We knocked around in the heat and conquered Utah’s Mighty Five National Parks

Arches, Pinnacles, Fins, Mesas, Buttes, Spires, Plateaus, Slot Canyons, Hoodoos, Narrows and so many other geologic formations…that you’ve probably never heard of since your fourth grade text book…but all there to explore. Ummm…what’s a hoodoo? I will get to that later.

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The Mighty Five of Utah include Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Parks. And we did them…in that order. We flew into Denver, rented a SUV, drove through Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada, and flew out of Las Vegas.

Along the way we stopped in the quaint town of Longmont, Colorado to get some great barbecue and explore the town, before heading out on our journey along I-70. Melissa made plans for us to stop and enjoy the hot springs in Glenwood Springs…not only known for those springs…but also as the final home of Doc Holliday.

Glenwood Springs is a great stopover. We stayed at an older roadside motel – the Glenwood Springs Inn. We woke up in the morning to get to Iron Mountain Hot Springs for when the place opened. It was 47 degrees. I don’t care how hot the water is…it’s 47 degrees!

Iron Mountain Hot Springs in Glenwood Springs, Colorado

It was a great, relaxing experience. Neither one of us is too keen on using public pools…submerging in a tepid pool of someone else’s filth – we don’t particularly like our own filth – but this place was really worth dealing with that neuroses. Except for the kanoodling that was going on. PDA is one thing…I get that (Melissa doesn’t) but there was a little too much synchronized swimming going on. It made for a very uncomfortable situation because there was zero self-awareness, or ANY kind of awareness for that matter.

We spent 90 minutes sampling the many different springs, all with different temperatures and consistencies. I mean, they were all wet with water, but the signs said they had different minerals associated with different parts of the world.

While the drives, quite often, can be the boring part of the excursion, I-70 through Glenwood Canyon in Colorado and beyond into Utah has some magnificent views. There were plenty of places that we just had to pull over. We even had to turn around and go back to take some pictures in Glenwood Canyon along the Colorado River. And then it was on to Moab, home of the first two National Parks on our playlist.

Welcome to Utah!

Welcome to Utah! We were out on the side of the road about to take a selfie when a young woman pulled over and asked if we wanted her to take our picture. She said that it would be the best part of her trip because her drive was awful. She seemed very down but so very sweet. I mean, who would take the time to do that when they, themselves, are having such a bad time? I wish we had gotten her name, and given her our card. We so appreciated her making that effort and truly hope that her day and her drive got a lot better.

Arches National Park has the densest concentration of natural stone arches in the world.

Arches National Park

There are reported to be over 2,000 documented arches in the Park, the most famous, of course, Delicate Arch…which is 46 feet high and 32 feet wide, making it the largest free-standing arch in the Park.

Arches is the one Park in the group that has a timed entrance. And we were concerned that we would have to alter our itinerary because we couldn’t get a reserved time prior to leaving for the trip. But we got lucky, the night before, with an early, very early, entrance time of 7:00 a.m. That was okay by us since we like to get early starts and, more importantly, we want to avoid the hiking in the hottest part of the day…Melissa so hates the heat.

It didn’t help that I couldn’t find my National Parks membership card. A while back I purchased a lifetime membership for $80. That gets you into all of the National Parks for free. Some of the Parks do not have entry fees or even entry gates, but most of them charge $40 per vehicle. If you plan to visit multiple National Parks, do the math. I don’t know what happened to my card, but they can’t replace a lost one even in this age of technology, because they have no records of who purchased the memberships. That’s odd. I ended up having to pay for a new card.

We got into Arches just as the sun was rising above the horizon. I, of course, wanted to stop all along the way to take pictures. But Melissa pressed me to get to the trailhead because there was every indication that parking would be a major problem, especially for the most popular place in one of the most popular National Parks in the country.

Delicate Arch is…a symbol…a symbol of Arches National Park, and everything Utah, – it’s literally everywhere you go – on signs, store fronts, incorporated into the logo of so many businesses, and even the State’s license plates. So the hike to that iconic site is quite popular.

We were lucky enough to get a parking space but even at that early hour, the area was mobbed. We could see from the trailhead that people were on the trail…they looked like ants moving on a hill off in the distance…and we could see them climbing. When I first asked, I was told that the hike was a fairly easy hike. Either the person was misinformed or was fxxxing with me. We would come to find out that the trail was “difficult.”

We are not novices, but we are not “super experienced” hardcore back country hikers either. We are what I would call recreation hikers who are in pretty good shape, but we need to be psychologically prepared for what we are about to encounter, know what to expect, regardless of the degree of difficulty. This one, I admit, was a big “fail” on me…regarding the information. I didn’t dig deep enough like I usually do.

