A Week in the American Southwest

Colt and I tackled a great bit of the American southwest in a weeklong loop in September 2020. It was epic, and we loved it! There are so many different routes you can take, I don’t think you can go wrong.

I will share below the trip that we took, but I will also add some tips that worked for us and some things we would do differently next time. This is definitely just a guide – I am by no means an expert or a park ranger!

Day 1 – Morning flight to Phoenix → Grand Canyon

Day 2 – Grand Canyon

Day 3 – Grand Canyon to Page, AZ

Day 4 – Page, AZ to Tropic/Bryce, UT

Day 5 – Bryce Canyon to Zion

Day 6 – Zion

Day 7 – Zion

Day 8 – Zion to Vegas

Day 9 – Morning flight home from Vegas

Day 1

Morning flight from Nashville to Phoenix.

We picked up our rental car and drove directly from Phoenix to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. It’s hard to believe that you are driving to one of the wonders of the world based on the surrounding landscape.

We chose to stay at lodging within the park for two nights. It’s not swanky at all, but it is pretty convenient. If you don’t want to stay within the park, neighboring Tusayan, AZ has options for lodging. Tusayan is about 15 minutes away and is the nearest town. Stop in Tusayan (or any other town between Phoenix and here) for any essentials/groceries before entering the park.

After checking in and unloading luggage, we drove over to the Grand Canyon Visitor Center for our first view. The walk from the visitor center to Mather Point is just a few minutes, but it is impossible to describe that first view of the canyon. It’s incredibly stunning. Nothing I say, nor will any picture do it justice. You have to see it to believe it.

From there, we walked along the flat paved rim trail towards the west/left to Yavapai Point and watched sunset. I must say that the first afternoon and sunset was a great way to initiate a trip. If you have time, continue on the rim trail as far as you would like.

Dining

We traveled during covid, so many of the restaurants within the Grand Canyon village were closed. We ate at the food court within the hotel for breakfast/dinner. Lunch was protein bars/snacks while hiking that we brought from home. We did have dinner at El Tovar Dining Room (which was the only “nice” place open during covid) on our last night, but the wait was lengthy. By the time we got our food, I almost fell asleep at the table because we had been up hiking all day. All of that to say, we didn’t go to the Grand Canyon for gourmet food. Make the most of the food court or go somewhere nice on that first night when you aren’t exhausted.

Check here to see what is open when you go. More dining options exist in Tusayan, but we didn’t want to get in the car and drive. So, we opted for food within walking distance. Last, plan to dress casually for all dining places on this trip. Think hiking clothes/jeans/athleisure/layers to wear.

Tips:

National Park Service entry fees to the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and Zion are $35/vehicle each. If visiting more than two national parks, consider getting a national park pass for $80 that is good for one year.
Rent a vehicle you really like. You’re about to spend a lot of time in this vehicle. Don’t get the Geo Metro. Pack as light as possible because you are going to be loading/unloading suitcases often if you end up staying at a different place every couple nights.
Look up the sunrise/sunset times. Do note that the time zones change between Arizona and Utah, so keep that in mind if you make reservations somewhere. Based on sunset times, I always could tell which time zone I’d be in.
It’s hot during the day and gets chilly quickly after sunset through the mid-morning. (We were there in September.) Wear layers, sunscreen, and a hat. Girls, I got this hat right before going, and I loved it.
Wear real hiking shoes. Nike’s won’t really cut it. Definitely break shoes in before you go because blisters could really put a damper on the whole trip. I’m still on the hunt for hiking shoes I think are stylish…
Don’t forget to bring a backpack and Nalgene type refillable water bottles for hikes.
The Grand Canyon is roughly 7,000 feet above sea level. Expect to get winded sooner than expected. Also remember that what goes down must come back up when hiking here. When coming up, it is harder and hotter.

Getting around the Grand Canyon Village area:

The Grand Canyon has a shuttle bus system. During non-covid times, four different free bus routes (orange, blue, red, and purple) that you get on/off as you wish, and they run frequently throughout the day. Currently (late 2020), only the orange (which is modified) and red routes are running. Check here for bus info. The shuttles start running about an hour before sunrise and stop about an hour after sunset.

