Summer in Utah w/ the kids: Capitol Reef, Escalante, Bryce, GCNR, Zion
Aug 25th, 2011, 07:08 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 177
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Summer in Utah w/ the kids: Capitol Reef, Escalante, Bryce, GCNR, Zion
Our family, my husband and I and our three sons (9,9, and 6) just returned from a trip to Utah. We were there for 10 days in late July. We were concerned about the heat and how intense the hiking wouild be for our children. For the most part it went very well. There were a few adventures thrown in. I asked a lot of questions and had tons of help from this forum. I wanted to pay it forward so hear goes.
First I will give a quick summary for those who want to just have an overview of a trip that reallly worked well. I will follow with a detailed report of hikes, restaurants and random things we did.
Day 1: Arrive Las Vegas Friday mid day, picked up rental car and made the long drive to Torrey. Stopped in St.George to pick up supplies and stayed at Austin's Chuck Wagon. A long day but it put us in a great location to begin exploriing.
Day 2: Visited Capitol Reef in the morning. Headed down scenic Highway 12 toward Bryce. We took a detour down Hole in the Rock Road and we toured Devil's Garden. We followed this with a pretty intense hike through Peek-a-Boo Canyon. Ended the day at Ruby's in outside Bryce.
Day 3: We explored Bryce Canyon at a more relaxed pace seeing Bristlecone Trail, Rim Trail, and Inspiration Point. Dinner at Valhalla (yum!) followed by star gazing at the rim. Spent the nigiht at Bryce Canyon Lodge.
Day 4: Enjoyed a half day trail ride in Bryce Canyon. Went back to Escalante and hiked Willis Creek slot canyon. Relaxing dinner at local restaruant and back to Bryce for a sunset hike down Navajp Trail. Another night at Bryce Lodge.
Day 5:Travelled to North Rim of Grand Canyon in the fog and rain. Checked into our Western Cabin (dellighted!) and hiked down the North Kiabob Trail. Had dinner in the lodge and watched the sun set over the Grand Canyon. Went out that night to see the best star diplay I've seen in years. Really glad we made the effort to go here!
Day 6: Visited Point Imperial at NRGC. Headed on to Zion. Hiked Canyon Overlook trail and headed to Dessert Pearl Inn. I will say this was an oasis enjoyed by everyone in my family and worth every penny.
Day 7: After an early start we headed to Observation Point. This was a strenuous hike, I would call it Angel's Landing with a wall on one side. It was long, hot and the drop offs were almost overwhelming at times. It was also incredibly beautiful relatively uncrowded and totally worth the effort. Had dinner in town at Wildcat Willie's to let the kids celebrate.
Day 8:TOn Friday we took on the Narrows. It was very crowded but the crowds thinned out the further we went. The water was cold and the rocks were slippery. We eventually had to turn around when my 6 year old just got too cold. My plan was to swim or relax by the pool after this. I mostly just collasped. We recovered and had dinner at Bit & Spur. It was a beautiful night and a great place to eat.
Day 9: We sadly had to leave Zion this day. We had promised the kids we would take them to see the Hoover Dam on our way back. It is an engineering marvel but after the natural ones we had seen it was not my favorite day. We took a painful trip down the Las Vegas strip ( just to show the kids what all the hype was about.. Then we spent the night near the airport in Las Vegas.
Day 10: Flew home.
I'll post more details later. Thanks to everyone who offered advice on our trip!
Day 10: Fly home
First I will give a quick summary for those who want to just have an overview of a trip that reallly worked well. I will follow with a detailed report of hikes, restaurants and random things we did.
Day 1: Arrive Las Vegas Friday mid day, picked up rental car and made the long drive to Torrey. Stopped in St.George to pick up supplies and stayed at Austin's Chuck Wagon. A long day but it put us in a great location to begin exploriing.
Day 2: Visited Capitol Reef in the morning. Headed down scenic Highway 12 toward Bryce. We took a detour down Hole in the Rock Road and we toured Devil's Garden. We followed this with a pretty intense hike through Peek-a-Boo Canyon. Ended the day at Ruby's in outside Bryce.
Day 3: We explored Bryce Canyon at a more relaxed pace seeing Bristlecone Trail, Rim Trail, and Inspiration Point. Dinner at Valhalla (yum!) followed by star gazing at the rim. Spent the nigiht at Bryce Canyon Lodge.
