Utah Parks Extravaganza ON THE ROAD Utah Parks...

78 GRAND CANYON JOURNAL 2017

ON THE ROAD

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Utah Parks ExtravaganzaSALT LAKE CITY TO GRAND CANYON AND BACK 1,302 miles

Utah Parks ExtravaganzaHit every national park, plus slickrock adventures, on this 1,302-mile road trip.

SUNSET AT ARCHES NATIONAL PARK BY DENIS FEINER

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Incredible outdoor adven-tures, �ve national parks and ancient ruins combine to make this a trip of a lifetime. Start in Salt Lake

City where you may be surprised by the craft brewing scene and how easy it is to get around this city framed by the Great Salt Lake and Wasatch mountains. Head south to Moab, home to Canyonlands and Arches national parks. From there stop in Blanding, Blu� and Monti-cello where ancient ruins, pioneer history, rafting and three incred-ible interactive centers await. Then point your wheels toward Grand

Canyon National Park where you can visit the South and North rims. Cool o� in Page, Ariz., by explor-ing Lake Powell by kayak, motor boat or stand-up paddleboard. Don't miss the 710-foot-high Glen Canyon Dam that created Lake Powell. Then explore the historic town of Kanab, home to artists, ranchers and hundreds of �lm shoots. It's an easy drive to nearby Bryce, Zion and Capitol Reef na-tional parks where incredible red sandstone hoodoos, spires, canyons and slickrock await. What follows are some of the best things to do and see along the way.

TIP The Navajo na-tion spans four states. It follows daylight saving time, while the rest of Arizona

is on mountain standard time. This means in summer, Navajo nation is an hour later than the

rest of Arizona. After daylight saving changes in winter, the two share the same clock.



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Utah Parks ExtravaganzaSTARTING POINT: SALT LAKE CITY ATTRACTIONS

TOP 11 THINGS TO DO IN SALT LAKE CITY

From a thriving performing arts scene to the world's largest collection of geneology records, Salt Lake City is a fantastic place to start your Grand Canyon adventure.

Family History Library To really dig deep, head here where more than 2.4 million rolls of micro-

� lmed geneological records live.

Capitol Theatre

Built in 1913, this elegant theatre is home to the Utah Opera but hosts

everything from co-medians to large-scale productions.

FamilySearch Center

This is the place to go for beginners

wanting to reseach their family.

Historic Temple SquareThis iconic attraction

includes the temple, gardens and historic tours, although the temple itself is closed to tours.

Mormon Tabernacle ChoirThis world-famous group holds

free, public rehearsals on Thursday evenings in Temple Square.

Hogle ZooHome to more than

800 animals, this easy-to-navigate zoo o� ers oppor-tunities to feed a

rhino.

Gilgal Scupture Garden Filled with 70 eccentric sculptures, including Joseph Smith's head on a sphynx, this small city park is free.

Natural History

Museum of Utah

Blending into the mountain-side, this is an amazing place to learn about

the West.

Red Butte GardenLocated in the Wasatch

foothills, this botanic garden o� ers outdoor

yoga seasonally and live concerts.

Utah Olympic Park

Ride on a bobsled, alpine slide or

zipline at this fun, family-oriented

park.

Culture and Arts

OutdoorsFamily Friendly

Big Cottonwood Canyon

Take a beautiful scenic drive or go on a hike in this breathtak-

ing area.


YellowstoneNational Park5 hours

Grand TetonNational Park

5 hours

ArchesNational Park

4 hours

Golden SpikeNat’l Historic Site

Bryce CanyonNational Park4 hours

ZionNational Park

4.5 hours

Grand CanyonNational Park6.3 hours

CanyonlandsNat’l Park

DinosaurNat’l MonumentTimpanogos Cave

Nat’l Monument

Flaming GorgeNat’l Recreation Area

Natural BridgesNat’l Monument

Hovenweep Nat’l Monument

Yucca House Nat’l Monument

Aztec Ruins Nat’l Mon.