Orange route — you’ll use this to access trails, specifically South Kaibab or to go to Yaki point.

Blue route — this shuttle was out of service, but it exists to connect lodging and other stops within the village.

Red route – Hermits Road route. This shuttle has nine stops at different viewpoints with the last stop being Hermits Rest. Hermits Road is not open to cars, so must take it or bike to see viewpoints. (It is open to cars from December to February.)

Purple route – This route is closed during covid as well. It connects the Village Center to the town of Tusayan, AZ. When open, must present your already purchased park pass to get on.

Day 2

Get up early and watch sunrise from any viewpoint you choose and then have breakfast. After breakfast, go hiking. (Our sunrise plans got thwarted because we forgot our masks, so we regrouped & started after breakfast.)

We parked at the visitor center and caught the orange route bus to the South Kaibab trailhead. (I’ve read that parking can be difficult, but between off-season and Covid, we never had any issues finding parking spots.) From the trailhead, hike as far down as you want.

We hiked to Ooh Aah Point (about 1 mile) then to Cedar Ridge (about 1.5 miles) and on down towards Skeleton Point (about 3 miles) all following the same trail. We did turn around before getting to Skeleton Point. Bathrooms are available at Cedar Ridge.

No water source is available on this trail. Must bring all water with you. Overall, this hike is beautiful! We absolutely loved it.

Those switchbacks, though, on the way up had my heart pounding! Here is a map and the National Park Service’s information about this trail.

After completing this hike, we relaxed for a bit before deciding to spend the afternoon seeing the viewpoints along Hermits Road. We caught the Red Route bus near the hotel, and we saw the vast views from many of the stops along the way. You can choose to stop at as many of the nine viewpoints as you wish. The shuttle buses run frequently, so you just hop on the next one after you are done at each site.

Views of the Colorado River form a Hermits Road viewpoint

After Hermits Road, we watched sunset, had supper, and called it a night. Off to Horseshoe Bend tomorrow!

Cocktails at El Tovar after a long day of hiking

Other options for the Grand Canyon:

Hike Bright Angel Trail. Travel down as far as you would like and then turn around. We did not do this trail, we only saw it from viewpoints along Hermits Road. Here is National Park Service info.
Bike. Bike rentals are available at the visitor center. We wanted to do this, but we didn’t have enough time between the hike and Hermits Road. You could rent bikes and ride as far down Hermits Road as you wish. The shuttles have bike racks on the front, so you could always catch a ride back. Do plan to be back shortly after sunset or take a headlamp. It gets very dark quickly after sunset. The Grand Canyon is a designated dark sky park, so there are little to no light along the paths.
If hiking isn’t your thing, ride a mule.
Helicopter Tour. I would love to do this someday, but I honestly don’t have any details.
Walk as much of the Rim Trail as you would like. It is flat and paved and offers great views.
Desert View Road. Check here to see if any/which parts of this are open. This road does not have a shuttle, and we planned to take this road east towards Page, AZ on our way out of the park. Typically, you could drive and park at the various viewpoints. However, it was CLOSED as a through route due to covid in regard to Indian reservations. Since it was going to be closed, we did not travel there. *But it is open as of 4/8/21.

Day 3

We left the Grand Canyon this morning en route to Page, AZ. Typically we would’ve taken Desert Road and Highway 64 east to Cameron, AZ before driving north to Page, AZ. However, since it’s closed, we had to drive south to Flagstaff, AZ before going north. This covid detour added two hours to the trip. *As of 4/8/21, Desert View road is open, so you can enter/exit the park on the east side. For up to date info, click this link.

Horseshoe Bend

It’s more massive than you can realize from the photos. The overlook is about 1,000 feet above the river, and the majority of it does not have railings. The entrance fee is $10 with ample parking next to the entrance. The walk from the entrance to the overlook is about 15 minutes (less than a mile) via a relatively flat path in the desert. While walking the path, it’s hard to believe one of the most photographed sections of the Colorado River is just ahead.