And…at ½ mile into the hike…with the sun already blazing down on us as we were climbing higher, scaling rocks, and navigating narrow ledges high in the air….Melissa said, “I wanna stick my head in the FXXXING hole and hope something bites me so I don’t have to finish this.”

It was HOT. And Melissa was miserable.

We encountered a lot of people…including a mom who was hiking “alone” with one child in a pouch on her back and another five – under the age of 10 – in tow. She was carrying the baby on her back, in the oppressive heat, for the more than 1 ½ miles to get to Delicate Arch, with the others climbing and jumping on all of the big rocks along the way…and then all the way back. Those kids were having a blast…I was just trying to hang on.

Delicate Arch in Arches National Park

Once we got there…the view was unbelievable. Yes, it was worth it. We both wish we would could have enjoyed getting there more, but it was amazing. If there is only one hike you can do at Arches National Park…THIS is the one you MUST do.

We sat there and regrouped and ate our Bobo’s PB&J for a much-needed snack after a more strenuous hike than we expected. We then made our way back down and even though the views off in the distance were spectacular, Melissa wanted no part of taking pictures. The objective was to just get back to the car for some much-needed air conditioning.

We spent some time driving to some of the other arches such as Double Arch, North Window, South Window, and Turret Arch. Those formations were all accessible from the same parking lot, and were not very long walks. But in the plus 90 degree temps, even the shorter paths seemed like they went on much longer.

We had talked about taking a break mid-day but it had to be strategically planned because of the timed-entry issue. If we left the Park, then we would have to wait until after 4 p.m. to return. We hit downtown Moab for a late lunch and to cool off a bit.

After 4, it was back to the Park and we made all of the stops to see the majestic formations along the road that cuts through the Park.

We did a few shorter hikes to Tunnel Arch, Pinetree Arch, Broken Arch and Sand Dune Arch. Those were actually quite easy, especially in the cooler part of the day. These were also great for kids…especially Sand Dune which was like a playground for kids.

Pinetree Arch in Arches National Park

Believe it or not, our favorite arch, was Skyline Arch. It was a very short stroll from the side of the road.

Skyline Arch in Arches National Park

We saw a total of 10 arches at Arches National Park, as well as some other imposing geological structures.

Moab was a bustling and expensive place

I was particularly excited to go to Moab because…just because. I have always known about the town and it was a place I had always wanted to visit. And the fact that Merrell Moab 3 hiking boots are my favorite boots to wear, even when I am not hiking, just added to my excitement.

Things are quite expensive in Moab. It’s touristy and that’s kind of expected. There are Jeep Wranglers all over the place. We brought our ducks along so that we could “duck” Jeeps but we realized that the place was overrun with “rentals.”

We had trouble finding a place to stay that was reasonable, but in the end, Melissa found Hotel 191, previously known as J.R.’s. From the pictures on the internet, it looked like it could be a Hampton Inn. From the road, it looked like an old roadside motel…tucked in front of a storage warehouse facility and across from some other commercial businesses. It was strange. There was nobody in the office. Ever. The sign said “NO VACANCY” but there were hardly any cars there. I am pretty sure that the reason for the “NO VACANCY” would be so that there was “NO ENTRE” in the office?

If you view an accommodation as just a clean and safe place to sleep, you can look passed the lack of…lack of “foo foo” about the place? I mean, we’re not spending a lot of time in any of the places, we’re out there in the Parks. So we just need clean, and safe…I said that, right?

We would spend three nights in Hotel 191 in Moab. If you can’t find any other place, this place serves a purpose. Otherwise, try someplace else.

One thing that we thought was kind of fun was the food truck park in the middle of town. We ate at a few of the places during our time there – Moab Grille, The Spoke, Moab Diner, and Canyon Pizza. They were all pretty decent, reasonable prices, and extremely cordial service. The Moab Diner had nice offerings for breakfast and was like an old-fashioned ice cream parlor for dessert. I highly recommend at least one meal there. Canyon Pizza…I don’t get it. Let’s just leave it at that.

Canyonlands National Park contains some of the most scenic erosional landforms in the American southwest.

Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands consists of a rugged landscape of canyons, mesa, buttes, and rock spire. It doesn’t get the attention that it’s neighboring Arches National Park receives, and that’s a shame. It’s also got many natural arches and a whole lot more…with a whole lot less of crowds.