NavajoNat’l Monument

MonumentValley

Nat’l Monument

Glen CanyonNat’l Recreation Area

Mesa Verde Nat’l Park

Cedar Breaks

Nat’l Monument

Grand StaircaseEscalante

Nat’l Monument

4.5 hours

MMMo

SALT LAKE

YellowstoneY

Grand CanyonN

NatNatNaN ’l

Nat l Recreation AreaRe

4 hours

anyonlandsCa s

SALTLAKE

Utah’s Urban Gateway to National Park

Adventure

Plan your next great vacation at

VisitSaltLake.com

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Utah Parks Extravaganza SALT LAKE CITY TO MOAB233 miles, 3 hours, 56 minutes

1. DELICATE ARCHSee this iconic arch up-close on a 3-mile roundtrip hike. At 64 feet high and 45 feet wide, it's Arches National Park’s largest freestanding arch. Along the way, you’ll pass the Wolfe Ranch cabin and Native American petroglyphs. Arrive early to get a parking spot and to avoid heat and crowds.

2. ZIP LINE ADVENTURE Get your adrenaline � x at Raven’s Rim Zip Line Adventures. Your day starts when you climb aboard an o� -road, four-wheel-drive vehicle to drive to the high desert of Moab. There are six zip lines and a suspen-sion bridge to test just how brave you are. The o� ice is at 998 N. Main St.; 435-260-0973; raven-srim.com.

3. RAFT THE COLO-RADO RIVERSee the red rock canyons from a di� erent point of view on a half-day rafting trip on the Daily section of the Colorado River. Gentle rapids make this outing fun for everyone. Kids must be 40 pounds or heavier to go on area river trips.

4. COURTHOUSE WASHYou don’t need to go to a museum to see ancient Native American art. Easily ac-cessible from town, the Courthouse Wash art panel is 19 feet high and 52 feet long.Vandals defaced these drawings in 1980, but archaeologists restored the panels only to discover older drawings behind the white shields held by � gures. Head north on Hwy. 191 and cross the Colorado River Bridge. Drive .5 miles to the parking area.

5. NEGRO BILL CANYON TRAILFor a beautiful hike along a year-round stream, do this 4-mile roundtrip hike to Morning Glory Natural Bridge. Spanning 243 feet, the natural bridge is the nation’s sixth-longest. Avoid the poison ivy near the bridge. Take Hwy 191 out of Moab and turn right onto Hwy. 128. Drive for three miles. The trailhead will be on your right.

Learn more at the Moab Area Travel Coun-cil at 435-259-8825 or discovermoab.com.

MOAB'S TOP FIVEWith so many things to do in Moab, we’re making it easy on you to

choose with our favorite � ve things to do with kids.

Moab GiantsWalk among life-sized dinosaurs on Moab Giant’s incredible outdoor walking trail. Or head indoors to the Tracks Museum to learn about fossilized footprints. Both are part of a new in-teractive museum, featuring great exhibits as well as a 3-D movie that covers everything from the Big Bang Theory to the age of the dinosaurs that began 220 million years ago. You also can get your hands dirty and dig up dino-saur bones along the trail outside. To get to Moab Gi-ants, drive 9 miles north of Moab on Hwy. 191. The museum is located at the turno� for Dead Horse Point State Park and Canyon-lands National Park; 435-355-0288; moabgiants.com.

FUN IN ARCHES NATIONAL PARK

COLORADO RIVER OUTSIDE OF MOAB


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If you could take the entire sensory experience of the Four Corners region and squeeze it into a building, it would look like the Canyon Country Discovery Center in Monticello, Utah.

A bouldering wall pays homage to Indian Creek, an area of Canyonlands National Park that attracts rock climbers from all over the world. The Augmented Reality Sandbox has an image projected over the sand. As partici-pants shape the sand with their hands, they can watch the geography of the Earth change. Manos and Matates allows visitors to ground corn with stones as the ancient people of the area did.

Opened in 2016, the discovery center started as a grass-roots idea to create a center for visitors and locals to learn more about the Four Cor-ners region. Today, the $7 million center sits on a sprawling 48 acres of juniper, pinon pine and sage-brush lined by hiking trails and wind tur-bines and framed by the Abajo Mountains in the distance. It’s proximity to Natu-ral Bridges National Monument, Canyon-lands National Park, Arches National Park and Capitol Reef Na-tional Park make it an excellent stopover.

