After our visit to Zion National Park, we were in national park fever. The next stop on our seven-week trip was Bryce Canyon - another highlight that left us speechless.
Disconnected from the water supply, unplugged the power cables, emptied the waste water tanks and quickly refueled with the all-important propane, we left our campground, the Zion River Resort, early in the morning. With a loud "On the road again" on our lips, we set off and did Willy Nelson proud. We drove along Zion's incredibly impressive winding road to the entrance of the infamous Mount Carmel Tunnel. What a ride!
Construction of the 1.1-mile Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel began in the late 1920s and was completed in 1930. When the tunnel was dedicated on July 4, 1930, it was the longest tunnel of its kind in the United States. The tunnel (and the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway) provide direct access for travel between Bryce Canyon, the Grand Canyon and Zion National Parks. There is no better or shorter route between the two parks, but there are a few things to consider.
A study by the Federal Highways Administration in the late 1980s found that large vehicles could not negotiate the curves of the tunnel without crossing the center line. To ensure continued safety, the National Park Service began traffic control at the tunnel at that time. Since then, rangers have been standing at both ends of the tunnel, alternately blocking traffic in one of the two directions. This allows for safer passage.
The drive through the Mount Carmel Tunnel
Before you set off, you should definitely enquire at the visitor center or at the park entrance about the current tunnel times and passage fees. We paid 15 dollars to drive through the tunnel, which we could have used to drive back. The drive to the tunnel entrance was great, to say the least. The panorama we saw on the winding road was breathtaking. We couldn't stop being amazed. Before the tunnel, we had to wait a leisurely 10 minutes to pass through before heading off into complete darkness. It was a bit of an adventure, as the tunnel could have been in an Indiana Jones movie: Searching for the light at the end of the tunnel.
The tunnel looks as if it was simply hewn out of the stone with picks and it is not particularly wide. With our 3-metre-wide motorhome, we had to be constantly careful not to touch the tunnel walls. You are not allowed to drive faster than 25 miles per hour (40 km/h) here - we were even slower. It is completely dark in the tunnel due to the lack of lighting and the relatively poor headlights of our motorhome were not much help. We were therefore relieved and very dazzled when we finally drove into the light again! Another magnificent landscape awaited us.
Zion River Resort - Bryce Pioneer Village
Route length: 102 miles / 164 kilometers
Travel time: approx. 2.5 hours
Off to Tropic in the wild west
We made two short stops on the route from Zion National Park to our next campground in the tranquil town of Tropic. In some places you just have to stop, pause and take photos. The landscape was again extremely varied - typical of the western USA - our absolute favorite destination for road trips. For the next two nights, we had booked a pitch at Bryce Pioneer Village, a manageable campsite with a motel and a small pool area with a hot tube. We were particularly pleased about this, as the hot tubs have always been the best place to get into conversation with other travelers. We have even made friends here.
Tropic is a sleepy little town with a through road, but it didn't seem very busy to us. There isn't much here apart from the campsite, a few small restaurants and motels, a petrol station, a Mormon church and a small supermarket. Of course, it could be that we missed something important.
Tropic is reminiscent of a typical western town, especially with the appropriate image editing.
Info about Bryce Canyon
Bryce Canyon National Park is located in the southwest of Utah. Despite its name, the main feature of the park is not a canyon, but a collection of huge rock formations, the "hoodoos", which were created by frost weathering and stream erosion of the sedimentary rock of the river and lake bed. The red, orange and white colors of the rocks offer spectacular views to the many visitors. Bryce Canyon National Park is smaller, but at up to 8,000 and 9,000 feet (2,400 to 2,700 m), it is much higher than nearby Zion National Park.
The area of the national park was settled by Mormon pioneers in the 1850s and named after Ebenezer Bryce, who settled in the area in 1874. In 1923, President Warren G. Harding designated the park as a national monument - it has officially been a national park in the USA since 1928.
A day in Bryce Canyon
The next morning we had to get up early again. We really wanted to be in the national park before 7am again. This time we were even the first ones at the parking lot and were able to have breakfast in peace. The drive from our campground to the park entrance took about 20 minutes. This was doable even on an empty stomach. We would have preferred a campsite closer to the entrance or in the park, but there was nothing left to book. Even if it is annoying, the motto is: book early, otherwise there is simply nothing (nice) to be found!
Bryce Canyon National Park is one of the highlights of a trip to the USA.
