Canyonlands National Park

[This post covers Saturday (8/29) evening through Monday (8/31) morning.]

Devil's Garden Campground, at the end of the 18 mile scenic drive in Arches, was perfect. Our site was very basic - had to park on the side of the road - but was at the top of a hill overlooking rock formations and the valley, and just a 100 yard walk to another arch.

Our roadside campsite

Karri hiked out one of the rock spines to catch the sunset

Moon rising behind the clouds; taken from our site

Over a couple beers, we confirmed our plan to skip the second night in Arches and head to an area of Canyonlands NP that was previously not on our itinerary. But not before taking in a few more of Arches' amazing sights.

Up at 5:45am Sunday, quick breakfast before biking ~.5mi to the Devil's Garden trailhead to hike to a few more arches.

Packing up before hitting the trail

Sunrise on the Devil's Garden trail

Devil's Garden is a 7.5mi loop, much of it on 'primitive' trail with warnings at the trailhead about the challenges - difficult to follow, climbing over rocks, high ledges(!), slippery, etc. We started on the section with the most arches and got to see 4 or 5 in the first 90 minutes, often having them all to ourselves. The trail was tough to follow at times and had a couple sections where we climbed on all fours. But it was worth it!

Landscape Arch

Partition Arch - my favorite

Partition Arch from the other side

We eventually came to a long, narrow - and high - rock spine leading to Double-O arch and decided this would be a good spot to head back. ;)

Got back to the trailhead around 8:15am, having hiked about 5mi. Biked back to camp, packed up and drove to Moab for a great brunch at Jailhouse Cafe (highly recommend!). Over brunch, we identified a few potential camping spots for the night - all on Bureau of Land Management property, which are first-come-first-served - then hit the road for the 45min drive. We were pleasantly surprised at our first stop, Horsethief Campground, to find only 2 or 3 of the 30+ sites occupied. We snagged a private spot looking out over the flatlands toward Canyonland's 'Islands in the Sky' entrance. Dropped a few items at camp, then headed to the park visitor center to firm up our plan for the afternoon.

Canyonlands is a massive, spectacular park with 3 separate areas. Islands in the Sky is the northwest section, with a 12-mile scenic drive above breathtaking, 2-tiered canyons with white-capped tower formations in the bottom section. First stop was Mesa Arch, the most famous spot in this section of the park.

Mesa Arch with the canyon in the background

Ms. Showoff peeking over the edge of the 2,000ft drop-off

We drove the length of the scenic drive, stopping at a few viewpoints, before reaching the end of the road at Grand Viewpoint Overlook.

Grand Viewpoint Overlook; tough to tell but we're at the top of a steep drop-off to the first canyon floor

We decided to hike the mile-long rim trail to the southern-most viewpoint of the upper canyon, where you get a 300+ degree view of the canyons and the junction of the Colorado and Green Rivers to the south. Mercifully, the rim trail never got closer than 6 or 8 feet from the ledge. ;)

Start of the trail; again tough to tell, but there's a ~1,000ft drop-off just behind her

View from the southern-most point, Colorado River in the distance (right of center)

We hiked back to the car, then drove to one more viewpoint to see the Green River to the west.

Green River in the distance

By this point, we were hot, tired, and felt we had gotten a pretty good (and unplanned!) taste of this beautiful region of the park, and so headed back to camp.

We got camp setup, then went for a quick bike ride - the campground is surrounded by mountain bike trails; we picked an easy and fun 1mi loop. Back at camp, we used our portable camp shower for the first time (a refreshing treat!), sat and enjoyed happy hour, then dinner around a campfire - our first on the trip as fire danger has been high and/or it's been too hot.

Happy, Happy Hour!

Getting dinner ready

After dinner, we sat out to watch the moon and stars for a while, then headed to bed. We decided to make Monday a little more leisurely, since we have 2 nights in the next section of Canyonlands - the Needles area. Up at 6:45, leisurely breakfast in camp, packed up and headed back to Moab by 8:30. Picked up a few groceries and more ice, then found a delightful, shaded city park to sit, clean up photos, make a couple phone calls, and write this post. :) Now on to Needles Outpost - our campground for the next 2 nights.