“We want to in-spire people to look at what’s around them,” says Lyndie

Bradshaw, marketing manager. “You don’t have to talk here. You can dig. We have a playscape with bouldering rocks and outdoor musical instruments. No one else is doing what we are doing here.”

The center, designed for all ages, is part of the Four Cor-ners School of Education established in 1984, o� ering out-door trips, education training programs for kindergarten through eighth-grade teachers and a youth corps, all focused on the Colorado Plateau.

Visit at 1117 N. Main St. in Monticello, Utah; 435-587-2156; fourcornersschool.org

FRESH VIEW ON FOUR CORNERS

Visit the State-of-the-Art Canyon Country Discovery Center.

CANYON DISCOVERY CENTER

GET AN INSIDER’S VIEW

Go on a half-day or full-day adventure with Four Corners School Adventure Education. With a guide, you’ll see and learn about

the geology, human history and ecology of a particular area of the Four Corners region. Trips have included the full-day, 9-mile Lost

Canyon Loop through the Needles district of Canyonlands National Park and the Mule-Can-yon-to-Wall-Ruin hike in nearby Cedar Mesa,

which leads you to ruins inhabited more than 800 years ago.

Learn more at four-cornersschool.org.

Utah Parks ExtravaganzaMOAB TO MONTICELLO, UTAH54 miles, 59 minutes

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Southwestern GemRuby’s Inn o� ers activities and convenience.

If you’re planning on visiting Bryce Canyon National Park, stay in a tipi, an RV park, campground or the luxurious hotel at Ruby’s Inn.

Founded by rancher Ruby Syrett in 1916, this long-time landmark is still family-owned and is the only one

that o� ers a free shuttle service to Bryce Canyon National Park viewpoints. It’s also the closest lodging to the park.

If you want to take a break from sightseeing, rent a moun-tain bike or go horseback riding, taking some of the same trails Butch Cassidy rode as an outlaw more than a century ago. If you want to gain some altitude, get an aerial view of the stunning land-scapes around you by taking a helicop-ter ride or airplane scenic � ight to a variety of destina-tions.

It’s located at 26 South Main in Bryce Canyon, Utah.; 866-866-6616; rubysinn.com

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RUBYSINN.COM | 866.866.6616

BOOK YOUR STAY TODAY!

• HOTEL

• CAMPING

• RV PARK

• SWIMMING POOLS

• RESTAURANTS

• GENERAL STORE

• ATV RENTALS

• HORSEBACK RIDING

RUBYSINN.COM | 866.866.6616



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It’s one thing to see ancient Southwestern ruins, but to get a true sense of the ancient peoples who inhabited them, go to the Edge of the Cedars State Park Mu-seum in Blanding, Utah.

Along with seeing a rare beetle-leg necklace and 2,000-year-old sandals in pristine condition, you’ll learn about people like Blanding’s infamous Earl Shumway who looted thousands of sites in the 1980s and ‘90s, leaving be-hind a trail of empty Mountain Dew cans and cigarette butts. His DNA on one of the cigarettes led to his arrest.

“If you want to ask some of the big questions of human-ity like how do we become farmers, city dwellers, crucibles most of us on the planet have passed through, this is the best place to do it,” says Jonathan Till, curator of Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum. “It’s because the number

of sites here, the dry environment that lends itself to pres-ervation and the fact we have descendants of those folks who we can talk to to � nd out how these things came to pass.”

There’s even a 1,000-year-old kiva you can climb into out-side the museum. But don’t miss the stunning 850-year-old scarlet macaw feather sash found on the very southern edge of Canyonlands National Park. Because the scarlet macaw is found in Mexico and Central America, researchers think the more than 1,000 feathers on the sash must have arrived in the area through a long-distance trade network.

Visit Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum at 660 W. 400 N., which is in a residential area; 435-678-2238; state-parks.utah.gov/parks/edge-of-the-cedars.

Utah Parks Extravaganza MONTICELLO TO BLANDING28 miles, 24 minutes

ON THE EDGE Discover Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum.

BLUFFING ITJust south of Blanding is Blu� , a small outpost that is home to incredible family-friendly river trips,

a great museum and one of the most photographed attractions in the Southwest.