Day 4: Enjoyed a half day trail ride in Bryce Canyon. Went back to Escalante and hiked Willis Creek slot canyon. Relaxing dinner at local restaruant and back to Bryce for a sunset hike down Navajp Trail. Another night at Bryce Lodge.
Day 5:Travelled to North Rim of Grand Canyon in the fog and rain. Checked into our Western Cabin (dellighted!) and hiked down the North Kiabob Trail. Had dinner in the lodge and watched the sun set over the Grand Canyon. Went out that night to see the best star diplay I've seen in years. Really glad we made the effort to go here!
Day 6: Visited Point Imperial at NRGC. Headed on to Zion. Hiked Canyon Overlook trail and headed to Dessert Pearl Inn. I will say this was an oasis enjoyed by everyone in my family and worth every penny.
Day 7: After an early start we headed to Observation Point. This was a strenuous hike, I would call it Angel's Landing with a wall on one side. It was long, hot and the drop offs were almost overwhelming at times. It was also incredibly beautiful relatively uncrowded and totally worth the effort. Had dinner in town at Wildcat Willie's to let the kids celebrate.
Day 8:TOn Friday we took on the Narrows. It was very crowded but the crowds thinned out the further we went. The water was cold and the rocks were slippery. We eventually had to turn around when my 6 year old just got too cold. My plan was to swim or relax by the pool after this. I mostly just collasped. We recovered and had dinner at Bit & Spur. It was a beautiful night and a great place to eat.
Day 9: We sadly had to leave Zion this day. We had promised the kids we would take them to see the Hoover Dam on our way back. It is an engineering marvel but after the natural ones we had seen it was not my favorite day. We took a painful trip down the Las Vegas strip ( just to show the kids what all the hype was about.. Then we spent the night near the airport in Las Vegas.
Day 10: Flew home.
I'll post more details later. Thanks to everyone who offered advice on our trip!
Day 10: Fly home
Aug 28th, 2011, 07:37 PM
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 177
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Okay here are the details:
Day 1: We arrived in Las Vegas and picked up the car we rented from Alamo. We decided on a full size SUV for the four wheel drive and the room. There was a Wal Mart in St. George we where stocked up on snacks, bought a small cooler for the car, lots of water etc. Then we headed north on I-15 to Route 20 toward Torrey. The route was slightly longer than taking highway more but it was beautiful and well worth it. After 14 hours of travel we were less than 20 minutes outside of Torrey when we were pulled over for speeding. There wasn't another car for miles, except the police officer and we were going 78 in a 65, down a mountain. Crazy but be aware if you take this route.
We arrived at Austin's Chuck Wagon to find it friendly, laid back and welcoming. It felt very safe for the kids after Vegas. The trees there and the green lawn was a suprise. We bought a few more supplies at the store, ordered dinner and lunch for the next day. We swam and relaxed. A great end to a very long day.
Day 2
One advantage to travelling with my boys is that we keep them on eastern time and travel west. We were allowed to pick up our lunches at 7:30 that morning. The car was packed, we had eaten breakfast and were waiting when the deli opened. I glad we started early or we never would have done all that we did that day.
We had a lot planned not including Capitol Reef but we had to go see it when we were so close. We stopped in the ranger station, bought our national park pass and asked about hikes for the kids. Frankly we did not give this park its due. We did drive through some of the park and hiked to Cassidy Arch and eventually to an observation point. There was construction that made made the going slower than we expected in CR. We headed down Rt. 12 toward the Escalante.
My husband and I found Rt. 12 beautiful and awesome. The kids would barely look up from their books and DSI's. Unless we stopped and got out. This road is definitely worth driving but don't expect the kids to get the same thing out of it that you do.
In preparation for the trip we had bought a map of the Escalante National Monument. We used this and our GPS from home to find the sites in the Escalante we wanted to visit. About 5 miles from the town of Escalante we found the Hole in the Rock Road and travelled about 10 miles down this dirt road to the Devil's Garden. This was a great place. The kids explored and climbed the rock formations that look like giant mushrooms and flowers. They would peek at us through holes in the rocks and seek shade in the little crevices worn by time. We had planned on having lunch here but after exploring for a while in the 104F heat we decided to just eat in the car. There were bathrooms and picnic tables here (the only ones we saw in the Escalante!) but they were almost too hot to touch.
