Explore Utah: America's Playground

by Jeff Voth

If there is a bigger playground in North America than the state of Utah, I haven’t found it. Disney World, Six Flags Parks and Paramount Canada’s Wonderland come to mind as all having large acreage and a spectacular selection of fun things to do. But they pale in comparison to the amusement value offered in Utah. With five national parks located in one state, it truly is nature’s entertainment capital of North America.

My Utah adventure began in St. George, a growing city on the far southwest corner of the state. Located on Interstate 15, Las Vegas, Nevada is a convenient two hour drive south. This close proximity is one of the main reasons why St. George is bursting at the seams with new homes, fast food chain restaurants and first-class spas and resorts.

Traveling east from the city, we passed through Hurricane on our way to Springdale at the entrance to Zion National Park. Our first overnight was spent at Pioneer Lodge, a newly renovated western style two story motel. With the historic Pioneer Restaurant on site and an Internet café, it offers all the conveniences of home and a welcoming atmosphere to match.

Zion National Park is Utah’s oldest national park. Designated in 1919, it features glorious red canyon walls and soaring rock monoliths. The six mile stretch of asphalt reveals breathtaking scenery that leaves you feeling as if your head should be mounted on a swivel.

Shaped over time as the Virgin River tumbled and churned a winding conduit through southern Utah, the park is a favorite setting for rock climbers, mountain bikers and hikers. The most popular hike in the park is “The Narrows.” A 16-mile trail from beginning to end, it passes under 2,000 ft high walls and narrows in several places to only 30 ft.

Millions of visitors pass through Zion’s gates each year making it Utah’s busiest park. Shuttles move visitors from place to place as parking is limited and private vehicles are not permitted in the park from April through October.

Leaving Zion, we continued our cross-state trek and turned northeast towards Bryce Canyon National Park. Arriving late in the afternoon, we had just enough time to hike the majority of the 1.3 mile Navajo Loop. Our path at the bottom of the canyon was blocked by a recent rock fall. With camera and backpack in tow, I sat down to rest and catch my breath. Staring back up into the azure blue Utah sky, I felt alone in the world. Here it seems the passage of time has very little meaning.

Sunlight reflected off the surface of the rock, dazzling the horizon with colors of bright orange, intense red and gold. It is hard to fully put into words the kaleidoscope of images that make Bryce Canyon such a one-of-a-kind experience. Ebenezer Bryce, the rancher for whom the park is named, described it as “a helluva a place to lose a cow.” For me, the shape shifting ‘hoodoos,’ (natural rock spires) provided a visual reminder of the brevity of man on earth and the longevity of the one who created it.

The evening was spent star gazing into a diamond encrusted onyx sky. Located just outside the gates of Bryce Canyon is one of the few remaining truly dark places in North America. Here the effects of light pollution have yet to take hold and the stars appeared close enough to reach out and touch. Through the lens of a telescope, it was easy to distinguish the rings of Saturn and the colorful bands on Jupiter.

The next day dawned clear and we continued northeast across Utah. Our departure from the park took us down Scenic Byway 12, the 'All American Road.' A quick stop at Anasazi State Park pro-vided a tour of the Indian site believed to have been occupied from A.D. 1050 to 1200. Here we were able to see first hand how the Anasazi people lived and thrived through the ages, then without warning, disappeared from sight, never to be heard from again.

Highway 95 led us into Lake Powell, a 186-mile man-made lake perfect for boating, fishing, kayaking and cliff jumping. Our accommodations for the evening were at the Defiant House Lodge at Bullfrog Marina. The wind whipped across the upper plateau on which the lodge is situated and the lights of the marina below twinkled while lightning flashed in the distant night sky.

The following morning breakfast was served in the glass enclosed restaurant overlooking Lake Powell. Watercraft of all shapes and sizes plied the white capped waters as the sun revealed a bright and blustery day.

With Lake Powell behind us, the miles flew by as we passed through Natural Bridges National Monument and Edge of the Cedars State Park. A quick lunch at the Museum of Native Cultures and we were on the road again, our objective that day being the small town of Blanding, Utah and a unique ATV experience.

Riding through backcountry dirt roads with the wind in our faces, the half day trip took us to edge of a canyon and a long abandoned Pueblo village built into the side of a rock wall. The thought of these native people from a bygone era living thousands of feet above the canyon floor was truly mystifying.

Ben Black, the owner of Black Hawk Tours is the kind of person you would enjoy being stranded with on a deserted island. His great big smile, cheerful demeanor and endless supply of stories kept us entertained during lunch. Of course, the fact that Black Hawk Tours is located in some of the most beautiful scenery in Utah made the adventure even more enjoyable.

Waving goodbye to Blanding, we stopped at Newspaper Rock on the way to Moab. A petroglyph panel carved into the sandstone, it records over 2,000 years of Fremont, Navajo and Anasazi history in the area.

Not far away, we spent the afternoon hiking in Arches National Park. The natural arches formed by the combined forces of wind and water over millions of years is sure to leave an indelible impression on anyone who sees them. Balanced Rock, Delicate Arch and The Windows are all within hiking distance of the main road and well worth the effort to explore. Of all the national parks visited on this trip, Arches is the one I would return to first.

The drive into Moab was punctuated by an awesome display of nature’s power and fury. A severe thunderstorm blocked our path into the city, with lightening bolts flashing and the wind driving the dark clouds across the distant horizon. Once in Moab, the rain stopped and the sun broke through the clouds causing a large rainbow to appear over the city.

If you were to look up the word eclectic in the dictionary, I am sure Moab would be referred to in one way or another. Unusual shops, restaurants and hotels are only part of what makes this growing town a natural place for fun and adventure. Surrounded by thousand foot canyons and mountains reaching in excess of 12,000 ft., the list of things to do includes hiking, biking, kayaking, rafting and much more.

At night we floated along the Colorado River, basking in the wonder of light and shadows provided by the ‘Canyonlands By Night’ riverboat dinner theatre. This unique look at the history of Utah and the land surrounding Moab has thrilled audiences since 1966.

It is impossible to spend time in Utah and not be influenced by the Mormon traditions that are so much a part of the fabric of this state. But it is equally transforming to feel the significant inheritance provided by the Native American people in Utah and the rich legacy they have left as well. With five national parks, four seasons of weather and great roads on which to explore is all, Utah is North America’s largest playground.