Three UTAH PARKS - In one day?
Jun 30th, 2000, 07:54 PM
#1
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Three UTAH PARKS - In one day?
Is it possible to explore Anasazi Indian Park, Kodachrome Basin Park and Escalante Nat'l Park in one day? Staying in Capitol Reef (Wonderland) the night before, and ending up in Bryce Canyon that night.
Also, what exactly should we try to see in Escalante/Grand Staircase?
I realize we won't be taking any long hikes in one day, but have heard one day is still sufficient. Please let me know what you think! Thank you!
Also, what exactly should we try to see in Escalante/Grand Staircase?
I realize we won't be taking any long hikes in one day, but have heard one day is still sufficient. Please let me know what you think! Thank you!
Jul 1st, 2000, 08:33 AM
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If you hustle you can get in Zion too that day. There is nothing much to see at Capitol Reef, just a couple of little sandstone formations and a steep-walled washed out canyon or two. Bryce is mostly a waste of time, a few funny looking orange spires sticking up with mobs of gawking tourists who think they are seeing something worthwhile, and Escalante is mainly undeveloped. It is just more rock formations that look the same. By the time you get to Zion, you will have seen most of it. Both Zion and Capitol Reef are carved from the Navajo Sandstone, so it all starts to look alike after a few view points. It will be hot in Zion, so you might not want to even get off of the shuttle bus. Walking about in 103 degree heat is not my idea of fun. Go find a motel with a good swimming pool and cool off.
The Wonderland Inn is nice. I stayed there a few weeks ago. Well run place.
The Wonderland Inn is nice. I stayed there a few weeks ago. Well run place.
Jul 1st, 2000, 12:28 PM
#3
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Al,
Please don't joke like that, Audra may not realize it and totally miss Bryce! What a devastating shame that would be.
So a more serious reply - no, don't think about doing all that at once Audra. Grand Staircase (it's a National Monument, not a National Park) requires walking to make the most of it, half day per walk you do. The same is true of Kodak. That's going to leave no time to walk around the ruins. You'd be way too tired even if you tried to hurry some of the walking. Do Anasazi because it's different from the others. Then choose one walk from the other two parks.
Please don't joke like that, Audra may not realize it and totally miss Bryce! What a devastating shame that would be.
So a more serious reply - no, don't think about doing all that at once Audra. Grand Staircase (it's a National Monument, not a National Park) requires walking to make the most of it, half day per walk you do. The same is true of Kodak. That's going to leave no time to walk around the ruins. You'd be way too tired even if you tried to hurry some of the walking. Do Anasazi because it's different from the others. Then choose one walk from the other two parks.
Jul 1st, 2000, 07:36 PM
#4
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Sure, I was being a little caustic.
But anyone even thinking about scurrying through that magical country like that is going to miss most of it anyhow.
My own view is that Capitol Reefs has a lot to offer as does Bryce. Since the time I first saw it when I was 21 years old I have been in love with the place.
The problem with all of the parks is that they have become so very crowded. The authorities at Bryce are implementing a shuttle bus this year for the simple fact that the parking lots get jammed. There are about 3 cars for each parking place!!
So to give a straight anwser: it is possible to glimpse those places in a day, but to explore them takes days.
I was not kidding about the Wonderland Inn. It is a very nice place.
But anyone even thinking about scurrying through that magical country like that is going to miss most of it anyhow.
My own view is that Capitol Reefs has a lot to offer as does Bryce. Since the time I first saw it when I was 21 years old I have been in love with the place.
The problem with all of the parks is that they have become so very crowded. The authorities at Bryce are implementing a shuttle bus this year for the simple fact that the parking lots get jammed. There are about 3 cars for each parking place!!
So to give a straight anwser: it is possible to glimpse those places in a day, but to explore them takes days.
I was not kidding about the Wonderland Inn. It is a very nice place.
Jul 2nd, 2000, 04:14 AM
#5
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Thank you Al and Geoff, and rest assured, it took me awhile but I FINALLY got your point. I had to really think long and hard though - DUH! PUL-LEASE!
Thank you for your concern, and if I read more into my original question, I too would echo your thoughts. Which is why in the past five years alone, we have spent at least five days EACH at Bryce, Zion and Capitol Reef. Love them! That goes for the Grand, Monument Valley/Goulding, Mesa Verde, Rocky Mountain Nat'l., Yellowstone, Tetons, Yosemite, Redwood, Glacier, Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, Crater Lake, Saguaro (east), Organ Pipe, and I could go on and on....and that's WITH the kids. BEFORE kids, dh and I spent a great deal of time in each of the above parks, too.
You may not realize it, but with kids in school, it's a little different. Just to REALLY put your mind at ease, maybe I'll clarify further.
We will be driving towards Sequoia/Kings Canyon and San Francisco, with a day through Death Valley. (YES, we know it's a blast furnace, but as the old song says, we may never pass this way again. Unlikely, but possible.)
ANYWAY, since we will be driving right past Anasazi and Kodachrome, I merely wondered if I should take one day away from our weeks in California, that would be enough time. Spent many days at Capitol and Bryce (even as a child with my parents) as I said earlier; the other two STATE parks were recommended by another western-groupie who thought they deserved at least a stop.