Our next stop was about 26 miles down the Hole in the Rock Road to the turn off to Peek-A-Boo and Spooky Canyons. There are no markers for the road and until we ran into someone we weren't sure we were even at the trailhead.The road was very rough and the road we turned off on to was even rougher. We were glad we had the clearence of the big SUV. There were lots of rocks in the roads and it was extremely dusty. This should have been a hint to us of the hike ahead but some of us are slow on the pick up.
In the parking lot we talked with a family completing the hike to Peek a Boo Canyon. Their kind words and encouragement gave us the lift we needed to do this hike. (In hind sight the father must have been a world class athlete as he carried his 3 year old daughter in a pack on his back this whole hike. He said they had been out for five or six hours. Did I mention it was 104F?)Anyways he explained the terrain and pointed us in the right direction. We signed in at the trailhead and started our adventure.
This hike is to and through a couple of slot canyons. When we started out we did not know how far away the actual canyon was. The trail to the canyon is over rough terrain. It is unmarked aside from the rock towers that appear (and seemingly disappear!) at random. The trail starts with a big drop in elevation, several hundred feet, and the hike to the canyon is probably another 1.5-2 miles after that. Finding the entrance to the canyon was not as obvious as you may think. Hikers were few and far between. Luckily we found the entrance at a similar time to another group of hikers. The entrance is literally 15 feet up the canyon wall. We were told you could walk around the canyon and go in the exit but it would be another mile around. We were really hot at this point and the kids were not interested in hiking further. The guide from the other group offered us a rope to scale the 15 feet to the entrance. There was a moment when I thought am I really going to repel up a cliff and drag my kids into this canyon? We had a lot invested so the answer was yes. My husband went first then we threw the rope up, and I tied the other end around the waist of my son. My son climbed, I pushed, and my husband pulled. One at a time we got the kids up into the canyon. With a some difficulty (!) I climbed up and we returned the rope. (The group behind never made it into the canyon; it is a tough entrance for amateurs like us!)The hike itself was beautiful and tricky. If you have the will to get there it is worth it. At this point it was a mental challenge as well as a phyical one. We had to squeeze (packs off!) through tight spaces, cross a log over a water hole, climb over boulders and crawl in tight spaces. Really really crazy. As for the kids they LOVED it. It was a real life adventure. They scrambled and climbed and laughed. The physical challenge was something they embraced. We only saw one other person in the canyon. When we came out the other side, I figured we had made it. We would hike a little of Spooky and that would put us closer to the trail that lead back to the parking lot. Unfortunately we spent about an hour looking for the entrance of this other canyon. There were no trail markers. The day was getting on and we were out there alone lost in the willderness. The heat and exhaustion were setting in so we made the painful decision to return to the first canyon and retrace our steps. It was a looong afternoon. The rocks were so hot I burned my hands climbing into the canyons. Amazingly my kids still did well. It was very challenging climbing out of the canyon entrance down 15 feet with no rope. (I laid down on the rim of the canyon and dangled the boys to a small ledge where DH served at a block and played catch as they slid down the canyon. It was much uglier when I did it.) We all made it and DH got a photo of us at the entrance. I will try to post it. Then we had to hike back to the parking lot and up several hundred feet. At least we were no longer lost. We made it. we signed out, very happy we had signed in at the beginning. It was 105 when we checked out. It was a very quiet ride down the 26 mile dirt road and on into Bryce for a stay at Ruby's.
We laughed as someone complained bitterly about the placement of their room in the hotel. We were thrilled not to be lost in the desert with our children or someone injured in a canyon miles from help. Instead we were able to pick up a terrible overpriced pizza from their fast food place. We were all covered with bruises and bumps but we stood there in Ruby's Grand laughing and looking forward to a swim in the pool, lots of hugs and a soft bed. We had survived the Escalante. The rest of the trip would be a breeze...right?
Day 1: We arrived in Las Vegas and picked up the car we rented from Alamo. We decided on a full size SUV for the four wheel drive and the room. There was a Wal Mart in St. George we where stocked up on snacks, bought a small cooler for the car, lots of water etc. Then we headed north on I-15 to Route 20 toward Torrey. The route was slightly longer than taking highway more but it was beautiful and well worth it. After 14 hours of travel we were less than 20 minutes outside of Torrey when we were pulled over for speeding. There wasn't another car for miles, except the police officer and we were going 78 in a 65, down a mountain. Crazy but be aware if you take this route.
