of years of water erosion. One shouldn’t have claustrophobia to do this hike, because there are parts of the hike which may require turning to one’s side to get through the narrowest parts! The hike is rated as “easy to moderate”, a mostly flat and shaded walk, and we saw many families with kids doing it (the trail is like a jungle gym and obstacle course for both kids and adults). But, this doesn’t mean anyone can do it. Being agile and sure footed is mandatory, as the rocks are slippery due to fine sand! One can always try for a while and turn around if it gets to be too much. It’s important to note that slot canyons can be very dangerous during rain storms as flash floods through the narrow canyon walls can be tragic to hikers caught by surprise. So, always check the weather and make sure there’s no chance of rain (not just in the immediate area, but surrounding areas that may affect the canyon). We were told to avoid hiking in these canyons entirely during the area’s monsoon season (June – September). Also, take plenty of water on your hike and stay hydrated. Note: we wanted to buy some tshirts at the Visitor Center after our hike. But, there was a long line of cars which looked like over an hour wait to access the Visitor Center parking lot and park entrance and only one lane (e.g. meaning campers and park pass holders still had to wait)! So, instead of driving in, we parked our car at a close trailhead outside the park and walked past the waiting cars which were at a standstill waiting on the main road. At this point we were really glad we weren’t staying at the park campground! After buying a shirt, we walked back to our car and drove down the road without any wait!
Make sure to stop by the Visitor Center before leaving! They have some excellent souvenirs, including great t-shirts, caps and arrowheads. It’s also a good place to get connected with free Wi-Fi (and make Wi-Fi calls/emails/texts). Lastly, drone permits can be purchased for $10 which allow pilots to fly and conduct photography missions over the Goblins!
Days 10 & 11: Capitol Reef National Park
An often overlooked national park (4th most popular out of 5 in Utah), Capitol Reef National Park (CRNP) is definitely worth a visit while on the Utah National Park circuit. The outstanding scenery includes impressive colorful rock formations, petroglyphs, and historic fruit orchards. Capitol Reef NP is also a dark sky area, providing a vivid night time window into the galaxy. Along with the scenery, there are some very cool hikes to explore. The area is named for both the Navajo sandstone rock formation which resembles the US Capitol building’s shape and the reef-like towering cliffs which were formed over millions of years by geologic forces (known as the Waterpocket Fold). In addition, there are arches, bridges, and twisting canyons among other natural wonders.
The first thing we noticed when pulling into this national park was there are no entrance gates or anyone to collect fees or ask for passes. One is able to go directly to the campground and pull right into one’s space. We reserved a campsite in the Fruita Campground months in advance. We arrived a bit early for the 11 a.m. check-in, so we parked across the street from Gifford House (gift store featuring historic items, including their famous fruit pies) in the large dirt area known as Jorgenson’s Pasture. Not wanting to waste time, we wandered into the historic Gifford House and purchased some home-made souvenirs and a mixed berry and a cherry pie (we were told pies sell out usually by 1 p.m, especially on weekends). The pies are delicious (cherry, mixed berry, apple crumb, pumpkin, strawberry rhubarb, peach right now) and definitely a must try while visiting. The following day we purchased the apple as well as the peach pies and can verify that these are also excellent!
We reserved campsite #23, a shady spot with a nice close-up view of impressive colorful cliffs. The campground has a park like feel. Most sites do not have hookups, and our site didn’t either. We used the free central dump when arriving and departing. There is also potable water at several water fills, and a general sink for grey dump and/or dishwashing. The camp host Karen was very kind, and told us that in August 2023 the campground flooded on her watch, due to monsoon rains, and emergency procedures were enacted. There is absolutely no cellphone signal here, however free Wi-Fi is available just a mile down the road at the Visitors Center. We were able to make phone calls over Wi-Fi. Mule deer roam the campground, giving the area a very natural feel. Feeding the deer is prohibited (as they are not shy) and the general rule is to give them at least 30 feet of space. Some of them are quite large with antlers. The deer families seemed very calm and mostly just grazed or sat on the lawns.
One could easily spend a week here with all the things to do, but since we only scheduled a couple of days we had to pick and choose some of the favorites recommended by local rangers and campers. We explored Jackson Orchard (which is one of many historic orchards in the Fruita Historic District where the Fruita Campground is located) and picked Red Delicious apples. You can eat all the fruit you can pick for free as long as you are in the orchard, otherwise it’s $2/pound (cash only, self pay). Since we were visiting in October, all the other orchards were already closed and Jackson was on its last few apples. Fruita orchards have apple, peach, pear, plum, apricot, and almond trees.