It appears that Canyonlands gets a lot of its visitors from the people who are already intent on going to Arches….much the same that King’s Canyon National Park gets the people who were visiting Sequoia National Park in California. They’re already in the vicinity…so they’ll just take a quick jaunt over. We overheard a lot of people saying how they had just done Arches the day before, like we did, and we just happen to see a Jeep Wrangler at the Visitor Center with one of OUR ducks on its dashboard, having ducked it the day before at Arches.

Canyonlands is exceptionally large in area and divided into sections – Island in the Sky in the north, The Maze in the center, and The Needles in the south. Because of the timing and our itinerary, we chose to stay in the Island in the Sky area…and there is plenty to see just in that area alone. The Needles is also very popular, but we just didn’t have enough time.

Again, starting out early, we endeavored to do our one long hike at a time when we could beat the heat. Well…we tried anyway. We chose a 3.5 miles trail to Murphy Point. We didn’t beat the heat. We waltzed right into it.

The view from Murphy Point in Canyonlands National Park

The views were unbelievable. We had a panoramic view of Soda Springs Basin, White Rim, and Stillwater Canyon. We got out to Murphy Point, had the plateau all to ourselves and sat down and looked into the expanse of the canyons. Melissa wanted to stay and eat right there. I looked at her and asked, “Do you REALLY want to do that? It’s getting hotter by the minute.” We were soon back on that trail.

On the way back to the trailhead, Melissa said…half moaning…”I really want a Devil Dog.” We didn’t bring enough water. I think there was some delirium from dehydration.

We took a ride along the scenic road and ventured out to Grand View Point Overlook, and then backtracked to Buck Canyon Overlook. The views are all great and from the vantage point we were at…it all looked almost fake. You have to wonder how this all happened.

Canyonlands National Park Buck Canyon Overlook

We took another shorter hike to Mesa Arch which was a much easier hike but very crowded with people…actually…the only one that WAS crowded.

Mesa Arch at Canyonlands National Park

Even though we only got to the Islands in the Sky section, we saw some great views and decided that this Park is definitely underappreciated.

We stayed the night in Moab and got some laundry done, and enjoyed some dessert at the Moab Food Truck Park. Again…it’s a fun experience.

We had a long drive but there was a crazy stop as were about to get back onto I-70 – Jackass Joe’s. It’s a bizarre and weird place but it really does have some great things to snack on…things you may be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.

The next leg of our drive through Utah would put us back on I-70 to Route 24 which goes right through the heart of the Capitol Reef National Park and into the town of Torrey.

Torrey, Utah is a bustling town with a population of 287 people.

In searching for a place to stay, I found Austin’s Chuck Wagon Motel – although “Austin’s” has since been dropped from its name.

As it turns out, Chuck Wagon would truly be a real surprise and a gem, and would end up being our favorite place that we stayed on the trip. It was truly like an old western motel and had a general store with a deli that served breakfast and lunch. The place was clean, reasonably priced, and extremely convenient in its proximity to the Park.

The first night we had a great meal at Torrey Grill and BBQ which doesn’t open til 5 p.m. You have to be very aware of the times of the few eateries that are in Torrey, as it’s very limited in numbers and operation hours. But the meal was one of the best BBQ we’ve had.

It was in front of a campground for RV’s and even had slabs on the outskirts of the parking lot for small tents. There were people literally set up in pup tents on the slabs…right in full view. I had never seen anything like that before. It was like a little community of pup tents.

Capitol Reef is known for the Waterpocket Fold…a 100-mile fold in the earth’s surface…a geographic phenomenon that features ridges that rise from the desert…and have eroded into a slickrock wilderness of domes, cliffs, and a maze of canyons.

Capitol Reef National Park

You guessed it. We, again, got up early to beat the heat. It was 53 degrees when we started. And our first hike of Great Wash Trail was 3.25 miles and was rather cool…it truly looks like you are on another planet.

Capitol Reef National Park Great Wash Trail

We stopped at the Griffin House for their famous pie and cinnamon bun. They only make seven dozen pies every day and are usually sold out by 1 p.m. So you snooze…you lose. And they definitely live up to the reputation.

The famous pies and cinnamon buns are INCREDIBLE at the Gifford House in Capital Reef National Park

After sugaring and carbing up, we did the hike to Hickman Bridge…a one mile out and back. But the elevation climb was double than we expected and the temperature got up there and there was no protection from that sun. That led to this exchange:

Trail to Hickman Bridge in Capitol Reef National Park

Alan: Melissa, are you OK?

Melissa: I’M HOT…I’M MISERABLE…BUT I’M NOT GOING TO DIE!