We arrived at Austin's Chuck Wagon to find it friendly, laid back and welcoming. It felt very safe for the kids after Vegas. The trees there and the green lawn was a suprise. We bought a few more supplies at the store, ordered dinner and lunch for the next day. We swam and relaxed. A great end to a very long day.
Day 2
One advantage to travelling with my boys is that we keep them on eastern time and travel west. We were allowed to pick up our lunches at 7:30 that morning. The car was packed, we had eaten breakfast and were waiting when the deli opened. I glad we started early or we never would have done all that we did that day.
We had a lot planned not including Capitol Reef but we had to go see it when we were so close. We stopped in the ranger station, bought our national park pass and asked about hikes for the kids. Frankly we did not give this park its due. We did drive through some of the park and hiked to Cassidy Arch and eventually to an observation point. There was construction that made made the going slower than we expected in CR. We headed down Rt. 12 toward the Escalante.
My husband and I found Rt. 12 beautiful and awesome. The kids would barely look up from their books and DSI's. Unless we stopped and got out. This road is definitely worth driving but don't expect the kids to get the same thing out of it that you do.
In preparation for the trip we had bought a map of the Escalante National Monument. We used this and our GPS from home to find the sites in the Escalante we wanted to visit. About 5 miles from the town of Escalante we found the Hole in the Rock Road and travelled about 10 miles down this dirt road to the Devil's Garden. This was a great place. The kids explored and climbed the rock formations that look like giant mushrooms and flowers. They would peek at us through holes in the rocks and seek shade in the little crevices worn by time. We had planned on having lunch here but after exploring for a while in the 104F heat we decided to just eat in the car. There were bathrooms and picnic tables here (the only ones we saw in the Escalante!) but they were almost too hot to touch.
Our next stop was about 26 miles down the Hole in the Rock Road to the turn off to Peek-A-Boo and Spooky Canyons. There are no markers for the road and until we ran into someone we weren't sure we were even at the trailhead.The road was very rough and the road we turned off on to was even rougher. We were glad we had the clearence of the big SUV. There were lots of rocks in the roads and it was extremely dusty. This should have been a hint to us of the hike ahead but some of us are slow on the pick up.
In the parking lot we talked with a family completing the hike to Peek a Boo Canyon. Their kind words and encouragement gave us the lift we needed to do this hike. (In hind sight the father must have been a world class athlete as he carried his 3 year old daughter in a pack on his back this whole hike. He said they had been out for five or six hours. Did I mention it was 104F?)Anyways he explained the terrain and pointed us in the right direction. We signed in at the trailhead and started our adventure.
This hike is to and through a couple of slot canyons. When we started out we did not know how far away the actual canyon was. The trail to the canyon is over rough terrain. It is unmarked aside from the rock towers that appear (and seemingly disappear!) at random. The trail starts with a big drop in elevation, several hundred feet, and the hike to the canyon is probably another 1.5-2 miles after that. Finding the entrance to the canyon was not as obvious as you may think. Hikers were few and far between. Luckily we found the entrance at a similar time to another group of hikers. The entrance is literally 15 feet up the canyon wall. We were told you could walk around the canyon and go in the exit but it would be another mile around. We were really hot at this point and the kids were not interested in hiking further. The guide from the other group offered us a rope to scale the 15 feet to the entrance. There was a moment when I thought am I really going to repel up a cliff and drag my kids into this canyon? We had a lot invested so the answer was yes. My husband went first then we threw the rope up, and I tied the other end around the waist of my son. My son climbed, I pushed, and my husband pulled. One at a time we got the kids up into the canyon. With a some difficulty (!) I climbed up and we returned the rope. (The group behind never made it into the canyon; it is a tough entrance for amateurs like us!)The hike itself was beautiful and tricky. If you have the will to get there it is worth it. At this point it was a mental challenge as well as a phyical one. We had to squeeze (packs off!) through tight spaces, cross a log over a water hole, climb over boulders and crawl in tight spaces. Really really crazy. As for the kids they LOVED it. It was a real life adventure. They scrambled and climbed and laughed. The physical challenge was something they embraced. We only saw one other person in the canyon. When we came out the other side, I figured we had made it. We would hike a little of Spooky and that would put us closer to the trail that lead back to the parking lot. Unfortunately we spent about an hour looking for the entrance of this other canyon. There were no trail markers. The day was getting on and we were out there alone lost in the willderness. The heat and exhaustion were setting in so we made the painful decision to return to the first canyon and retrace our steps. It was a looong afternoon. The rocks were so hot I burned my hands climbing into the canyons. Amazingly my kids still did well. It was very challenging climbing out of the canyon entrance down 15 feet with no rope. (I laid down on the rim of the canyon and dangled the boys to a small ledge where DH served at a block and played catch as they slid down the canyon. It was much uglier when I did it.) We all made it and DH got a photo of us at the entrance. I will try to post it. Then we had to hike back to the parking lot and up several hundred feet. At least we were no longer lost. We made it. we signed out, very happy we had signed in at the beginning. It was 105 when we checked out. It was a very quiet ride down the 26 mile dirt road and on into Bryce for a stay at Ruby's.