We took the Scenic Drive which is about 8 miles each way from the campground, and it highlights the natural towering cliffs. At the end of the Scenic Drive there is a dirt road which goes on for a couple of miles (family cars can handle it) and ends in a small parking lot at the trailhead to Capitol Gorge Road / The Tanks. The hike starts out easy along a river wash and within a narrow slot canyon (but not nearly as narrow as Little Wild Horse Canyon). The last short bit (which is optional) goes up a steep stone section that leads to The Tanks (holes in the rocks which hold water). Some hikers before us told us they had just seen big horn sheep hiking to The Tanks. The entire hike took us about one hour to complete at a moderate pace. Since this is considered a slot canyon, all the advice about weather safety applies, aka not for rainy season times (and there are warning signs along the way).
The Fruita Visitor Center is only a 1.2 mile easy trail walk from the campground, so it makes for a good morning walk for some free Wi-Fi, pies, and souvenirs. Amazingly, our GMRS radios were able to communicate well between our Scamp 13′ and the Visitors Center (despite the mountainous terrain)! The Visitors Center has some nice souvenirs, as does Gifford House (which is adjacent to the Fruita Campground). Our favorite things at Gifford House were unique soaps, apple pie, Fruita inscribed kitchen towels, homemade bread and butter pickles, jams, and syrups.
There are a lot of great hikes which can be done directly from the Fruita Campground. We enjoyed the Fremont River Trail. It’s a moderate 2 mile hike which includes an easy walk along the river and then climbs up quickly to a viewpoint high above. The trail was, at times, poorly marked so having Gaia GPS really made things easy! This hike took us about one hour to complete. Next, right down the road, past the Visitors Center, are the Petroglyphs (it’s a quick stop with boardwalks for observation). Our last hike during our visit was to see the Hickman Bridge (again the Gaia GPS app really saved us on this one as the trail lacked markings in places). Hickman Bridge is a close drive and starts at a trailhead in a small parking lot. This hike is labeled as moderate as the trail ascends up to a good elevation. Hikers are rewarded by a view of Hickman Bridge, which is basically a stone arch. This hike is about 2 miles round trip and took us about one hour to complete.
At the end of our second day here, we felt like we had just scratched the surface of Capitol Reef National Park. But, with so many places to visit, it was time to move on!
Days 12 & 13: Kodachrome Basin State Park
After a big drive over the mountains (9,600 feet elevation peak), we reached Kodachrome Basin State Park (which was named Kodachrome by National Geographic in 1949 with the consent of Kodak Film Corporation). Take one look at the magnificent colorful cliffs and towering red and white stone monolithic spires and the name seems an obvious choice. There are about 67 spires in the park and one can use their imagination to guess what each resembles — for example, one of the monoliths is called “Fred Flinstone” and another “Ballerina”! Click here for an aerial flyby made at sunrise.
The first thing we noticed when driving into the park is that the Visitors Center is super nice (it’s the park’s pride and joy after its natural wonders)! They had just done some renovations in the last year and it really shows. There is a great store with unique t-shirts and souvenirs along with archery bow rentals, a mini frisbee golf course, a small rock climbing wall, many flavors of ice cream for scooping into cones or cups, a really nice fire pit with comfy chairs in front, and open extra-long hours. There’s a seated bar inside for visitors wanting to have something to drink and perhaps work on their laptop. This Visitors Center makes one feel as if everyone is their special guest and they have tried to make one feel very welcome! Guided horseback riding is also available with reservations ($65/hour or $103/2 hours per person — 435-679-8100). The Wi-Fi is fast & free (we made Wi-Fi calls since there is no cellphone service in the park, with the exception of some trails — we found signal at the top of Panorama Point Trail). We enjoyed early morning walks along the main road to the Visitor Center from the campground (about 1.3 miles / 30 minutes each way) to catch up on emails and news while sitting in front of the roaring outside fire pit.
We had a really nice partial hookup spot, #K-33 (at Basin campground — one of three campgrounds here) ($35/night), which is very private and has water and electric hookups. There is a free central dump as well. Having electric hookups was great here because it got down into the 20’s at night and having electric power at the campsite meant we could use our small ceramic heater all night long as well as electric water heater and avoid burning up our onboard liquid propane. There’s also an awesome laundry building, called the Red Dirt Laundry (open 24/7!), on the road between the Visitors Center and the campground which we used during our trip. We have found just packing enough clothing for about 8 days on long trips is a great way to travel light because usually there are campgrounds (or areas close by) that have laundromats (we do laundry once per week). Note: always make sure to carry some detergent, dryer sheets and a few $10 rolls of quarters with you!