It’s pretty impressive! We spent about an hour total here.

Post Horseshoe Bend, Colt and I opted for lunch in the town of Page, AZ before tackling Buckskin Gulch. Originally, we had reservations to see Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons. Not to sound like a broken record, but covid shut those down as well. So, we made alternate plans.

Buckskin Gulch

This is the longest and deepest slot canyon in the Southwest. This was one of my favorite hikes of this trip. Definitely one of my favorites of all time! It’s incredible! From Page, AZ, the drive is about an hour to get to the trailhead. Take highway 89 toward Lake Powell/Big Water for about 34 miles. Take a sharp left/south turn (it’s in a corner of the highway) onto the gravel House Rock Valley Rd. Travel this bumpy gravel road for about 8.5 miles.

You will lose cell reception on this road. Park at Wirepass Trailhead for the shortest route to Buckskin Gulch. You will pass Buckskin Gulch Trailhead – you could do this, but it adds several miles to the hike before getting to the slot canyon.

$6/person payable at trailhead via envelope kiosk. Cash is easiest.

Cross the road and follow the gravelish/sandy unshaded wash for 1.7 miles

Feels like you are walking in an open gravel road to nowhere in the hot sun, but you’re about to be amazed!

Veer right and enter Wirepass Slot Canyon going to Buckskin Gulch. The slot canyons are shaded and cool. Shortly after you are in the slot canyon, you’ll come upon a rock with an 8-10’ drop. Go down facing the rock and you’ll find a log there to put your foot on to get down. It’s hardest for the first person, and then he/she can help the next. Same for the way out. We were lucky enough that a few other hikers were around when we got to this point. They helped us and it wasn’t too hard. Would only be tricky if you are solo and there is no one around. But definitely still doable! (As of 10/8/20, there is a ladder there now which makes it easy. Not sure how long until it washes away.)

From here, hike as far as you wish. You’ll be in a beautiful slot canyon for a few hundred yards and then you’ll come upon an open area. Continue towards the right for the slot canyons of Buckskin Gulch. You will love it! Turn around whenever you wish and go back the way you came. Take pictures. Enjoy the slot canyon!

Do not do this if rain is in the forecast. High swells of water can rush through the canyon posing drowning risks.
Plan to get back to your car before sunset. If not, take a headlight. It gets dark quickly, and the path isn’t marked with signs after leaving the trailhead.
There’s not a water source on this route, so bring plenty of water with you.
Download the map for offline use on your smartphone prior to this adventure. Colt uses the app Gaia for his other off-the-beaten-path excursions, and it was useful for us for this trip.

Stay & Eat in Page, AZ

We spent the night in Page, AZ in a tiny house Airbnb. My main goal was to find lodging with a washer/dryer. After a few days of hiking, it was so nice to be able to do all of our laundry and have fresh clothes. There are many options to choose from on Airbnb, and there are also several simple hotels you could stay at too.We brought a few supplies with us, but we also went to Wal-Mart in Page for food for hikes and for tomorrow’s lunch.

The dining options are pretty simple too — more of a means to an end versus something to write home about. We ate lunch at the Birdhouse and we had dinner after hiking at State 48 Tavern. Both are very simple and casual. Other options we thought about are El Tapatio and Big John’s Texas BBQ.

If hiking isn’t in your realm, nearby Lake Powell has lots of water activities.
Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons are the most popular slot canyons in the area, however, they are currently closed due to covid. Must make reservations for each many months in advance. Tours are required for both of them. I had reserved tickets for upper and lower tours prior to getting cancelled. Originally we had planned to do Horseshoe bend followed by the Antelope Canyon tours.
We really wanted to visit Monument Valley either today or tomorrow, but it was closed as well.

Day 4

Today we left Arizona for Utah. The highlight of today was the journey. We took a 46 mile dirt/gravel road. Yes, 46 miles and we loved it!