We laughed as someone complained bitterly about the placement of their room in the hotel. We were thrilled not to be lost in the desert with our children or someone injured in a canyon miles from help. Instead we were able to pick up a terrible overpriced pizza from their fast food place. We were all covered with bruises and bumps but we stood there in Ruby's Grand laughing and looking forward to a swim in the pool, lots of hugs and a soft bed. We had survived the Escalante. The rest of the trip would be a breeze...right?
Aug 28th, 2011, 08:43 PM
#6
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,240
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Wow. I'm impressed that you did this, especially with kids, and very relieved you survived without mishap. You were very brave. My husband and I did the 3 slot canyons with a guide and we would never have been able to find these canyons or have the guts to try them on our own. We were experienced hikers but I thought these were very challenging. Glad you took some photos.
Aug 29th, 2011, 07:06 PM
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 177
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Day 3 We enjoyed an excellent breakfast at Ruby's Grand. The kids went back to the buffet time after time. We went to Bryce and headed first to the ranger station. The kids enjoyed the museum here and the ranger suggested we do the bristlecone pine loop trail. Honestly it was cool to see bristlecone pines and know they were several hundred years old but the rest of the trail was not my favorite hike of the trip. We all liked Inspiration Point and the views were so big we couldn't capture them on film.
We checked into our room at the Sunrise Lodge and had been relaxing for about an hour when we realized there was a chipmunk running around the room. There was a lot of chaos and after that we never really felt like the room was completely clean or secure. Just a little creepy.
We tried to do the Rim Hike with ranger so the kids could get their Junior Ranger Certificates but truthfully the kids could not stay interested in the hike. The views were great but the information went over the kids heads. We left the hike and headed out for dinner. We ordered pizza from Valhalla (the best we had on trip!) but they wouldn't let us drink the beer we had just bought from the camp store at their picnic tables. We were allowed to take the beer to the rim and watch the rest of the sunset over an excellent pizza. What a perfect backdrop! Utah is a strange and wonderful state.
We went back to the rim again when the stars came out to watch the show.
We checked into our room at the Sunrise Lodge and had been relaxing for about an hour when we realized there was a chipmunk running around the room. There was a lot of chaos and after that we never really felt like the room was completely clean or secure. Just a little creepy.
We tried to do the Rim Hike with ranger so the kids could get their Junior Ranger Certificates but truthfully the kids could not stay interested in the hike. The views were great but the information went over the kids heads. We left the hike and headed out for dinner. We ordered pizza from Valhalla (the best we had on trip!) but they wouldn't let us drink the beer we had just bought from the camp store at their picnic tables. We were allowed to take the beer to the rim and watch the rest of the sunset over an excellent pizza. What a perfect backdrop! Utah is a strange and wonderful state.
We went back to the rim again when the stars came out to watch the show.
Aug 30th, 2011, 04:41 AM
#10
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,067
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hey - you wrote my trip report! Only partly kidding, but pretty close, right down to picking up Alamo in Vegas and stopping at Wal-Mart in St George. I did do slightly different hikes and side trips off Rt 12. Anyway, I just got back so my report will be a while so it's nice to read yours. Aren't those places amazing. You stayed at both Ruby's and at the Lodge? Did you like one better than the other. We spent all our time (3 nights) at Ruby's but went to look at the lodge and were kind of glad we had chosen Ruby's but then we didn't see the actual rooms.
Aug 30th, 2011, 07:48 AM
#11
I assume the bristlecone hike is the one at the far south end of the Bryce Canyon scenic road.