Song Spot: 'Laundry Room' by The Avett Brothers has been hanging around much of the last 2 days

Hiking: ~8mi

Biking: ~2mi

On to Moab and Arches National Park

[This one should get me caught up. Covering Friday thru Saturday afternoon.]

Up early to finish packing and break camp in Fruita. We intentionally stalled a bit to wait for Gifford House to open at 8am so we could buy one of their homemade cinnamon rolls that we had spied the day before (delicious, but we both agreed our daughter Victoria's are better!).

On the way out of the park, we stopped a couple times to take in some of the views, including petroglyphs - art carved/painted into rock faces by ancient natives around 600-1300 AD.

Fruita barn on the drive out of camp

Fremont culture petroglyphs (figures in the middle of the photo)

We drove about an hour through sparsely populated, gray-but-beautiful landscape before stopping for a great breakfast and solid wifi at Duke's Slickrock Grill in Hanksville, Utah. We blindly stumbled onto this place - and it was delicious. We've been pleasantly surprised by the quality of food at roadside restaurants - most serving locally raised/grown food.

Somewhere between Capitol Reef and Hanksville

Cowboy breakfast at Duke's Slickrock Grill

We got to Arches NP around noon and decided to check things out, even though we were staying outside the park Friday night. We drove a few miles into the park, stopping frequently to snap pictures and take in the scenery. It felt a little like driving through the gallery of a clay sculptor with massive, incomplete sculptures lying around.

The one in the middle is appropriately called 'Balanced Rock'

The one on the left is called 'Three Gossips'

After an hour or so, we headed into Moab to check things out and pick up some groceries. Restocked, we headed to our hotel, the Red Cliffs Lodge, which was significantly nicer than we were expecting - a pleasant surprise. It's a 17 mile drive out of Moab along the Colorado River, through a canyon of soaring red cliffs. 

Drive to the Red Cliffs Lodge

The Lodge has large, cabin-style rooms with decks looking out over the river, a large pool, laundry facilities (much needed at this point in the trip!), a restaurant, horse stables, and more. We learned that several movies have been filmed here - include 'Rio Grande' starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. We quickly did laundry, replenished our ice and water, then showered and headed to the pool for half an hour before a 6:45 dinner reservation at the Lodge restaurant. Dinner was amazing! The whole experience at the Lodge was an unexpected-but-much-appreciated guilty pleasure - we're supposed to be roughing it, right?!

Poolside R&R!

The view from our dinner table on the deck of the restaurant.

Early to bed, up at 6, packed and on the road to Arches at 7. Karri had identified a few shorter hikes to views of some of the park's signature arched rocks. We had read that Arches is one of the busiest national parks and, as usual, wanted to beat the crowds. We were treated to some beautiful, morning-sunlight sights.

Turret Arch

South Arch

Double Arch

Delicate Arch

We stopped at our campsite at Devil's garden - at the northern end of the park road, dropped off some stuff, then drove back down for one more hike.

Sand Dune Arch

Broken Arch

At this point, we felt we had seen most of the sights - with plans for a 7.5mi hike (Devil's Garden) Sunday morning to see a couple more. The skies turned dark and my WeatherBug app popped a lightning alert for the area. As any responsible hikers would do, we decided to seek cover... and drove back to Moab for a cold beverage, an afternoon snack (that turned into dinner), and wifi at The Spoke on Center - a cool bike-themed restaurant/bar in the heart of town.

We're considering another revision to our plan... maybe only 1 night camping in the park, as we feel we've seen most of it. Karri is scouting options for Sunday afternoon/evening - centered around giving us an opportunity to hike Corona and Bowtie Arch Trail on Monday, which is highly recommended - and not located in a national park. We'll decide in camp tonight...

