Utah's "Magnificent" Five: Bryce Canyon
So far, we had checked three of the five southern Utah National Parks off our list. We were halfway through our vacation and had spent every single day being astounded by the otherwordly beauty of Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and the surrounding landscapes. After a restful day, we were ready to continue our journey to the vibrant hoodoos of Bryce Canyon National Park.
Day 6
Oh-so-early: I honestly blocked the time from my brain because we were up and out of our cozy Airstream while it was still quite dark. We had a date with the sunrise at Sunset Point. We didn’t quite make it and it was a little too cloudy for a spectacular sunrise, but it was still worth the early wake time.
7:00 am: We walked to Sunrise Point to begin the descent into the canyon along the Queen’s Garden trail. We combined this with the Navajo Loop trail for a 3 mile loop that ended in a series of punishing switchbacks. This was the most challenging hike we did on this trip, but one of the most spectacular, as well. Harrison managed all but the very end of the switchbacks. From beginning to end, the views of the hoodoos were astounding. It really defies all descriptions.
10:00 am: We were hoping to get back to the lodge in time for cinnamon rolls, but they had just ended breakfast, so we checked out the gift shop before setting out on the 18-mile scenic drive, stopping at various viewpoints.
11:30 am: We enjoyed a picnic lunch near Rainbow Point before finishing the scenic drive at a leisurely pace.
2:00 pm: Harrison was beyond ready for a nap. Unfortunately, our accommodations were not as advertised and we didn’t feel good about staying there overnight. We made a quick decision to go ahead and drive the 1 1/2 hours to Kanab, where I was able to make a last minute reservation via Hotel Tonight.
4: 00 pm: We checked into our hotel and the boys enjoyed the pool while I enjoyed some solitude.
5:30 pm: Kanab was really delightful. Although we had a pivot earlier in the day, I am so glad we ended up here. We were able to walk to dinner at the delicious Rocking V. We followed that with the ultimate ice cream sundae from the Soda Fountain. At the end of the day, I think we were all happy when we had hot showers instead of spending the night in a tent. Plus, we were able to make a last minute change to the adventure we had booked for the following morning, resulting in a longer, even more interesting experience.
Summary: It was another early morning as we left Escalante and attempted to drive to Bryce Canyon in time for the sunrise. We spent the morning doing a perfect loop hike into and out of the canyon, amazed every single step of the way at the incredible hoodoos. We took our time along the scenic drive before ending the day in the charming town of Kanab.
Day 7, Part 1
8:00 am: We were initially booked on a 10 am Peekaboo Slot Canyon tour with Dreamland Safari Tours. When we decided to stay in Kanab instead of closer to Bryce Canyon, Dreamland Safari gladly switched us to an 8 am tour, which gave us better lighting for photographing the canyon and allowed us to add a stop at the dinosaur track site and a quick view of Coral Pink Sand Dunes. It ended up being a fabulous morning, even if Harrison was slightly confused and disappointed when we saw preserved dinosaur footprints and not actual dinosaurs. I highly recommend Dreamland Safari Tours for some more adventurous exploration of this remarkable area of Utah.
Noon: After an adventurous morning, we enjoyed a gourmet lunch at Wild Thyme Cafe. It was soooo good. Seriously, the next time I definitely want to spend more time in Kanab. After lunch, we began to make our way to the final national park of our trip, Zion.
Summary: We spent the morning on a fantastic tour of a slot canyon, Coral Pink Sand Dunes, and a dinosaur track site with Dreamland Safari Tours. After a delicious lunch in Kanab, we headed toward Zion National Park.
where we stayed
We had initially booked at a glamping resort outside of Bryce Canyon. Between not being able to locate any onsite staff, being misled about the state of the campground including the impact of flooding, and just generally not getting a good feeling when we arrived, we decided not to stay there. We were never refunded our money, but in the big scheme of things, feeling safe was more important. We ended up reserving a night at the Hampton Inn Kanab via the HotelTonight app at a very reasonable price. It wasn’t fancy, but it was clean, comfortable, and we could walk downtown for dinner. I think we made the right call.
For next time
Stargazing - Bryce Canyon is a Dark Sky Park and I would love to attend a ranger led stargazing talk.
Mossy Cave hike - we planned to do this short, but sweet hike at sunset if we had stayed closer to Bryce Canyon, but we will just have to save this for next time
Fairyland Loop - this 8-mile hike was a bit too long for little legs, but is high on my list for the next trip
As I mentioned above, we would have all enjoyed more time in Kanab. After all, we still need to have lunch at the Kanab Creek Bakery and there is a lot of movie history here that would be interesting to explore.
I would also book more tours with Dreamland Safari, including a trip to the Wave and/or White Pocket.
Sunset at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
This is also a good jumping off point for some of northern Arizona’s most iconic sites, including the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Next up, the final leg of our national park adventure - Zion National Park!