This is a great park to ride your mountain bikes because there are plenty of accessible trails (not all trails allow bikes, but the two major ones d0). Having bikes meant that we could cover a lot of terrain in one day which would have taken us several days of walking. Our favorite rides were the Grand Parade Trail (1.5 miles, easy for hiking and biking), the Panorama Trail (3 miles, easy/moderate, hiking or biking) and the Panorama Point (1 mile extension to the Panorama Point trail, breathtaking views). Note: some parts of the trails (even the easy ones) had some erosion with steep ruts and might require one to dismount the bike and walk over the area. There are plenty of other great trails here as well if time permits!
Days 14 & 15: Bryce Canyon National Park
Only about a 45 minute drive from Kodachrome Basin SP, Bryce Canyon NP is just a short hop away. Because our visit was in late October, the campgrounds had already changed from reservations to first come first served. We arrived at the campground around 11 a.m. and there was no wait at the entrance of the park. We pulled up to the gate station, and once we showed the attendant our America the Beautiful Pass we proceeded directly to Sunset Campground (one of two campground in the park). The other campground, North Campground, is right near the Visitor Center at the park entrance. We chose Sunset Campground, just about a mile and a half down the road from the Visitor Center, because many of the main trails are within walking distance of the campground (and parking space at the trail parking lots is difficult to find even in late October unless one arrives very early).
Because nighttime temperatures had started dropping very low (into the 20s), the park decided to close all RV loops within Sunset Campground with the exception of Loop A on the day of our arrival. The free central dump (located at North Campground) was also closed due to freezing weather. We had dumped when leaving Kodachrome Basin SP, so we had no issues for the two days of our visit. Most of Loop A was vacant when we arrived on a Thursday morning. The procedure is to pick a site (all are dry sites with no hookups) (make sure no one has taken it already / no tag clipped to post), park in it, and then go to the Iron Ranger at the entrance to Sunset Campground and fill out an envelope (add cash, $30/night for RVs), and put it into the payment box. Then, go back to the campsite and attach (clip) the tear off section from the envelope onto the campsite post. We chose campsite #240 because it is an end site (a bit more privacy and less chance of noise and smoke) and was long enough for our Volvo XC40 and Scamp 13′ with room to spare. There is a water spigot at the central bathroom. We found cellphone coverage through Verizon to be good here with fast speeds (fast enough to stream video).
We found the Visitor Center here to be large and very crowded. There’s also a lodge, which has a dining room (tourist prices). In contrast, the campground provided good solitude from the more trafficked tourist areas. And, there were tourists visiting from all over the world — we heard a lot of different languages spoken on the trails. Going early morning for hikes meant less people (and easier parking if driving).
We found Bryce Canyon NP to be amazing. The geologic wonders of the rock formations (spires and cliffs) and the number of these formations throughout the park is remarkable. The red rocks and varying hues provide dramatic color to the interesting shapes. There are two main hikes that are a must if one is capable (otherwise, there are observation points along the canyon rim). The Queen’s/Navajo Combination Loop is the most recommended hike and is a complete loop that passes through dramatic scenery of spires and other interesting rock formations. We recommend starting at Sunset Point (an easy walk from Sunset Campground) and dropping down the steep switchbacks of Navajo Loop and then making the way around with the final ascent of Queen’s Garden to Sunrise Point (Sunset Point>Sunrise Point). Then, walking back along the rim from Sunrise Point to Sunset Point provides nice overlooks of the hoodoos below (and then onto Sunset Campground). This is the opposite direction recommended by the park (but we found that it was less busy and avoids the quite steep ascent of Navajo Loop to Sunset Point at the end of the hike). Along the way, there are hoodoos which represent Queen Victoria and E.T.! It’s also fun assigning traits to other hoodoos seen on the hike! This hike is rated as moderate as there are some steep walking sections. We spent about 3 hours on this hike (including about 1/2 hour stopping) travelling 5.8 miles on this route (with an ascent of around 625 feet going from the valley floor back up to the rim).
The second “must” hike (if one can do it), which was our favorite, is Peekaboo Loop. It is rated as strenuous because there are many switchbacks and a climb of about 1,560 feet (more than double the climb of the Queen’s Navajo Combination Loop). It’s best to get to the parking lot at Bryce Point before 9 a.m as the lot is small and fills up quickly (it’s a bit far of a walk from Sunset Campground). Overall, we found the hike to be thoroughly manageable for people of all ages (as long as they stop for rest when needed). Our new friend Dwight, who we met (along with his wife Sharon) at Capitol Reef NP (click here for their website), joined us on the hike (since they also came to Bryce). Just like the first hike, we opted to do the hike counterclockwise (instead of the recommended clockwise direction) and felt this was a good way to go. We took our time and spent 3 1/2 hours hiking the loop (which included about 30 minutes of stops along the way). We thought this hike is the most dramatic as the valley is densely filled with hoodoos (including the Wall of Windows, The Alligator, and Hindu Temples). And, every turn is filled with an awe inspiring photo-worthy sight!
