Our Utah Adventure.
Southern Utah has been on our bucket list since moving to Phoenix. We wanted to visit Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks since they’re only a 7-hour drive from our house, but when you've got two dogs and a tiny human, this kind of trip is much harder to plan for. In January, I started thinking about my birthday and what I wanted to do. I'm big on birthdays, and I usually can find any excuse to plan a trip! I decided we’d finally do this trip, spending one day in Bryce Canyon and one day in Zion, especially since I wasn't sure how long our time in Phoenix would be. Ironically, less than a month later, James got promoted, are we’re relocating out of Phoenix, so THIS WAS OUR TIME TO GO!
Once we locked in our dog sitters, I booked our hotels and got to planning. As much as I would have loved to camp, it was going to be a bit too cold (it got down to 30 degrees at night in Bryce Canyon), so we opted for the comfort of a hotel. This was a great choice because we could all get a good night’s sleep, and Mia could have her fun in the pools!
On the drive up we stopped in Page to see Horseshoe Bend. It's a pretty quick 1.5-mile round-trip hike out to the lookout. Since Mia had not taken a nap yet in the car, she was less than thrilled to be in the backpack carrier, in the heat, and near a canyon. She made it quite clear she was displeased, but the view was worth it!.
In Bryce Canyon City, we stayed at the Best Western Plus Ruby's Inn. Our room was in the main part of the lodge, which was perfect because it was connected to the indoor pool, the restaurant, and the massive general store. The hotel (and the town) is about 5 minutes from the Bryce Canyon visitor center, so we didn’t need to rush. We enjoyed the complimentary breakfast and hit the road to hike at about 7:30 am to grab a Junior Ranger book for Mia (and she adopted a prairie dog), then headed to Sunset Point trailhead to hike the Navajo Loop and Queens Garden Trail. This is a relatively easy 3-mile hike, but because you're walking in and out of the canyon and hiking at about 8,000 ft elevation, you get pretty tired quickly. Bring plenty of water and take your time! The scenery is incredible!!
Make sure you check the road and trail conditions before heading to Bryce Canyon. Some of the trails will be closed due to ice and snow, making them unsafe. The road out to Yovimpa Point sometimes closes after fresh snowfall, so make sure you plan accordingly! We were able to drive down to the end of the road, and Mia got to frolic in some snow! The best way to do the scenic drive is to stop at the overlooks on the way back from Yovimpa Point, because all the stops will be on the side of the road. Enjoy!
It's about a 2-hour drive from Bryce Canyon to the hotel we stayed at in Virgin, Utah. Although the drive is long, the last hour of driving is through Zion National Park. The road through the Zion-Mt Carmel Tunnel was nothing like anything I've ever seen before. It was like Sedona on steroids. We broke up the drive and stopped just before the tunnel to hike to the Zion Canyon Overlook. This is about a mile hike, out and back, and easy to navigate. The view was SO GOOD. I highly recommend making this stop on your trip! If you've got littles, watch them carefully as the edges can get steep and the overlook has no guardrails. After the hike, you have the pleasure of driving through the tunnel (literally through the mountain) and taking the windiest road ever, going down into the canyon. If you get motion sickness, make sure you pop your Dramamine!
Once we got to our hotel, we realized there was no food in Virgin, Utah - oops! You either need to go to Springdale, which is right next to Zion, or go the opposite direction into La Verkin. Both are about 10 minutes away from Virgin. We opted for takeout from River Rock Roasting Company in La Verkin, which also has great coffee!
After a good night's sleep, we got up at 5:45 am (yay birthday!!) to get to the visitor center by 7 am and grab the shuttle into the park. The Zion shuttle is the only way you can get into the park by car for Angels Landing, the Narrows, etc., between March–November, and I knew it was going to be busy, so we had to get moving early. We got to the trailhead at 7:45 am and were greeted by wild turkeys! After a quick trip to the restroom, we begin our ascent up to Scout Lookout via West Rim Trail. Depending on your ability and level of physical fitness, this hike ranges from moderate to hard. I found the only real challenge being the constant incline you climb for almost 2 miles, gaining 1,100 feet elevation. It’s not technical at all, so if you take your time, take breaks, and drink plenty of water, you're good to go! This trail takes you up to the base of Angels Landing (which you need a permit for), or you can continue up the West Rim Trail. We trekked on a little bit further to get away from people and get a better viewpoint. Shout-out to James for carrying Mia for almost the entire way up! It’s bittersweet because we’re pretty sure this was our last hiking adventure with her in the carrier. She’s at about max weight capacity. James’s back is thankful LOL. Pro tip: get an early start for this hike. We were shaded the entire climb, and the sun was on us most of the way down.
After our first hike, we took the shuttle to the lodge to get some much-needed coffee. I was well overdue for my morning caffeine!! The lodge had rocking chairs out front, so we just hung out and soaked in the views around us. There was a big lawn where kids were running around, so Mia went and made some friends! She (of course) met a fellow Canadian who happens to be the same age as her. A match made in heaven. We enjoyed taking the time to relax before heading back to the visitor center. Mia grabbed her Junior Ranger booklet, and we headed out on hike number two. This time we did the Watchman trail, which is a little over 3 miles round trip, and I’d rate it easy to moderate. The trailhead begins at the visitor center, and in the afternoon, you are completely exposed to the sun, so be prepared and have your water!! Back at the visitor center, we got to learn all about cougars and big horn sheep from the park ranger (THANK YOU, park rangers for all that you do!!!). Fun fact: big horn sheep use their horns to scrape the needles off cacti so they can break them open and access water. You can also tell how old a big horn sheep is by the rings on their horns - like a tree!
I'm not going to lie, it was the cutest thing ever watching Mia listen to the park range and recite the Junior Ranger pledge. She is so invested in the outdoors and wildlife. I'm so proud of the little outdoorswoman she's becoming!
After we were done in the park, we went to Zion Canyon Brew Pub for a burger and a giant pink lemonade. We then got ice cream next door and made our way back to the hotel so Mia could pool it up some more.
We hit the road to head home early the next morning. The drive was incredible. I am so amazed by the diverse terrain of southern Utah / northern Arizona. You go from red rock mountains to evergreen trees to flatlands to canyons. We drove past the Vermillion Cliffs, and I was in absolute awe. Then we stopped at the Navajo Bridge for another look at the beautiful Colorado River and grabbed a souvenir bracelet for Mia from the roadside stand.
I wish we had more time to hike around in the parks, but I'm beyond thankful we made this trip! It's called my bucket list birthday for a reason, and I hope we get to visit again. On to the next adventure.
xo, Stef