After an informative visit to the visitor center and the most important information about the Kids Ranger Patch, we took the shuttle bus to the Bryce Point stop. The Bryce Amphitheatre Shuttle runs regularly every 15 minutes from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with extended hours until 8:00 p.m. in the summer, and takes visitors to the most important areas such as viewing and starting points throughout the Bryce Amphitheatre area. We recommend going straight to Station 8 "Bryce Point" for those who want to walk the top of the canyon and enjoy the magnificent views, each more spectacular than the last. From there, we finally took the well-known Rim Trail to the other viewpoints - a hike that took us a leisurely two hours but was one of the most impressive experiences we have ever had. However, you shouldn't be afraid of heights on this hike. Max still managed it well.
The Bryce Canyon viewpoints (all of which are also shuttle bus stations) are:
Bryce Point (8340 ft/ 2542 m) is perhaps the most famous of all four main viewpoints of the Bryce Amphitheater
Inspiration Point: offers a great bird's eye view of the world's largest collection of rock spires called "hoodoos".
Sunset Point: also offers breathtaking views of the unique rock formations. You can watch the sunset from here.
Sunrise Point is the northernmost of the four major viewpoints overlooking the famous Bryce Amphitheater. If you get there early enough, you can see the sunrise from here.
You can find the official maps of Bryce Canyon National Park here: https://www.nps.gov/brca/planyourvisit/maps.htm
If you want to see even more, you can also hike down into the canyon from Sunrise Point and admire the "hoodoos" from a completely different perspective - but you should take plenty of provisions and, above all, water or electrolyte drinks with you, especially in the summer months. There is plenty to do in and around the national park. For example, a bike tour on the well-maintained cycle path or one of the numerous canyoning tours are ideal. There are also several horse tour providers. We have decided to stay longer in Bryce Canyon National Park next time. It is well worth it!
Our detour to Mossy Cave
After our fantastic hike along the Rim Trail in Bryce Canyon National Park, we made two short stops on the way back to our campsite:
Bryce Canyon City: Located just outside the park entrance at the northwest corner of Bryce Canyon National Park, Bryce Canyon City is about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) north of the park's visitor center on Utah State Route 63. In addition to several tour and activity providers, there is a "Wild West" themed street - great for some fun snapshots.
In Bryce Canyon City, the “Wild West” is apparently not quite over yet.
Mossy Cave: The Mossy Cave Trail is a 30-45 minute hike at the back of the amphitheater. This trail follows a river to a sheltered overhang known as Mossy Cave. Along the way you will also cross a small bridge over a waterfall. The cave is not very spectacular, but we enjoyed the hike.
The trail to Mossy Cave isn't very long, but it's worth it.
In the evening we took a walk through the town of Tropic, which was unspectacular apart from the view. By the way, the Showdowns restaurant right next to the Bryce Pioneer Village has live music and a campfire atmosphere almost every evening.
From Bryce Canyon to Capitol Reef
The drive to our next campsite took us over probably the most exciting route of our entire trip. It is definitely preferable to the slightly longer but faster route that the Google Maps route planner primarily suggests. The first section after Tropic is still relatively unspectacular, but that is increasingly changing.
We recommend this Route from Bryce Canyon to Capitol Reef Nationalpark.
We took our first break on this route after three quarters of an hour. We really got our money's worth in the Escalante Petrified Forest State Park. We really enjoyed the view of the Wide Hollow Reservoir, a small lake with a very attractive campsite on the banks, and walked the Petrified Forest Trail, which lasted about an hour. The petrified trees from which the state park takes its name are an amazing natural phenomenon. We decided to visit this park again - next time we would like to stay overnight at the campground.
Escalante Petrified Forest State Park is more than just a quick stop.
Click here to go to the state park website:
After this two-hour break, the landscape became rockier again. The road (UT-12) passes several interesting viewpoints and hiking trails such as the Hole in the Rock Wayside, the Head of the Rocks Overlook, the Escalante River Trail, the Lower Calf Creek Falls Trail, the Hodgeback, the Upper Calf Creek Trail and just before the city of Boulder, the Boulder Mail Head Trail. You pass through a breathtaking gorge, then wind your way up a mountain road by car and are always rewarded with dizzying views. The driver in particular should have a head for heights on this route. Especially the last section, where the road runs along a ridge and goes steeply downhill on both sides. You should drive particularly carefully here in crosswinds.
In our opinion, you could spend several weeks in this area alone without getting bored! This is where Utah shows itself at its best.
Three nights in Torrey
Still impressed by this trip, we arrived at our campsite on the edge of the town of Torrey in the afternoon. Thousand Lakes RV Park is just 6 miles from the entrance to Capitol Reef National Park and offers great views of the Red Rock Mountains on one side and snow-capped mountains on the other from every campsite.