After leaving Page, travel into Utah and take Cottonwood Canyon Road on the right (between mile marker 18 & 17) and travel through a part of the large Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

This drive takes about two hours. If you have a drone, this makes for great footage. Colt had the best time with his.

If the driving conditions are wet and make Cottonwood Canyon Road impassable or if you do not want to travel it, you can always take highway 89 and then highway 12 to Bryce or Tropic, Utah.

If you do the drive, top off your gas tank in Page.
Reset the odometer to know the distance traveled. I thought we had gone so far, and the odometer was at less than ten miles.
We packed lunch and water for the car because we made a half day of it — stopped for a hike, visited Grosvenor Arch, and did some hikes at Kodachrome Basin State Park all before seeing any civilization.
The next bathroom facility after you check out of your hotel is at Kodachrome Basin State Park. Prepare to use the great outdoors along the way if you have a small bladder. Pack toilet paper & a baggie if you think that’ll be you.

Along the way, you can stop and do hikes. Colt and I stopped and did the Cottonwood Wash Narrows about 25 miles into the drive. I didn’t find it amazing, but I did enjoy being outside. (Including being outside the car for a bit. It gives your bum a break from the bumps.)

We walked about 15-20 minutes one way and then turned around and came back the way we came. There were a couple spots where we scrambled over some rocks. You could stay on the trail until you get to the dirt road and then walk the road back to your car.

The next stop was at 30 miles to see Grosvenor Arch. Do this for sure! The path up to the arch is paved which is kinda funny because nothing else around there is paved. It was the only arch we saw on this southwest trip, and it was pretty cool. This stop was for sightseeing and not hiking, and we spent 30 minutes or less here.

After the arch, you will finish the last part of this road.

As soon as you are exiting Cottonwood Canyon Road, you will find the entrance to Kodachrome Basin State Park on your right.

The entrance fee is $8/vehicle & includes a map of the area. We parked at the Angel’s Palace Trailhead (which has bathrooms) & did this hike. There are several hikes to choose from, so do as much or as little as you want. We only did Angel’s Palace (1.5 miles) and I really liked it for the below reasons, but I would’ve done Shakespeare Arch/Sentinel Trail had we stuck around longer.

*You don’t have to stop at this park, however it was worth the $8 to us to use a real bathroom & wash up, stretch our legs, and enjoy a small break from the confines of the vehicle.

Other hikes at Kodachrome that sound interesting: Nature Loop Trail (0.5 miles), Panorama Loop Trail (3-6 miles), or Shakespeare Arch/Sentinel Trail (1.7 miles).

Willis Creek Slot Canyon – I wanted to stop here, but recent internet reports while we were there said that Skutumpah road/BLM 500 that leads to the trailhead is impassable. This would be a fun stop, though, after Kodachrome. Check it out before you go, and do it if possible. I want to do this next time! From Kodachrome, it’s less than 30 minutes away. When leaving Kodachrome Park, turn right onto Cottonwood Canyon Road and drive about 4.4 miles. Take a sharp left onto Skutumpah Road and drive for about 6 miles and then see parking on the right. Cross road to trailhead.

Tips for Willis Creek Slot Canyon: Wear water shoes as you’ll be walking along the creek bed, and turn around when you see a big rock in the creek because that is the end of the slot canyon portion. It’s about 1.5 miles to that rock & then return the way you came.

Since Willis Creek was not an option for us, Colt and I drove to Tropic, Utah after Kodachrome Basin to spend the night. We stayed here, and it was okay. We had a slight hiccup in our reservations, but we ended up in a cabin with three beds, a full kitchen, and a washer/dryer. So, we will call it a win because we left with all clean clothes again! We walked to dinner in the quaint small town. (I don’t have much info on Tropic – we got there late afternoon and left the next morning.) After breakfast the next morning, we were off to Bryce Canyon.

Day 5

We drove to Bryce Canyon this morning. If you do stay in Tropic, it is a short 15 minute drive to the National Park.

