There's no debating the eye-popping beauty of the national parks in the American West. But those in southern Utah, with their whimsical geological formations and dramatic backdrops, win the prize in the category of most otherworldly. If you're visiting for the first time, you’re guaranteed to stand slack-jawed for more than an instant--in each park.
Although the parks are within a day’s drive of one another, Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion have surprisingly diverse landscapes. It's easy to envision spending a week or more exploring just one. On a first visit, though, most people hurry down the winding, gently rolling highways of the epic Colorado Plateau--the same one that brought you the Grand Canyon--to see all the parks in an attempt to cross them off their "lifetime" list. Yet, inevitably, even the hasty will latch on to a specific park that they can’t help returning to again and again.
Stretching from the southern portion of the state to northern Arizona, southwest Colorado, and northwest New Mexico, Utah's national parks are sculpted by the Colorado, Escalante, Green, Paria, and Virgin Rivers. Together, these waterways have created canyons, buttes, mesas, arches, and badlands. The resulting geography means that traveling between the parks isn't as easy as it looks on a map. Set aside at least a week to ten days for your visit.
Zion
Although you can start the circuit by flying into Denver or Salt Lake City, starting from Las Vegas makes the most sense. From there, it's only a 120-mile jaunt to Zion, one of the jewels of the park system with its breathtaking red- and white-walled canyons and towering sandstone peaks. Early Mormon settlers named this area after their vision of heaven. It’s easy to see why.
A free bus shuttles visitors through Zion Canyon along the north fork of the Virgin River, where you'll see some of the most spectacular scenery in the park, from April though October. Keep an eye out for the Great White Throne and the Three Patriarchs, which began as immense sand dunes some 200 million years ago. Soak in the driver's expert commentary and then jump out at any of the trailheads. For a short, half-mile stroll, stop at Weeping Rock, an easy trail that winds past lush vegetation to an overhang where thousands of water droplets glisten as they seep though sandstone and bounce off impervious shale. The Emerald Pools Trails are equally stunning but a little more strenuous after you pass the Lower Pool. Continue along the steeper, rockier trail to get away from the crowds.
If you’re ambitious, hike to Angel’s Landing, one of the park's top attractions. The four-mile round trip takes about four hours because of the 1,050-foot elevation gain. After a series of switchbacks, you’ll hit Scout Lookout and behold one of the canyon’s finest views. Stop here and watch braver hikers continue on to the lofty ridge by clinging to rope-like chains anchored in the rock--an added measure of security on a ledge that’s only a few feet wide at points, with steep drop-offs on either side. Join them if you dare.
Bryce Canyon
A hobbit could live here. This park contains a maze of enormous totem pole-like rock spires called hoodoos that glow red, orange, pink, yellow, and cream, depending on the time of day. If Zion is heaven, Bryce Canyon--only about an hour-and-a-half drive away--is fairyland. Of the five parks in the circuit, this is the one where an overnight stay is required. Do this not only to see the stars--this park has some of the world’s best air quality and scant light pollution--but to see the sunset over the spires. Plan to attend the ranger’s evening geology talk, when it’s offered. But don’t linger too long. If you oversleep the next morning, you'll miss one of the most spectacular sunrises on the planet.
If there's time for a hike, check out the Navajo Loop Trail, which drops 520 feet in less than a mile. Many visitors descend only a short way, mindful of the strenuous return to the rim. Once at the bottom, break from the pack and jump on the three-mile Peekaboo Loop. Time the hike to return to the ridge with the setting sun, and you might opt not to return to civilization.
Capitol Reef
This park is the best-kept secret in the state. Don’t overlook it. Its name comes from the colorful, rounded sandstone hills that reminded early explorers of the Capitol dome in Washington, D.C.-- geological features that presented a formidable barrier to the West, much as a reef blocks passage to the ocean. Check out the visitors center to learn about the park’s geology, plants, and birds. This is also the spot to see prehistoric Fremont Indian artifacts and find out about early Mormon settlers.
Drive the main road for an overview of the sites before doubling back for a slot canyon hike. Filled with fallen boulders from the crumbling cliffs that tower 800 feet overhead, Grand Wash is a level walk on the dry, gravel riverbed and just more than two miles one way. (Be wary of flash floods.) At the end, pick up Cassidy Arch Trail to ascend the Grand Wash and get close to the namesake arch of outlaw Butch Cassidy, who is thought to have used this wash as a hideout.
Canyonlands
Described as a "wilderness of rock," this vast 527-square-mile backcountry remains a primitive park with some of the most unspoiled wilderness in the country. Although the park envelops four distinct sections, most visitors linger at the Island in the Sky District. Its paved road leads to the Grand View Overlook and sights of the dramatically deformed three-mile-wide crater called Upheaval Dome, likely created by a meteorite within the last 150 million years.
The Needles District displays some of the finest rock sculptures in the park, but you have to get out of your car and hike a bit to see it. Adventurous souls who travel beyond the overlooks should keep their eyes out for ghostlike pictographs, thousand-year-old works attributed to the Fremont Indians. Only experienced hikers should consider venturing into the Maze District, and even then some spots are best viewed by airplane.
Arches
Brace yourself for the crowds when you hit Arches, one of the most visited parks in the country. The park is small enough to visit in a day or less. Short hiking trails provide easy access to fabulous sandstone arches--more than 2,000 exist in the park. Created on a fault line above a salt bed--the remnants of a sea that flowed some 300 million years ago--he park’s namesake formations are the result of buckling rocks, cracks, water, ice, and wind. And they’re still works in progress. New ones continuously form as old ones change with the elements.
The best hikes are in the morning, before the crowds descend. The three-mile round-trip journey to the base of Delicate Arch is one of the most scenic in the park and crosses a swinging bridge. But whatever path you take--from the easy to the difficult--be sure to stay on the trails or slickrock. The extremely fragile soil is home to tiny organisms that slow erosion and soak up water, making life in the desert possible for other creatures.
Sidetrip: Escalante National Monument
For a real treat off the beaten path, motor into The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument on your way out of Bryce toward Capitol Reef via Highway 12, one of the most scenic roads in the country. Take a trip into the monument via the town of Escalante. At 1.9 million acres, this wild land could captivate an explorer for weeks. If you have time for only a brief encounter, head south down the unpaved Hole-in-the-Rock Road. Watch your odometer and go as far as Devil’s Garden, 12.5 miles in, get out to snap photographs, and wander at your whim. Climbing around the sandstone arches and formations will bring out the child in you again.
Travel Essentials
Public transportation is a rarity in southern Utah, so you’ll need a car. If you travel during the summer, patience is key: The roads can be crowded with recreational vehicles. If you can, visit in spring or fall when better temperatures will put less strain on you and your vehicle.
The desert can be brutal. If you opt for any backcountry travel, make sure you have plenty of gas and water, and remember that you’re venturing into a vast wilderness. If plans include extensive exploring, be sure to inquire about local conditions. Flash floods come quickly; dust storms are blinding.
In the summer months, you’ll need to arrive early to find a campsite, because only a few accept reservations. Visit www.recreation.gov to see a list of campsites that allow you to book a spot in advance.
