Zion to Antelope Canyon 2018
May 17-22, 2018
For my 30th birthday, I traveled to the outdoors of Nevada, Utah, and Arizona with my mom and Paul in tow. We had a great time discovering what all three states had to offer just in their nature.
We flew into Las Vegas to start our five-day journey. Since we were on my time schedule, we did not spend any time in Las Vegas and drove straight through the main hotel area and on our way up to Zion National Park.
Just north of the Las Vegas strip is Valley of Fire State Park. It felt like being on Mars or the Moon. Many of the rock formations were a bright red making it look like the rocks were on fire from a distance.
We woke up on day two in Zion National Park. The surrounding views out of our hotel window were stunning; we were centered right in the middle of everything in front of the park entrance. Zion is a massive national park and can take many days to see everything.
Hiking the Narrows in Zion Canyon was on my bucket list, and it did not disappoint. However, half of a day hiking the narrows is exhausting, so do not plan on doing anything after.
Even leaving the park was absolutely breathtaking. Once you reach the other side of the tunnel, the scenery changes, and you think you have entered a new universe or maybe just landed on the moon. From Zion, we drove to Kanab for the night.
On day three, we woke up for more fun in the dirt and found a very rocky road that was said to have some epic hikes. That road leads to Wire Pass and starts the trailhead for Buckskin Gulch. Buckskin Gulch only had a handful of people on the trail, so it felt like you had the whole place to yourself. The trail follows the border of Utah and Arizona then splits off north and south. Wire Pass was a stop along the way to Page Arizona.
Our last two days were spent in lesser known Page, Arizona. What Page, AZ is known for is Horseshoe Bend, Lake Powell, and Antelope Canyons.
Lake Powell is a giant lake that is filled with water sports year-round. There is always something to explore on Lake Powell, from boating, water skiing, and kayaking. The lake also has its very own dam. Glen Canyon Dam can be toured daily and helps regulate the water that goes to the Hoover dam.
What most people are familiar with in Page, AZ, is Antelope Canyons. You can take tours through the canyons but are not allowed on your own; the canyons are owned by the American Indians. There are two canyons to choose from. The upper canyons are photography tours, and the lower canyons are public tours. Our guide stopped us in many places during our tour and took pictures of us on our phones. Since there are lines of people and they do not allow you to stop on your own, it was a nice gesture to get pictures without people in them.
Before leaving Page, AZ, and heading to the airport, we had to stop at Horseshoe Bend. It was a decent walk uphill to see this fantastic river bend, but it was totally worth it. Unfortunately, the area fills up fast before sunset, so make sure to get there early.