Alan: Melissa are you OK?

Melissa: NO! THIS IS THE SECOND WORST DECISION I MADE AFTER HAVING US GO TO THE BEACH THAT DAY!

Alan: Melissa…do you want me to take your picture there?

Melissa: NOOOOOO…I HAAAAATE THIS FXXXING HIKE.

Alan: Melissa…do you want to rest or keep going?

Melissa: I WANT TO BREAK MY FXXXING LEG AND GET MEDIVACKED OUTTA HERE!

We got to see some spectacular views though!

Capital Reef National Park is designated as a Dark Sky Park. So after getting some rest, we went back out to the Park to Panorama Point at about 10 p.m. and looked at the stars. It was well worth getting back out there and seeing that sky with the constellations all very well in sight. It was a bit creepy…hearing the sounds off in the distance…but we were like little kids out there. A definite “must do” at Capitol Reef.

We got up early and headed out of the podunk town of Torrey. We continued on Scenic Route 24 to Route 62 to Route 89. The view was just as “scenic” as Scenic Route 12 which is a treacherous route especially because of the “hogback” along the way. We intentionally avoided it. As it turns out…we DID have to travel 17 miles of Route 12…but missed the hogback. More amazing views and the pics never do it justice.

We made the choice to stay in the historic town of Panguitch, population of 1,785. The thought was that the town was equidistant between Bryce Canyon National Park and our last stop of Zion National Park. What we didn’t realize was how far it actually was from the Park and that the Bryce Canyon National Park has its own little city near its entrance. We could have stayed much closer.

And…and…there was a little issue with our reservation. Melissa never received a confirmation for the little motel we booked…or thought we booked. Luckily we arrived early enough to scramble and find another place just for the one night…and Econolodge…recently converted from a Days Inn. It was clean and affordable. That’s about it.

Bryce Canyon National Park has many erosional geologic features, including fins, windows, fluted cliffs, bridges, arches, and grottoes…but is best known for the world’s largest collection of hoodoos.

Bryce Canyon National Park

First…what’s a hoodoo? They are tall, thin rock spires, which are formed by frost wedging. The hoodoos come in many colors and thicknesses, and tend to look like giant statues or castles.

Some of the hoodoos in Bryce Canyon National Park

We made a quick stop at Bryce Canyon National Park the afternoon before because we had time to kill. And it was quite different from the first three Parks on the trip. This place was mobbed…and had the atmosphere of an amusement park. It was definitely going to be a different experience.

OK so now we are definitely getting out early. And we were rewarded with a temperature of 38 degrees to start as we watched the sunrise from Sunset Point. That’s right…the sunrise from Sunset Point. The view of the sunrise is definitely better from Sunset Point and vice versa…Sunrise Point allows for a better view of the sunsets. Good thing we got that tidbit from a Park Ranger the day before. Who knew?

After sunrise, we did a 3.05 miles hike on the Navajo-Queens Garden loop and the views were spectacular. We saw Thor’s Hammer before a huge descent into the canyon and then, of course, a huge ascent back up. We saw so many hoodoos, natural bridges, tunnels, and arches.

Thor’s Hammer at Bryce Canyon National Park

We took a break for coffee and snacks at the General Store. Then we drove the scenic drive to the end to Mile 18 and hiked the Bristetone Loop Trail to the overlook…and then doubled back to Mile 12 to view the Natural Bridge.

Natural Bridge at Mile 12 of Bryce Canyon National Park

After a horrible lunch Ruby’s Canyon Diner (fried fast food), we got back out into the sun and did one final hike on the Mossy Cave Trail to the ONLY waterfall in the entire Park. And, actually, it is outside the Park’s main area and along Route 12.

The drive to our last destination was a winding adventure on some backroads and through some VERY small towns. We ended up staying in Cedar City because we believed it to be close to the Park.

We were wrong. Oh, it WAS close to the Park, but not the area of the Park that we wanted to go to…which was another 56 miles away to that entrance. We had an Airbnb, a tiny house, for two nights booked. We were thinking about trying to get closer to where we needed to be, but then decided to stay right where we were because it was actually a shorter distance to where we were headed afterwards…to Las Vegas.

Cedar City was actually the largest city we stayed in throughout the trip. We were near the historic center of town, but every big store, every chain, every fast food place was right there. We did have a couple of nice dinners at The Pub and Centro for wood-fired pizza.

Zion National Park is one of the most popular National Parks in the country, and is known for its high plateaus, maze of narrow, deep canyons, steep cliffs, and the Virgin River that runs through it.