Day 16: Lake Mead National Recreation Area
About a half hour outside Las Vegas, Boulder Beach Campground is an oasis within Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The entrance fee is covered by the America The Beautiful Pass (or, without a pass, there is a $25 per vehicle entrance fee). We reserved campsite 83 ($20/night), which has no hookups and panoramic lake views. There is a free central dump at the entrance and water spigots are located throughout the campground. The campground overlooks Lake Mead and is connected to many lake side communities via a paved 34 mile bike path.
Having only a day to spend, we drove to the Visitor Center about two miles down the road from the campground. It’s well-staffed and we received maps and recommendations on things to do. We spent the day riding our bikes from the campground toward the Visitor Center and then along the flat DG-paved Historic Railroad Trail. The trail can be walked or biked and follows the path high above Lake Mead that was carved out in 1931 by construction firms working for the federal government to build nearly 30 miles of railroad connecting Boulder City with the Hoover Dam. The railroad was used to bring construction materials to build Hoover Dam. The connection to the Hoover Dam became public in 2007. The Historic Railroad Trail is 3.7 miles (one way) plus getting to it from the campground along the paved bike path is about 2 extra miles. So, the ride to and from Hoover Dam from the campground is about 12 miles round trip. There is only a slight grade going to the dam and we found the ride to be fairly easy. There are fantastic views of the lake along the trail and five train tunnels which are really fun to walk/ride through (click here to see our video).
There are a couple of sections of short climbs when approaching the dam parking area. We used our bike locks to secure our bikes while we took a tour of the Hoover Dam. The 30 minute tour cost $15/person and gives an interesting look inside the dam, including views of the turbines which are used to make electricity as Colorado river water passes through them. Biking back to our campground was a bit quicker due to the slight downward grade. Overall, this stop exceeded our expectations by offering excellent lake views (and great weather), fantastic bike riding on a historic trail, and an interesting inside look at Hoover Dam.
Final thoughts:
This was a fantastic journey and highly recommended for anyone who enjoys nature and transcending scenic beauty. We found creating this trip by linking the national parks and complementing the gaps between them with state parks is a great way to build an epic adventure. There were so many highlights on this trip that it seemed like we had been travelling for months, rather than just a couple of weeks. And, having to be spontaneous due to weather and finding unexpected treasures in new locations added to the thrill of unique and exciting travel.
Preparation was the key to making the trip easy. Before the trip we had our Scamp 13’s bearings repacked (which we do every two years) and also had our Volvo XC40’s rear brake pads replaced. Packing plenty of food and water to last two weeks allowed us to focus solely on seeing the sights. Many of our favorite stops didn’t have water, so carrying three extra 6 gallon jugs filled with water for the Scamp fresh tank (along with 12 gallons of reverse osmosis drinking water) was mandatory and allowed us to stay hydrated and showered daily. Plus, the lithium house battery and DC-DC car charger we installed was a real game changer (see DC-DC charger article). First, we saved a lot on campground costs by not having to find sights with electrical hookups. And, we were able to run our 12V refrigerator when driving between locations, keeping our food chilled, and always arriving with 100% charge on our battery. We did not need to take our solar panels on this trip and never would have needed them, providing valuable extra space in our tow vehicle! Gaia maps was essential during many of our hikes when trail markings were poor or non-existent. Having downloaded maps for each location (often no cellular service in these areas) meant we always had detailed geographical views of each trail. Additionally, the record feature on the app makes it easy to back track one’s path if necessary—like leaving breadcrumbs! The Victron shunt installed on our lithium battery was also invaluable in showing our lithium battery’s state of charge (SOC), even when driving! The GRMS radios were also very useful. Not only did we use the radios for backing up into campsites, but they came in handy for staying in contact when one person stayed in the Scamp and the other took walks (we experienced a little over 1 mile line of sight range, which was often the perfect distance between our campsite and a visitor center where one of us used Wi-Fi to catch up on email and news).
This trip reaffirmed how travelling over land with a travel trailer is an excellent way to see natural sights. Being able to stay within national and state parks provides the best possible location and the ability to experience these parks at night when the stars and many animals come out. Additionally, the costs tend to be much lower than staying in hotels/motels (without the travel and time costs to access the parks daily). There is also an affinity among campers staying at the campgrounds, and, in turn, it’s easy to make camper friends. On this trip, we met Dwight and Sharon, at Fruita Campground within Capitol Reef National Park, and later met up again and hiked with them at Bryce Canyon National Park. It’s not uncommon seeing the same people at campgrounds again and again when doing a tour of area parks. We have made a number of good camping friends over the past four years who we never would have met had we been staying at hotels. Now that we are home, the only thing left to do is to plan our next adventure!
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