If so, I'm surpirsed that you did that instead of Navajo Loop / Queens Garden.
I'm really waiting for a few more places as I keep recommending them but I don't think others seem to go there. It appears you did.
I'm glad you liked Devil's Garden Escalante. Normally very few people there. I took my daughter there last Sept and we had a great time taking photos. I view it as a grown up Goblin valley. The rock structures are larger here.
More!!!! And hopefully photos at some point.
If so, I'm surpirsed that you did that instead of Navajo Loop / Queens Garden.
I'm really waiting for a few more places as I keep recommending them but I don't think others seem to go there. It appears you did.
I'm glad you liked Devil's Garden Escalante. Normally very few people there. I took my daughter there last Sept and we had a great time taking photos. I view it as a grown up Goblin valley. The rock structures are larger here.
More!!!! And hopefully photos at some point.
Aug 30th, 2011, 08:09 AM
#12
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 441
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm enjoying reading this, thanks.
I'm wondering where this Valhalla is. Never heard of it before.
I was scared for you out in the heat and unsure where to go. So glad you were able to enjoy the canyon and get back without incident.
I'm wondering where this Valhalla is. Never heard of it before.
I was scared for you out in the heat and unsure where to go. So glad you were able to enjoy the canyon and get back without incident.
Aug 30th, 2011, 09:36 AM
#13
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 541
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm embarrassed - we got back from our Utah trek 3 weeks ago (almost the same, but added Moab, Park City, and Salt Lake City) and I haven't done a trip report yet. However, we did have company the weekend after we got back, took our son to college the next weekend, and had a quick Key West adult escape this past weekend - I'm beat! You were much more adventurous in your hiking - whew! Great report - thanks!
Aug 30th, 2011, 06:11 PM
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 177
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Okay we llked the size of the rooms and the breakfast at Ruby's. The pool was great. We did not like the tourist trap atomosphere and all the crazy tour groups. There was a rodeo going on when we arrived and it went until after we were all in bed. The lodge at Bryce was peaceful and you really were so close that we went out time after time but the rooms weren't much more than most national parks. A lot of people left the park as the day went on and we liked walking around then.
Vallhalla is this new pizza, fresh food place at Bryce. We would have gone back again if we had the chance. It had opened only a few weeks before we got there.
Our trip took place in the end of July. We came back to reali life and family obligations so I understand it taking a while to do a trip report.
I haven't figured out where to post the photos yet and we did do Navajo Looop and Queen's Garden but we started with the Bristlecone Trail and it was at the end of the road in Bryce. The drive there was better than the hike and we mainly took it because the ranger said we would love it. Maybe we were just too worn out to enjoy it.
More days to follow.
Vallhalla is this new pizza, fresh food place at Bryce. We would have gone back again if we had the chance. It had opened only a few weeks before we got there.
Our trip took place in the end of July. We came back to reali life and family obligations so I understand it taking a while to do a trip report.
I haven't figured out where to post the photos yet and we did do Navajo Looop and Queen's Garden but we started with the Bristlecone Trail and it was at the end of the road in Bryce. The drive there was better than the hike and we mainly took it because the ranger said we would love it. Maybe we were just too worn out to enjoy it.
More days to follow.
Aug 30th, 2011, 06:56 PM
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 177
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Day 4 We were second on the waiting list for the horseback ride into the canyon. The ride was full but luckily all five of us got on. This was a great experience. The kids loved being in charge of their horses (or mules) and we saw a different part of the park. The wrangler told a bunch of corny jokes but he did a good job. We asked him where the locals ate and he suggested we go to Fosters. It was on the other side of the highway from Ruby's. We enjoyed a reasonably priced hometown meal there that night. I said no to the pie but it really looked good.
Some of our gang took a break after the ride, others explored the park. Later we headed into Cannonsville to the ranger station for the Escalante.We planned on doing a couple of the closer hikes like Willis Creek, Calf Creek Falls or Grosvenor Arch. We did not want a repeat of the Peek-A-Boo hike so we wanted to go in informed. There were clouds gathering and we were going to hike a slot canyon. The rangers told us we would be okay for 2-3 hours so we took off for Willis Creek.