The place has everything a camper's heart desires: pull thru full hook up, back in full hook up as well as simple water and electricity sites, as well as small cabins, tent sites, a pool, a well-stocked gift shop and a jeep rental. Here, too, we felt very comfortable right from the start.
Unfortunately, the shopping options in Torrey are very limited and the small supermarket with an attached bakery is relatively expensive.
Bryce Pioneer Village – Thousand Lakes RV Park
Route length: 106 miles / 171 kilometers
Travel time: approx. 2 hours 30 minutes
Capitol Reef National Park
After Joshua Tree, Zion and Bryce Canyon National Park, we didn't really expect much from Capitol Reef. This time too we were pleasantly surprised. The comparatively small park on the banks of the Fremont River is a hidden treasure of cliffs, canyons, domes and bridges in the Waterpocket Fold, a geological monocline (a fold on the Earth) that stretches for nearly 100 miles. We walked two trails in Capitol Reef National Park - both can be done in one day if you're reasonably fit:
Grand Wash Trail: This hike leads to the end of a breathtaking rocky gorge. This hike is 4.6 miles (7.4 kilometers) round trip with no inclines.
Hickman Natural Bridge: Just two miles east of the Capitol Reef Visitor Center, the Hickman Bridge trailhead offers hikers an easy, spectacular hike up to a large natural rock arch. The path is not particularly long or steep, but offers access to very beautiful viewpoints.
To our surprise, an entire village in the park's rocky terrain is dedicated to fruit growing. In Fruita – what a fitting place name – countless cherries, apricots, peaches, plums, apples, pears, mulberries, almonds and walnuts are harvested by volunteers every year. There are also archaeological rock paintings near the Visitor Center, just off Highway 24. The human-like figures with trapezoidal bodies are characteristic of the Fremont Indians, who lived between 300 and 1,300 AD. have lived here.
Capitol Reef National Park was a pleasant surprise for us.
Next stop: Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, often abbreviated as Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of Utah. The city's trademarks are Temple Square and the Mormon Temple on it, the Utah State Capitol and the impressive mountain backdrop directly behind the skyline. Salt Lake City and its surrounding areas have developed a strong tourism industry based primarily on skiing, outdoor activities, and religious tourism (about 50 percent of residents belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Utah as a whole is about 75 percent!).
Salt Lake City was the venue for the 2002 Winter Olympics and is a candidate city for the 2034 Winter Olympics. However, we didn't notice anything, because in SLC it was primarily the large number of homeless people that caught our eye as we drove in. If you get into the city area, you first have to struggle over the busy and somewhat complicated city highway.
From our campground we took the tram into the city center.
Nevertheless, Salt Lake City also has its beautiful sides. The city center in particular has charm and presents itself as a modern center. We took the tram from our KOA campsite into the center and were amazed at how few people were on the streets (it was Monday morning), which made the town seem more like a sleepy village.
Capitol Reef Lakes RV Park – KOA Salt Lake City
Distance: 213 miles / 343 kilometers
Travel time: approx. 3.5 hoursn
Salt Lake City Campground
We had originally organized a boondocking spot for our RV in Salt Lake City - so we could actually have stayed overnight for free. Unfortunately, space was booked twice and we were left behind. It's unpleasant if you only find out when you're already there. So we had to look for a new place to stay for one night at short notice. We found what we were looking for at the Salt Lake City KOA Holiday. Located right next to a light rail station, this KOA is Salt Lake City's closest campground to downtown. Here we have some amenities such as a pool with hot tub (yes!), a dog park, a well-stocked shop, a playground and sports field, a recreation room and a few rental cabins if you come without an RV. Every morning you can make yourself free coffee and pancakes in the shop. We can only recommend this place!
Luckily, the Salt Lake City KOA Holiday Campground still had a spot available.
After a night in SLC and a tram ride to the city center, including a city tour on foot, we continued our journey and made our way to Antelope Island. The island lies in the middle of the large salt lake and is a true natural paradise. We will report on this in our next blog article.
This was our route from Bryce Canyon to Salt Lake City
Conclusion
The route from Zion National Park via Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Parks is one of the most exciting sections of our six-month trip. These three national parks couldn't be more different and surpass each other, not to mention the breathtaking landscapes that lie in between. You could easily plan three to four weeks for this route alone. We will definitely come back here. Salt Lake City is also worth a visit. The city is manageable and can easily be visited in one day. The only thing that left us with a bitter aftertaste in Salt Lake City was the high number of homeless people.
Steffi and Max hope you have fun with our blog and even more fun traveling on your own. If you want to find out more, just follow us on Facebook or Instagram.
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