Bryce Canyon

Filled with hoodoos, this smaller National Park will leave you in awe. Upon arriving, we parked in the lot at Sunset Point. Our first view was from Sunset Point, and we loved it!

From there, we walked to Sunrise Point via the Rim Trail.The Rim Trail is flat and you can take in the sweeping views.

We then took Queens Garden Trail to start our first hike there. You end up descending into the canyon and then make your way back up. Don’t forget to look behind you. It’s kinda crazy to see all the hoodoos towering above you.

We also ran into one of my dear coworkers, Susan, and her husband here! Small world! We saw each other at the airport in Nashville, and they were doing a similar trip. But how fun to actually see them on a trail!

From the Queens Garden Trail, we took the Navajo Loop Trail and then the Wall Street branch of it back up to Sunset Point. From that point of the Navajo Loop Trail, you have two options to get back to the top – Wall Street (most popular) or Two Bridges.

The Wall Street branch is Bryce Canyon’s only slot type canyon. It was really cool. The last half mile of the Wall Street branch is switchbacks to the top. It’ll have you breathing hard. But then, you are back at Sunset Point right where you started.

If the Wall Street branch is closed, you will take the Two Bridges/Thor’s Hammer branch. Wall street is closed during the cold months through spring because of icy conditions.

The total hike length is about 3 miles and it’s relatively easy except for that last climb back to the top. Here is a map to see the hike routes. Here is some general info. Or look at hikes here.

After we got back to our car, we drove to Inspiration Point for one last look at Bryce Canyon. You could do more lookout points or you could do more hiking trails if you wanted.

We got lunch in the town of Bryce and then drove to Zion. We entered Zion from the east, and it was pretty incredible to see the scenery change and drive through the tunnel toward the visitor center and Springdale, AZ. The drive from Bryce to Zion/Springdale is about 1 hour 45 minutes.

Bryce Tips

Bryce Canyon is roughly 8,000 feet above sea level. So, it can be colder there than the other places depending on what time of year it is. That also explains why you may be short of breath.
If you want to extend your stay at Bryce Canyon, consider the Peek-A-Boo Loop Trail or the Fairyland Trail. These are both longer hikes. You could combine Peek-A-Boo with Queens/Navajo Loop. I have not personally done the first two, but they were on our list to do if we needed alternates.
Entrance fee is $35. If you got the national park pass earlier at/before the Grand Canyon, Bryce is included. You will just show your pass as you drive through.

Zion National Park

We stayed in Springdale, AZ which is the small town that is essentially an extension of the park. We stayed in The Willow at Watchman Villas. I loved having a living area, kitchen, and laundry on-site for those wet clothes from the narrows. I definitely recommend staying in Springdale versus the one lodging option in the park. Springdale has lots of lodging options, so you can find what suits your group.

Springdale has beautiful scenery and lots of options for dining within walking distance. I thought Springdale was such a dreamy town! It was my favorite town of this trip.

Dining in Zion/Springdale:

Dinner – Our favorite meal was at King’s Landing Bistro – we almost ate there twice. Definitely go there — the wait was long for a table, so we snagged a spot at the bar. We also really enjoyed Thai Sapa. Other dinner options are Zion Pizza & Noodle (we got pizza from there), Oscar’s Cafe, Bit & Spur Restaurant, and Spotted Dog Cafe.

Breakfast/Lunch – We had coffee/lattes from Feel Love Coffee and Deep Creek Coffee Company early before we started our hikes. We otherwise had breakfast at our rental, and our lunches were packed as we were hiking mid-day each day in Zion. Other options are Cafe Soleil or MeMe’s Cafe.

*We were there during covid, and many restaurants were closed or only open for takeout.