If you do this hike, stop at this station and get directions to the trail. The trailhead was about 6 miles down a dirt road that would be impassable if you had heavy rains. The road was pretty rough and pretty cool too. Once again we were glad to have the SUV's clearance. On the road we missed the turn to the trail and confusingiy passed a gate that said "Willis Creek". We went several miles down this road until we finally passed someone (the only other car we saw the entire time!) who told us we were on the wrong road. It took a while to find a place to turn around. We did finally get back to the turn off and the hike. Once there it was a pretty easy hike and a great slot canyon experience. There were 3 sets of canyons. We easily hiked through 2 and started the 3rd before we decided to turn around. The clouds were gathering and we did not want to get stuck down this dirt road in a storm. There were no facilities on this trail or the trailhead. There was a place to sign in and out. The only other people we saw the whole time we were here were 2 horse back riders leaving the trail as we entered. You really felt like you had the place to yourself. This was worth doing.
While it rained we had dinner at Fosters. After it cleared up we headed back to the park to see the praire dog town. This was a big hit. We saw a lot of these guys very easily. There was even a badger hunting them. We caused a stir taking pictures of them. It was pretty cool.
Back near the rim we hiked Navajo Loop. The weather had cooled off significantly and the crowds were pretty light this time of day. The light was beautiful as the clouds cleared and the sun started to set. My boys enjoyed the way voices carried in the ampitheater. We hiked down and back up before the sun completely set. What a great day.
Some of our gang took a break after the ride, others explored the park. Later we headed into Cannonsville to the ranger station for the Escalante.We planned on doing a couple of the closer hikes like Willis Creek, Calf Creek Falls or Grosvenor Arch. We did not want a repeat of the Peek-A-Boo hike so we wanted to go in informed. There were clouds gathering and we were going to hike a slot canyon. The rangers told us we would be okay for 2-3 hours so we took off for Willis Creek.
If you do this hike, stop at this station and get directions to the trail. The trailhead was about 6 miles down a dirt road that would be impassable if you had heavy rains. The road was pretty rough and pretty cool too. Once again we were glad to have the SUV's clearance. On the road we missed the turn to the trail and confusingiy passed a gate that said "Willis Creek". We went several miles down this road until we finally passed someone (the only other car we saw the entire time!) who told us we were on the wrong road. It took a while to find a place to turn around. We did finally get back to the turn off and the hike. Once there it was a pretty easy hike and a great slot canyon experience. There were 3 sets of canyons. We easily hiked through 2 and started the 3rd before we decided to turn around. The clouds were gathering and we did not want to get stuck down this dirt road in a storm. There were no facilities on this trail or the trailhead. There was a place to sign in and out. The only other people we saw the whole time we were here were 2 horse back riders leaving the trail as we entered. You really felt like you had the place to yourself. This was worth doing.
While it rained we had dinner at Fosters. After it cleared up we headed back to the park to see the praire dog town. This was a big hit. We saw a lot of these guys very easily. There was even a badger hunting them. We caused a stir taking pictures of them. It was pretty cool.
Back near the rim we hiked Navajo Loop. The weather had cooled off significantly and the crowds were pretty light this time of day. The light was beautiful as the clouds cleared and the sun started to set. My boys enjoyed the way voices carried in the ampitheater. We hiked down and back up before the sun completely set. What a great day.
Aug 31st, 2011, 01:58 AM
#17
I'm glad you hiked Navajo Loop. The first time I was in Bryce I hiked the Bristlecone trail after Navajo Loop / Queens Garden and decided it din't really show off Bryce Canyon.
I keep recommending Devil's Garden Escalante and Willis Creek but few people seem to go to these places.
For Willis Creek I always tell about the adventure of getting there. I've been twice and never got lost. The first time was before they had a sign up at the parking lot. The drive on a hilly, curvey, sandy road is an adventure. You're right about not wanting to be on that road during/after rain.
I also tell people to hike at least four or five slots as they get progressively higher as you go.
The first time I went to Willis Creek it had rained a bit and was cloudy. On the way out the Creek was about an inch high. On the way back it was 2 or 3 inches high. It doesn't take much.
You were very close to Grosvenor Arch (at the fork below Cannonville you go left instead of right to Willis Creek) but Lower Calf Creek Falls is quite far from where you were that day. You passed right by it on the way from Torrey to Escalante. It's a little west of Boulder, Utah.
Great trip you're having. Really enjoying reading about it and glad you went to Devil's Garden and Willis Creek.
I keep recommending Devil's Garden Escalante and Willis Creek but few people seem to go to these places.