Song Spot: Several, but 'Can't See The Light' by Reuben and the Dark got me through a couple hikes

Hiking: ~7mi (Sat)

Biking: 0

Capitol Reef National Park

[Trying to catch up.... We were mostly out of communication range for two days – no cell or wifi - then had a busy day upon arriving in Moab/Arches. Also, my observant sister noticed the post dates don't match the descriptions - these are automatically generated when I publish a post. This post covers our time in Capitol Reef NP (Wed-8/26 and Thu 8/27)]

The drive from Boulder to Capital Reef was easy – although we had some dark skies and rain at times. There were some gorgeous stretches driving through hilly roads lined with aspens and Ponderosa Pines. We stopped in the town of Torrey for gas and an early lunch, then some food shopping, before heading into the park.

Driving into the park, we both noticed similarities to the Grand Canyon – at least if you could drive along the bottom of the canyon and look up one side; shear, reddish-brown cliffs that expose multiple layers of underlying rock. Beautiful. The park got its name from early explorers - former sailors who thought the cliffs resembled ocean reefs that blocked ship passage, and that one of the domed rock formations resembled the US Capitol Building.

A pullout before entering Capitol Reef NP

Karri showing off her lack of acrophobia!

We stopped at the visitor center for some hiking recommendations, then pulled into our campsite at Fruita campground to drop the bikes and some gear, before driving the length of the north-to-south scenic road. The park is smaller and is less developed than Zion and Bryce. The road is paved for 8 miles, then you can drive an additional 2 miles on dirt/gravel until it ends. We did a short stretch of the gravel road before turning back. 

Roadside view

Another gorgeous day!

Our plan was to get a shorter hike in before dinner. As we headed to the trailhead, we hit our first proverbial bump-in-the-road on our otherwise smooth-sailing vacation... Karri noticed some swelling and discoloration in her right calf. She had slipped on a rock while hiking the Narrows in Zion, and got a small cut (and a large bruise) that she had been treating with anti-bacterial ointment, apparently to little avail.

We decided to play it safe and get it checked out. We drove back to the visitor center and learned that the nearest clinic was 35 minutes away in Bicknell, UT, and that they should be open until 5 (it was 4:15!). 

Long story short – we contacted the clinic (once we got cell coverage in Torrey) and got there before closing, they saw her right away and were able to fill a prescription for antibiotics on the spot. The doctor assured her that she could continue normal activities and said to call if things didn’t improve in 3 days. She was in-and-out in 20 minutes!

We had a mellow night in camp - I did a short (1mi r/t) hike along the Fremont River - then dinner and early to bed. 

Setting sun lighting the cliffs above our campground

Thursday morning, we were up at 6, biking out of camp at 7. We rode 2.2 miles down the scenic road, then another 1.3mi down a gravel road to the Grand Wash and Cassidy Arch trailheads. 

Sun coming up over the cliffs on our ride to the trailhead

We planned to hike both trails, but about half a mile up the steep (850ft elevation gain in 1.5mi), cliff-side Cassidy Arch trail (named for Butch Cassidy, who apparently spent time in this area), my distaste for sheer heights kicked in and we decided to head back down. 

Start of the Cassidy Arch trail that continues along the face of that cliff in the background

We hiked the length of the Grand Wash trail – which runs 2.2 miles along a dried-up riverbed through a narrow canyon. We had the trail completely to ourselves and at times felt like we were exploring a distant, uninhabited planet. The hike back was a little more populated, but definitely not crowded. The sun was starting to climb over the cliffs and warm up sections of the trail.

Dried up riverbed

One of the narrower passages

Back at the trailhead, we hopped our bikes, then rode back to camp. It wasn’t noon yet, but we were both pretty hot (temps in the upper 80’s) and tired. 

Riding back along the gravel road

After a snack and a quick rest, we decided to hit another trail that starts across the street from the campground – Cohab Canyon Trail that leads to the Frying Pan trail. The trail starts out with a steep climb with views of the campground in the historic town of Fruita (originally settled by Mormons in the 1860’s), and the fruit orchards right next to the campground.

Our delightful, shaded campsite in Fruita

Above the historic settlement in Fruita; Our campsite was under the trees to the left

After climbing the face of a canyon, the trail slips through an opening and leads you through a series of smaller canyons, then up again to enjoy 300+ degree views of the park. It was beautiful, but after about 1.5mi, we were both beat, so we headed back to camp. 