Zion National Park

This Park started off with some mishaps before we even arrived, and some things we failed to take into consideration. No cars allowed on the road through the Park, unless you are staying at the Lodge in the Park. So the only way around is the shuttle. It was like Walt Disney World. The place was MOBBED.

We approached the Park and there was a long line into the town of Springdale. And Sprindgale has a number of places for visitors to park and then you can take a shuttle from the many stops. We waited on the line to go through the entry booth and drove the few hundred yards to the Visitor Center. There was not a single place to park..and it really was one of the larger parking lots that we have seen at a National Park.

We had to exit the Park and park outside of the Park grounds and we walked on a short trail to the Visitor Center. There we waited in a cue – like you would at Walt Disney World – to board the shuttle that would take visitors to the many stops along the scenic road that goes through the Park. It was two hours from the time we got on line to enter the Park with the car until we actually boarded the shuttle.

We noticed that, unlike the other National Parks we’ve been to, the people we saw at Zion appeared to be hardcore hikers. They were dressed and draped in gear that we don’t usually see. Melissa and I wear top of the line Merrell Moab 3 hiking boots. The people we saw were wearing boots that we had never even heard of, and holding some pretty serious hiking poles.

We were already thinking that, after already having done four Parks, and the high temps that were expected, this was going to be fun.

View of the Virgin River from high above on the Kenyata Trail at Zion National Park

We did a moderate hike (just under 3 miles) on Kayenta Trail to Emerald Pools and while the hike itself was scenic…the end result was…um…”this is it?”

A view of the Lower Emerald Pool at Zion National Park. You don’t see it? Neither did we.

Once again, the description of the trail was not exactly as experienced. The climb up was a bit more than anticipated and the angles of ascent at times I would say should be considered “difficult” rather than “moderate.” There were a number of tight squeezes and steep stone stairs. Regardless of whether you are going up, or down, it’s a bit dicey. Add to that there are people attempting to go in both directions, that doesn’t leave a lot of room.

The Kenyata Trail in Zion National Park

And it was really getting hot. We took a break for lunch at the Lodge. After lunch, it was still getting hotter. Still.

We boarded the shuttle to take us to the Temple of Sinawava and we were going to walk the Riverwalk. Sounded kind of easy. We’ll just walk along the river to the narrows and turn back, figure about three miles round trip.

Along the Riverwalk at Zion National Park

It became quite apparent that the temp had climbed…to over 100 degrees.

Melissa: I HATE this backpack and I HATE this hike…

Usually after we are done with the actual hikes, we will take a ride on the roads through the Parks and stop at a lot of turn-outs or parking lots and see some of the sites along the way. But because you are not permitted to drive your personal vehicle, that was not going to work. And getting on and off the crowed shuttle over and over again just to take a look and get some photos, as Melissa said, “It’s all beginning to look the same. It’s rocks.”

I think she was just hot.

Ranking the Mighty Five

It became very clear that a lot of the people we encountered, most of the people, in fact, were doing the Mighty Five. Yes, of course there were those visiting just one or two, but it was clear that a lot visit with the mindset that, if you’re there…do them all. I guess that is why they are grouped as The Mighty Five.

Now everyone has asked how we would rate the Mighty Five. Melissa and I have differing opinions on some of it, like the order that we would put them in. but what we DO agree on is that Bryce Canyon National Park has broken into our Top 3 National Parks. There is something so unique and special about it, and it was definitely a place that we could definitely go again and experience more.

Zion and Arches are two of the most visited and talked about National Parks. And I get it. The views are awesome, Post card worthy pictures. But the hype is just that…I don’t get THAT. Capitol Reef and Canyonlands are like the forgotten two in the group, and that is unfair, and undeserved.

The reality is that all five of these National Parks offer so much. They are in such close proximity to each other, yet they are so different. We spent a full day in each Park and it was truly a great experience and a great trip. I dropped the ball and didn’t do my usual “down the rabbit hole” research and that’s on me. But I can’t be blamed for the weather, the heat. Regardless of what Melissa says. Okay, so we could have planned the trip for a time when it isn’t so hot.

We left Cedar City and made the drive to Las Vegas. It was a couple of hours and we ended up passing through a very picturesque corner of Arizona for about 30 miles. We figured since we had a very late flight, and about eight hours to kill, we would walk around The Strip, take some photos, people watch…stroll around, ya know.

It was 107 degrees.

It’s at times like this I say to Melissa, “Ya know, this is why I think we should be using a video camera to capture all of this.” To which she responded tersely, “I’m not a circus performer…so NO!” Enough said.

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