Tips

Equipment Rental – There are several places to rent equipment for the Narrows, and I don’t think one outweighs the others. We got ours at Zion Outfitter the afternoon prior to our hike. They will tell you what is needed — for our warm weather excursion, they recommended boots, neoprene socks, and a hiking stick. It was $25 to rent, and the goods are due back by closing the next day. Colt brought his waterproof backpack with him, but you can rent those too. I bought a waterproof necklace pouch for my phone there. It was all really quick and easy. The supply is plentiful, much like renting ski gear in a ski town.
Do not do the Narrows hike without the proper equipment — you won’t have as much fun & will feel jealous when you see others go past using much less energy.
Pick out which trails you want to do ahead of time so that you can somewhat plan. Here’s an overview of the trails.
Ride the Springdale Shuttle from your lodging to the Zion Visitor Center. It’s very convenient. Be prepared to show your National Park Pass or to pay the entrance fee when getting to the Zion park entrance.
Most important tip – Learn the new Zion shuttle ticket system and buy them in advance HERE.

The free Zion shuttle had been a first come, first serve system. As private vehicles are not allowed on the scenic drive that leads to the most popular trailheads, the shuttle provides access to a majority of the places visitors want to go. Since Covid, however, you must buy a ticket online to board the reduced capacity shuttle. Tickets are $1/person and bought for a certain time slot that has a one hour window.

Tickets are available online on a rolling two-week basis prior. DO THIS IF YOU CAN to guarantee you do get to go inside the park for your desired hikes. Will save time and grief.

If unable to buy the tickets in advance, tickets are available the day prior at 9 am Zion time. For example, to get tickets anytime on Tuesday, buy them at 9am on Monday. Do be prompt! Colt and I had to use this system to get our tickets, and all of the morning tickets were gone in mere minutes. We weren’t even there during the busiest time of year. The park rangers do check each person’s ticket prior to entering the shuttle line, so there’s not a way to skirt the system.

Afternoon walk up tickets are available from 3-5pm. If you are unable to get a shuttle ticket, consider hikes outside the interior of the park.

We were unable to get tickets for our second day there because of the 9am system. We had a 7 am ticket on Thursday, and we hiked the Narrows. Zion does not have cell service that allowed us to be online at 9am to get tickets for Friday. That is the main hiccup — you may want to snag a 9am or later ticket for your first day so that you could stay close to your hotel’s wifi until 9am to get your next day’s ticket and so on. In hindsight, I wished I would have tried harder to get tickets two weeks prior to coming or gotten a 9am ticket Thursday.

Private pay shuttle options are allowed into the park. These are available for booking if you are unable to get a shuttle ticket. I don’t have any experience with them, but briefly attempted to google them when we didn’t get those shuttle tickets. They were 100% booked. I couldn’t find one that had an opening for days. If interested in this, I recommend booking weeks to months in advance. They are not good for being a last ditch effort. They, too, are at a reduced van capacity during covid.

Zion shuttle map is here.
Springdale shuttle map is here.

Day 6

Today Colt and I hiked The Narrows from the bottom up. We absolutely loved it and consider this a must-do hike. This and Buckskin Gulch were the absolute highlights of this trip.

We had a 7am Zion shuttle ticket that we used at 7:55 – a little “forgot our walking sticks back at the lodge” snafu had us scurrying, so we put that one hour window to good use.

Before doing the Narrows, we decided to do a few other hikes first to make the most of this day. We rode the shuttle to Zion Lodge and hiked the Lower and Middle Pools trails and connected to Sand Bench trail back to Zion lodge. We next caught the shuttle to Temple of Sinawava. We followed the riverside walk (paved, flat) for about a mile to get to the Narrows.

The Narrows hike is an out and back in the Virgin River. The water is rather cold – just how cold will depend on the time of year. The hike is thrilling and beautiful. As Susan said, “It’s like walking on wet bowling balls.” So true and so fun. After about 20 minutes, you will get the hang of it & get accustomed to the temp. The water was calf to knee deep most of the time with a few spots being waist deep. Go as far as you want, and then turn around. The max distance one can go is about 4 miles one way to Big Springs. Permits are required past that point. We went roughly 3.8 miles and then turned around. I can’t say enough good things about this hike!

Thanks for the blur, waterproof camera case.

Nothing like wearing a puffer jacket while hiking a in a river.