GEE, lets see, maybe I'm not being pragmatic at all.....would it be better to by-pass them completely...and continue on the highway???!!! Gee, let me ponder that fact, hmmmmmmm, maybe it WOULD be better - then I won't pique any of our interest in returning when we have more time.
THAT'S IT! That's what we'll do - we'll forget Rt. 12 altogether!!! We don't need to see one of America's most scenic highways! We'll zip on down the 'ole highway and glance up after we stop at Mickey D's. Forget picnicing in the parks - too darn hot, right?
In fact, why don't we just stay home altogether! Maybe three weeks isn't really long enough for all the wonderful things I had planned?!
Hey, thanks guys! You just helped me save thousands of bucks! Plus, we the cost of gas these day, and the way our teen-age son likes to eat - too bad though, he wants to be a park ranger when he's not teaching science at a college....
BTW, we don't camp, just call me the Hilton Queen! To me, a camping vacation is an oxymoron - you know, like jumbo strimp, military intelligence, deafening silence....I'm more like the National Park Lodge Queen; bet we've seen more cute little rodents in our cabins and rooms than you have! Saw a whopper in Paradise Lodge (Mt. Rainier).
Again, thanks for saving me thousands! Macy's, here I come!!!!!!!!!!!
And thanks for teaching me I can't "ask a simple quesion" here.
Thank you for your concern, and if I read more into my original question, I too would echo your thoughts. Which is why in the past five years alone, we have spent at least five days EACH at Bryce, Zion and Capitol Reef. Love them! That goes for the Grand, Monument Valley/Goulding, Mesa Verde, Rocky Mountain Nat'l., Yellowstone, Tetons, Yosemite, Redwood, Glacier, Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, Crater Lake, Saguaro (east), Organ Pipe, and I could go on and on....and that's WITH the kids. BEFORE kids, dh and I spent a great deal of time in each of the above parks, too.
You may not realize it, but with kids in school, it's a little different. Just to REALLY put your mind at ease, maybe I'll clarify further.
We will be driving towards Sequoia/Kings Canyon and San Francisco, with a day through Death Valley. (YES, we know it's a blast furnace, but as the old song says, we may never pass this way again. Unlikely, but possible.)
ANYWAY, since we will be driving right past Anasazi and Kodachrome, I merely wondered if I should take one day away from our weeks in California, that would be enough time. Spent many days at Capitol and Bryce (even as a child with my parents) as I said earlier; the other two STATE parks were recommended by another western-groupie who thought they deserved at least a stop.
GEE, lets see, maybe I'm not being pragmatic at all.....would it be better to by-pass them completely...and continue on the highway???!!! Gee, let me ponder that fact, hmmmmmmm, maybe it WOULD be better - then I won't pique any of our interest in returning when we have more time.
THAT'S IT! That's what we'll do - we'll forget Rt. 12 altogether!!! We don't need to see one of America's most scenic highways! We'll zip on down the 'ole highway and glance up after we stop at Mickey D's. Forget picnicing in the parks - too darn hot, right?
In fact, why don't we just stay home altogether! Maybe three weeks isn't really long enough for all the wonderful things I had planned?!
Hey, thanks guys! You just helped me save thousands of bucks! Plus, we the cost of gas these day, and the way our teen-age son likes to eat - too bad though, he wants to be a park ranger when he's not teaching science at a college....
BTW, we don't camp, just call me the Hilton Queen! To me, a camping vacation is an oxymoron - you know, like jumbo strimp, military intelligence, deafening silence....I'm more like the National Park Lodge Queen; bet we've seen more cute little rodents in our cabins and rooms than you have! Saw a whopper in Paradise Lodge (Mt. Rainier).
Again, thanks for saving me thousands! Macy's, here I come!!!!!!!!!!!
And thanks for teaching me I can't "ask a simple quesion" here.
Jul 2nd, 2000, 07:50 AM
#7
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Hi Audra. I am not surprised at anything you might have seen at Paradise Lodge! I went there once planning to stay 2 nights, but I left as soon as I could pack up and get out after half a night.
For those of you tuning into this thread in hopes of gathering some useful information about Capitol Reefs, I think that the park has a lot to offer.
But, like most desert parks, it can be hot during the day in the late spring and summer even if the thermometer says it is 85 degrees F.
From the Visitor Center, there is a narrow paved road called the Scenic Drive that leads deeper into the park. If you take that, you get a good sample of what the park is all about. Grand Wash is on that drive and if you walk along it for about a mile or two, you get a very good picture of the deep, steep-sided canyons that characterize the park. If you are in shape, there is a trail up to Cassiday Arch, so named because the notorious outlaw Butch Cassiday is reported to have hidden out up there. (If he did, I don't how he survived for long because it is high and dry.)
There is a beautiful picnic ground near the Visitor Center that is irrigated, so it is not dusty. In fact, it is grassy with several nice shaded areas.
The drive along the road from Capitol Reefs to Bryce via Kodachrome Basin is pretty. It can be done in one day, but
I think you might be tempted to take a longer look at some of the features.