For Willis Creek I always tell about the adventure of getting there. I've been twice and never got lost. The first time was before they had a sign up at the parking lot. The drive on a hilly, curvey, sandy road is an adventure. You're right about not wanting to be on that road during/after rain.
I also tell people to hike at least four or five slots as they get progressively higher as you go.
The first time I went to Willis Creek it had rained a bit and was cloudy. On the way out the Creek was about an inch high. On the way back it was 2 or 3 inches high. It doesn't take much.
You were very close to Grosvenor Arch (at the fork below Cannonville you go left instead of right to Willis Creek) but Lower Calf Creek Falls is quite far from where you were that day. You passed right by it on the way from Torrey to Escalante. It's a little west of Boulder, Utah.
Great trip you're having. Really enjoying reading about it and glad you went to Devil's Garden and Willis Creek.
Aug 31st, 2011, 05:56 PM
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 177
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I was probably a little harsh about Bristlecone Trail. The view at the point and the distances we could see were neat. It was cool to see terrain we had driven through (parts of the Escalante and mountains beyond) as well as things we were going to see like the Grand Canyon (way off in the distance.)
If we were going back we might explore Red Canyon. We had another person tell us on our horseback ride in Bryce that she had ridden with Ruby's the day before and that is where they went. She preferred the ride in Bryce but both were good. We passed Red Canyon on our way to the Grand Canyon and it was beautiful.
We had an experience in Costa Rica where a storm came up pretty quickly. We had crossed a creek to a waterfall in a slot canyon. We crossed back almost immediately in the drivng rain as the water rose 6-8 inches in a matter of minutes. On this trip to Utah we were very aware of rains that could do something similar.
We knew Grosvenor Arch was near where we were but we were racing the rain. Another reason to go back!
If we were going back we might explore Red Canyon. We had another person tell us on our horseback ride in Bryce that she had ridden with Ruby's the day before and that is where they went. She preferred the ride in Bryce but both were good. We passed Red Canyon on our way to the Grand Canyon and it was beautiful.
We had an experience in Costa Rica where a storm came up pretty quickly. We had crossed a creek to a waterfall in a slot canyon. We crossed back almost immediately in the drivng rain as the water rose 6-8 inches in a matter of minutes. On this trip to Utah we were very aware of rains that could do something similar.
We knew Grosvenor Arch was near where we were but we were racing the rain. Another reason to go back!
Aug 31st, 2011, 11:53 PM
#19
Grosvenor Arch is neat until you've been to Arches NP. After seeing Arches I wouldn't bother with Grosvenor Arch.
If you happen to be in the area again I would suggest Willis Creek again only go a few more slotsrather than grosvenor Arch. If I remember correctly, the road to grosvenor Arch isn't as hilly, curvy or sandy. It was more like a washboard. I imagine after rain it would be very slippery.
It's amazing reading other people's reports. You just want to plan another trip there. I've been to Bryce Canyon three times.
The first time I went alone and spent a bit more time there. The second time was with a friend at the end of a one week swing thru Utah and all we did was hike Navajo Loop / Queens Garden and stop at Natural Bridge before returning to SLC. The third time was last Sept when I took my grown, married daughter to SW Utah for three days of hiking around.
And I thought trip reports were to help people plan trips to places they haven't been. I think they just pump up those who've been and get us to come back.
Thanks.
If you happen to be in the area again I would suggest Willis Creek again only go a few more slotsrather than grosvenor Arch. If I remember correctly, the road to grosvenor Arch isn't as hilly, curvy or sandy. It was more like a washboard. I imagine after rain it would be very slippery.
It's amazing reading other people's reports. You just want to plan another trip there. I've been to Bryce Canyon three times.
The first time I went alone and spent a bit more time there. The second time was with a friend at the end of a one week swing thru Utah and all we did was hike Navajo Loop / Queens Garden and stop at Natural Bridge before returning to SLC. The third time was last Sept when I took my grown, married daughter to SW Utah for three days of hiking around.
And I thought trip reports were to help people plan trips to places they haven't been. I think they just pump up those who've been and get us to come back.
Thanks.
Sep 1st, 2011, 06:21 AM
#20
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 441
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I love Grosvenor Arch even though I've been to Arches plenty of times. It is so unique and a different type of rock. Besides there is the adventure of getting there. And if I go that far I like to keep going to the Coxscomb as well. One of my favorite places in that area.
