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Utah

Who to travel with: 

- I traveled to Utah solo, and it was very safe! 

- Safety Note: If you are doing advanced hiking alone, make sure you are an experienced and strong hiker and you let people know where you are and what hike you are on. I recommend not doing long day hikes or multi-day hikes alone. 

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What not to miss:

  • Salt Lake City

  • Summer: national parks not to miss

    • Zion National Park:

      • Hike Angel’s Landing (if you are an experienced hiker): 5.4 miles total (about 4-6 hours on average; I completed in 3 hours)

      • Hike to the Emerald Pools (lower, middle, and upper falls)

      • Hike part or all of the Narrows: I hiked 3 miles total of this!

      • Drive the Zion Park Scenic Byway

    • Bryce Canyon National Park:

      • Sunrise and sunset in the park (See tips below for where the best spots are!)

      • Stargazing at night- it’s one of the best places in the US for stargazing due to the little light pollution! 

      • Hike the Navajo Loop + Queens Garden Trail (said to be the world’s best 3-mile hike)- takes about 1.5-2.5 hours

      • Hike part or all of the Narrows: I hiked about 1.5 miles each way. I would have kept going if I had water boots (these are a must if you are going to do the full 18 mile hike; most people do it in 2 days and camp- book permit ahead of time!). 

      • Hike part or all of the 5.5 rim trail around the canyon

      • Drive the 18-mile each way scenic drive with many overlook stops

    • Capitol Reef National Park:

      • Hike to Hickman Bridge: 45 min-1 hour

      • Hike the Golden Throne Trail: 2-3 hours

      • Capital Reef Scenic Drive: 25 miles round trip with many overlook stops

      • Drive Notom Road scenic backway: 29 miles

      • Drive Cathedral Valley Scenic backway: 56 mile dirt road/ some of the drive goes through the water, so if it’s raining or has been wet, do not go- you won't make it. 

      • Stargaze at Cathedral Valley

    • Arches National Park:

      • Hike Delicate Arch Trail: known as the best hike in Utah (4 miles)

      • Camp the night at Devil’s Garden & watch sunrise here

      • This national park is known for its great lighting for photography

    • Canyonlands:

      • Raft the rapids

      • Bike the Island in the Sky: 100 mile white rim road

    • Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

 

  • Winter: skiing is not to miss!

    • Snowbird

    • Alta Ski Resort

    • Snowbasin

    • Deer Valley Resort

    • Park City

    • Brighton Resort

    • Powder Mountain

 

Tips:

  • Buy a USA Park’s Pass: $80 for a year of access to US national parks (worth it if you are going to more than 1 national park/ each park entrance fee is $35 each)

  • In Zion in the summer, you must park at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center and take the shuttle bus through the park (no cars are allowed to drive through the park in the summer). So make sure to pack everything you need for that day with you.

  • Do some hiking! (make sure you are in shape!)

  • Hike Angels Landing (Zion National Park) early in the morning (I started at 6:30am)- it gets SO busy on the trail and you will have to wait for lots of people since parts of the trail are only wide enough for 1 person at a time…

  • If you hike the Narrows in Zion National Park, wear water shoes because you will be hiking in the water/ swimming most of the time

    • Safety Note: if there is risk of rain, the Narrows is not safe to hike because of flash flooding. Check with a Park Ranger before entering these slot canyons and check the weather that day!

    • July & August are monsoon season in Utah. If you have your heart set on hiking the narrows, try not to go during these months. Instead, try and go in May or June- the driest months in Utah. 

  • Check out my packing lists page for what to pack for day hiking!

  • Pack lots of sunscreen and bugspray!

  • Use the bug spray wipes (they are great for traveling and packing lightly!)

    • Note: some people have skin reactions to bug wipes with high concentrations of DEET, so try your wipes BEFORE you leave on your trip!

  • One day in Zion is enough to see and do most everything if you start early in the day, depending on which hikes you decide to do.

  • In Bryce Canyon National Park, do not miss sunrise, sunset, and stargazing! So gorgeous here!

    • Sunrise: Hike Navajo Loop + Queens Garden Trail in Bryce Canyon National Park- it’s amazing!

    • Sunset: at Inspirational Point 

    • Stargazing: anywhere in the park is great, but Inspirational Point is where I went, and it was breathtaking!

  • Avoid the heat in the summer- hike early in the morning

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Vaccines: no extra ones needed as long as you are up to date. Ask your doctor. â€‹

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Don't forget to check out my 4-day itinerary of Zion, Bryce, & Grand Canyon National Parks!

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