Bryce is a wonderland. Exploring it can take days; or you can get a rewarding eyeful of views in a short period of time. It all depends on what you want to do.
Al is correct in his comment about the rock formations. The Navajo Sandstone is a major feature at both Zion and Capitol Reef. You do, however, see a larger cross section of the different formations at Capitol Reef. But, there is only so little time for so much country unless you don't need to work.
For those of you tuning into this thread in hopes of gathering some useful information about Capitol Reefs, I think that the park has a lot to offer.
But, like most desert parks, it can be hot during the day in the late spring and summer even if the thermometer says it is 85 degrees F.
From the Visitor Center, there is a narrow paved road called the Scenic Drive that leads deeper into the park. If you take that, you get a good sample of what the park is all about. Grand Wash is on that drive and if you walk along it for about a mile or two, you get a very good picture of the deep, steep-sided canyons that characterize the park. If you are in shape, there is a trail up to Cassiday Arch, so named because the notorious outlaw Butch Cassiday is reported to have hidden out up there. (If he did, I don't how he survived for long because it is high and dry.)
There is a beautiful picnic ground near the Visitor Center that is irrigated, so it is not dusty. In fact, it is grassy with several nice shaded areas.
The drive along the road from Capitol Reefs to Bryce via Kodachrome Basin is pretty. It can be done in one day, but
I think you might be tempted to take a longer look at some of the features.
Bryce is a wonderland. Exploring it can take days; or you can get a rewarding eyeful of views in a short period of time. It all depends on what you want to do.
Al is correct in his comment about the rock formations. The Navajo Sandstone is a major feature at both Zion and Capitol Reef. You do, however, see a larger cross section of the different formations at Capitol Reef. But, there is only so little time for so much country unless you don't need to work.
Jul 3rd, 2000, 04:14 AM
#8
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We have been to all of those parks, Audra. Anasazi State Pk. can be easily seen within one hour. Escalante is massive, but much is out of reach anyway. Kodachrome is also easily navigated in a few hours.
Yes, live in a perfect world and we will all have countless hours to travel. However, even with limited time, you can get a good idea what's there, and then plan to come back again later when you're not headed to california. Have fun
Yes, live in a perfect world and we will all have countless hours to travel. However, even with limited time, you can get a good idea what's there, and then plan to come back again later when you're not headed to california. Have fun
Jul 3rd, 2000, 07:31 PM
#9
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Yes, it's possible to see all three, and I highly recommend it. Granted, more time in each park would be preferable, but if you only have one day, definitly stop at each one! Or maybe chose two of the three. Anasazi may not even take you an hour, which will give you more time at the others.
We have traveled the country several times with our children and choose to spend less time at a lot of parks than alot of time at a few parks. To each his own, JMHO, but it works for us and we love it!
We have traveled the country several times with our children and choose to spend less time at a lot of parks than alot of time at a few parks. To each his own, JMHO, but it works for us and we love it!
Jul 4th, 2000, 05:40 PM
#10
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Quite frankly, it's not necessary to see all three, plus Capitol Reef. They really are very similar. Bryce is different, and worth seeing, but if you see one of the others, you've seen them all. JMHO, but I think I'm right. Our kids were rock and canyoned out by the time we got to Utah! And to be honest, so were we.
Jul 27th, 2000, 03:33 PM
#13
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The Griswolds have returned from their fifth western "Vacation" (3 weeks cross-country) and I wanted to give a brief report of this particular day.
(First, an even briefer background: we have explored MOST of the Nat'l Parks of the West at least one time, for at least two days each in our other four trips out west.)
We loved the full day spent in Capitol Reef and The Wonderland Inn was very nice. We ended up spending less than 1/2 hour at Anasazi State Park...and cannot really recommend it....if you've visited any of our great Nat'l Parks in the SW (Mesa Verde etc.) then it's not worth the time.
We were stunned at the beauty and magnitude of Escalante and spent most of this particular day there. (Perhaps Clinton's greatest accomplishment....)
Hearing that Escalante was "more of the same", we spent the evening and next morning re-visiting Bryce Canyon, one of our all-time favorites. The rest of the day was spent in Zion Canyon, another personal favorite.
Thanks again for all the advice, everyone! Ellen & Clark Griswold, Russ and Audry
When we take
(First, an even briefer background: we have explored MOST of the Nat'l Parks of the West at least one time, for at least two days each in our other four trips out west.)
We loved the full day spent in Capitol Reef and The Wonderland Inn was very nice. We ended up spending less than 1/2 hour at Anasazi State Park...and cannot really recommend it....if you've visited any of our great Nat'l Parks in the SW (Mesa Verde etc.) then it's not worth the time.
We were stunned at the beauty and magnitude of Escalante and spent most of this particular day there. (Perhaps Clinton's greatest accomplishment....)
Hearing that Escalante was "more of the same", we spent the evening and next morning re-visiting Bryce Canyon, one of our all-time favorites. The rest of the day was spent in Zion Canyon, another personal favorite.
Thanks again for all the advice, everyone! Ellen & Clark Griswold, Russ and Audry
When we take
