Utah

Utah is an awesome state if you like nature and national parks. Utah is home to some great skiing, vast deserts, and surprisingly, many mountains. It's home to Arches , Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Zion, and Bryce Canyon National Parks. Each of those parks is fairly unique in and of itself, so I'd recommend a visit to each. But I did pick a few favorites...

Arches National Park is amazing. We don't have anything like it out east. In fact, I don't there is anything like it anywhere in the US. Right near the border with Colorado, you go from large mountains to desert in a matter of miles. Arches is near the town of Moab, Utah - the only thing of relevance for miles and miles. My brother and I camped for a few days in Arches in July 2007. It gets so hot there in July, that one day we simply could not take the heat anymore. We drove 25 miles one way to get to Moab, bought a pint of ice cream, and sat in the shade for an hour. Then we drove 25 miles back to Arches to hang out in the heat again. But if you can get out in the early morning or late afternoon, there is some great hiking and sites to see.

As I mentioned above, you go from Colorado's mountains to Utah's deserts in a matter of miles. I like this picture because it shows the two completely different land formations, right next to each other. Desert arches and mountains in the background. There was a storm coming in over the San Juan Mountains in the background, but I don't think it ever made it to Arches.

I'll do my best to recite the names of all the arches I took pictures of.

I have no idea the name of these formations. I think this was near Devil's Playground.














These two below are of Broken Arch:

 This may also be Devil's Playground.

My brother exploring Sand Dune Arch

 Although I hate that there are other people in the picture, its still a pretty cool photo of Delicate Arch, possibly Utah's most famous (it's on their license plate) with the San Juan Mountains in the background.

Landscape Arch, arguably the other most famous arch. It's longer than a football field.

Double O Arch:

Similar name, different arch. Double Arch:

 And finally, another of Arches' famous landmarks. Balanced Rock. How'd they do that??

Another park close to Arches is Canyonlands National Park. I'm typically a huge advocate of the national parks, but I did not like Canyonlands very much. My brother and I took to calling it "hot, waterless national park" because of the severe heat and the fact that there was no running water in the area of the park we were in. Still, this is one of the more famous outlooks in the park. An arch where you can see a lot of monuments through the arch. I think there have been several much more high-profile pictures taken from the same vantage point.

But just to prove a point, here is what much of Canyonlands looks like.

Bryce Canyon National Park is one of my favorite parks I've ever visited. It was a much needed contrast to the blazing heat of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. BCNP was actually almost cold, in August. It's set at a higher elevation on a plateau in Utah. The scenery is amazing. I've not seen anything else like it in the world.

The spires are remarkable. Its almost unfathomable how these could be created in nature. They look handcrafted.




























Be careful though. We went in August, and the days were nice and warm, but it gets cold at night. Jeans and a fleece were not enough to keep me warm - a fire was needed. It was refreshing though, after Arches and Canyonlands where the heat was inescapable.


Next up was Zion National Park. Zion contends for that special place in my heart known as "the best national park". Zion is very dry and desert-ish, but it also has mountains, valleys, and an awesome river hiking trail.

This spot was probably my brother and I's favorite. The peak to the left is known as Angel's Landing, and has some great views of the Zion Valley from up top.

However, you can't be afraid of heights to reach it. You have to go straight up the spine of this thing (below, left). In several spots, you are only a foot or two from looking straight down that vertical face on the left, 1,000+ feet STRAIGHT down. Yikes.

But once up to the top, you have views like these two. Worth the hair-rising hike, for sure:

Another great spot in Zion National Park is a trail called "the Narrows". This trail goes straight up a river, and you can keep going for miles. It eventually leads to an area called the "subway", which is very remote, but has many popular pictures from it. My brother and I never made it there in our limited time. We hiked upstream for a few miles though, and got deeper and deeper into the canyon.

You're literally walking down the middle of a river that has carved a narrow canyon. As long as there is no flash flood, its a pretty cool experience.















Other cool sights in Zion. From near the main campground.

Utah doesn't just have skiing and a large Mormon temple. The best concentration of national parks in the country is within a few hours drive, all within Utah. Although not in Utah, the Grand Canyon is not too far from Zion. Its worth the road trip.