Honeycomb-like rock formations

Early explorers thought one of these domes (not pictured) resembled the US Capitol

We stopped at the Gifford House in Fruita (200yds from our campsite) and picked up a fresh-baked cherry pie and two small ice creams. Headed to camp to enjoy the ice cream, then changed into our swim suits and headed to the Fremont River, which runs right next to the campground. It’s narrow and shallow, but the water was running fast and cold. It was delightful to sit in the river - a game-changer.

Back to camp for some much-needed resting (Karri napped in the hammock), then happy hour, dinner, cherry pie (so good!) and bed. An exhausting, but great day.

Deer roamed the orchard next to our campsite - including this curious fawn

Cherry pie for dessert!

Song Spot: Bohemian Like You – Dandy Warhols (while biking the scenic road)

Hiking: ~9mi (Thu)

Biking: ~7.5 (Thu)

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

[Out of cell/wifi range for most of Tuesday. Stopping for breakfast at Burr Trail Outpost - a great spot with espresso, breakfast burritos and solid wifi.]

About an hour out of Bryce, we entered Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument - a 1 million acre (used to be 1.9 million; somebody decided that was too much) natural area managed by the Bureau of Land Management. It's a vast, rugged area that was apparently one of the last places to be mapped in the contiguous United States. 'Staircase' refers to the descending geological layers that are visible in different sections of the park.

The scenery is spectacular - and constantly changing as you drive: sheer canyon walls, vast open spaces, Bryce-like rock formations, green valleys, rivers, and winding highways. Tough to describe.

With no reservation for the night, we stopped at a visitor center in the town of Escalante to see what our options might be. The center was closed, but we identified several potential camping spots. Our top choice was a first-come-first serve campground with only 12 sites, near the trailhead to a highly rated hike to a waterfall. We grabbed lunch at a great outdoor mexican restaurant, then hit the road. At about 1:30 we pulled into Calf Creek Campground where we were very pleasantly surprised to find an un-claimed campsite! It was meant to be.

Just outside the town of Escalante

One of many scenic overlooks

Entrance to the campground. There's a creek running beneath those trees.

We paid for our site, then jumped back in the van to head to the tiny town of Boulder, Utah to replenish our ice supply. Headed back to camp, changed into hiking gear, and headed for the Lower Calf Creek Falls trailhead, about 50 yards from our campsite. It's a 2.8mi (each way) hike through the creek canyon to the falls.

Trail was sandy - at times like walking on a beach

One of many great views along the trail

It had been sunny and hot (low 90's), but some rain clouds started rolling in about halfway up the trail. Given the recent electrical storms we've witnessed, we're both conscientious about getting stuck in a thunderstorm. We decided to press on and enjoyed a refreshing drizzle just as we got to the falls.

Wildflowers and rainclouds

Made it!

Quick swim under the falls

The rain stopped so we stayed for half an hour, then packed up and headed out as it started to drizzle again. The wind started blowing and it felt like it was really going to pour, but 10 minutes later the rain stopped and the sun started to come out.

Clouds clearing

Blue skies

Got back to campsite around 6. Cocktail while we setup camp, then dinner of chicken-apple sausages. After cleaning up, and packing up as much as possible for an early departure, we sat out and watched the night sky. Karri got some more great stargazing photos. 

Moon rising over the van

Sagittarius (thanks star-gazing app) 

This was the most 'primitive' campsite we've stayed in, but we both liked it the best - so far. The trees/shrubs made for great privacy, we were 20 feet from the creek and a small swimming hole, and had a great view of the nearby cliffs. The creek provided a perfect soundtrack for a great night of sleep (at least for me - Karri didn't sleep as well).

Packed up quickly this morning - didn't even make coffee - and were on the road at 8:20.

Almost ready to go

Heading to Fruita Campground in Capitol Reef NP today. Looks like just over an hour-long drive. Karri's been scouting hikes/sights while I write this. :)

Song spot: This was the first hike with no particular song in mind (at least not that I remember)

Hiking: ~5.5mi

Biking: 0