The water temperature was in the low 60s, and the flow rate was about 35 cubic feet per second (cfs). For more information, refer to this. If the cfs is above 150, the narrows will be closed. Also expect the outside temperature in the Narrows to be 10-20 degrees less than Springdale’s temps. I wore Lululemon shorts, a long-sleeve dry wick shirt, and a lightweight puffy jacket for the entirety of the hike.

Do be mindful of time, especially if starting later. You do not want to miss the last shuttle of the day!

Last tip – carry a waterproof backpack for your camera/phones. Colt put our essentials in his waterproof backpack, and I had a waterproof carrier for my iphone. Do not plan on carrying a phone/camera in your one spare hand. You will fall sooner or later. I took two nice tumbles.

Day 7

We had originally wanted to do Angels Landing today. However, the chain portion of it is closed because of covid. We instead kept it simple and had a leisurely breakfast in Springdale, did some trails, and then drove around the area. We then had supper, and it was time to pack to head to Vegas tomorrow.

Trails

Canyon Overlook – We really liked it, and we had not been on that side of Zion other than driving through on the way in. Great views! We even saw a tarantula on this hike! Do this hike.

Watchman Trail – Well. It was 90 degrees and 1pm. So, we went less than a mile and decided we were not feeling a non-shaded trail in the heat and turned around. Sometimes, you just have to know when to call it. However, I want to do this next time.

Day 8

We left Zion for Vegas today. Along the way we stopped at the Valley of Fire.

Valley of Fire

$10/vehicle. We didn’t spend a grand amount of time here because they did not recommend hiking due to extreme heat. However, it is a cool state park that isn’t too far from Vegas (about 50 miles). The Visitor Center there has a lot of great info, so stop and check that out. I would love to go back and discover more of this park. We entered from the east side, went north at the visitor center and then came back (it’s an out and back), and then exited the west side of the park.

My favorite stop was Pink/Pastel Canyon. It’s a cool slot canyon that, as you guessed, is pastel pink in color. The hike is short and was doable in the heat – 15 minutes roundtrip. It’s on Mouse’s Tank Road north of the Visitor Center, as if you are on your way to the Firewave. There’s a spot for just a couple of cars to park. It is unmarked. The gps coordinates are 36°28’47” N 114°31’36” W. From parking, walk east into the canyon. I really think you’ll love it too!

I wish we could’ve done the Firewave Trail. It’s about 1.5 miles roundtrip. The views are a zebra print of white and red stone. The photos look pretty cool. But, it wasn’t advised because of the heat. We also got there at 1pm during the hottest part of the day. If you go, the trail starts across from parking lot 3. Google some photos, and you will definitely wanna do this one.

White Domes trail – this is another trail that I wish we could’ve done. It’s a favorite along with the Firewave Trail. It’s roughly the same length and it is close to the Firewave Trail parking. Again, I’d do Firewave and White Domes next time.

We also stopped at the “Beehives” on the way out, and we stopped at a few of the overlooks (Rainbow Vista) along the way. The beehives had easy parking right in front of them, so it was an easy pit stop.

There is a view of the road that makes for a cool photo that is a classic representation of the terrain there. See below. To get that photo, when you are on your way south from Firewave or White Domes going toward the visitor center, you will pass the Rainbow Vista parking area on the left. Immediately after that, the road will curve and somewhat descend. Right after the bend, you will see a gravel parking spot on the right for 1-2 cars. Park there behind a big rock. Climb that rock to get some really cool pictures!

After all of our stops and photo ops, we went into Vegas for the evening before an early flight the next morning. We did return our car that afternoon, and we used Lyft/Uber for what little was left of the trip. I did not love Vegas at all, but I did enjoy the option of ending with a really nice meal and wearing “real” clothes after a week on the trails. So, Vegas wasn’t a total loss. I wasn’t in Vegas long enough to have recommendations on where to stay/eat. We chose to stay on the strip, and we spent some of the afternoon walking the strip and taking it all in. Restaurant options are plentiful along with shopping and all things Vegas.

Day 9

Early morning flight home from Las Vegas.