Bluff Fort Historic SiteDiscover how pioneers overcame insur-

mountable obstacles on the Hole-in-the-Rock trail to get to Blu� . The visitor center’s

air-conditioning, homemade cookies and multimedia exhibit of the 1879-80 wagon journey will keep you entertained; bluf-

futah.org/blu� -fort.

Raft Trip on San Juan RiverCool down on a Wild River Expeditions raft trip down the San Juan River that includes world-class ruins and petroglyph-covered

walls. Mild rapids and smooth waters make it a great one or multi-day adventure

for families. 2625 US 191; 435-672-2244; riversandruins.com.

Goosenecks State ParkBefore it reaches the Colorado River, the San Juan River � ows through a series of

tight loops known as “goosenecks.” Look down 1,000 feet to see this amazing sight with no crowds. Pit toilets and 8 primitive campsites available; stateparks.utah.gov/

parks/goosenecks/

EDGE OF THE CEDARS STATE PARK MUSEUM

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Salt Lake City

Moab

St. George

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Utah Parks ExtravaganzaBLUFF, UTAH, TO MONUMENT VALLEY AND PAGE, ARIZ. Variable miles, hours and minutes

Go Jump in A LakeWith its turquoise waters and lively boating scene, Page, Ariz., is your oasis in the desert.

Just a couple of hours from the Grand Canyon’s North Rim and South Rim, Page, Ariz., is a great place to trade your car for a kayak, stand-up paddleboard, speedboat or even a house-boat. Sounds like too much work? Bring your towel to the white sandy beach at

Lone Rock Point and relax. But don’t get so mesmerized by Lake Powell’s turquoise waters that you miss these three area attractions.

ANTELOPE CANYONGet museum-quality photos even with your mobile phone in Upper or Lower Antelope Canyon, breathtaking slot canyons. Located on Navajo reservation, all visitors must go on a guided (general or pho-tography) tour. If mobility is an issue, opt for the upper canyon

where there are no ladders or stairs to climb.

HORSESHOE BENDYou can’t visit Page without going to one of the most pho-tographed sites in the South-west: Horseshoe Bend. Walk on a mixed sand/sandstone trail just under a mile one way to see where the mighty Colorado makes a huge turn in the river. Watch your children carefully as the cli� s drop 1,000 feet. Five miles south on Hwy. 89 from the Carl Hayden

Visitor Center at the Glen Canyon Dam.

INTO THE GRANDTo get a taste for the area’s storied rafting history and Navajo culture, head to Into the Grand for dinner. View the rafting exhibit, eat traditional Navajo food with a Southwest twist, enjoy live music and watch Navajo dancers perform hoop and other traditional dance; 148 6th Ave.; 928-660-8593; intothegrand.com.

While the majority of travelers just drive through Monument Valley, they are miss-ing out on a truly authentic Navajo expe-rience by not stopping at The View Hotel.

“There truly is a magic to the valley, and there is nothing better than experiencing it from the privacy of your own room,” says Jon Gordon, hotel gen-eral manager. “Additionally, the trading post o� ers one of the largest selections of Navajo handmade rugs and Native American arts and crafts in the entire Southwest,” noting each item is locally made and comes with a certi� -cate of authenticity, a guarantee few trading posts o� er.

A � fth-generation entrepreneur, 32-year-old Armanda

Ortega-Gordon owns the hotel with her two sisters, ful� lling a childhood dream to be a Navajo business own-er and give back to her community. Her family has deep roots in the Southwest’s hospitality and trading business as her grandfather owns the famous El Rancho Hotel in Gallup, N.M. [see page 62].

So far, Ortega-Gordon is o� to a great start. She created The View to bring more visitors to en-joy the area and create economic growth for the community. When she opened, about 100,000 travel-ers came through the area. Today, 500,000 stop and explore.

Each hotel room is decorated with authentic Native American decor, including area photographs

taken by R.S. Ortega (Armanda Ortega-Gordon’s sister) and a dye chart that shows visitors which plants were used to dye the wool in the locally made Navajo rugs.

Don’t miss eating at the hotel, which o� ers Navajo-inspired and classic American dishes, many named after Navajo locals and Hollywood actors that made Monument Valley famous. The green chile stew has been mentioned in Esquire magazine and Delta Sky.

Visit The View Hotel Indian Route 42, Olijato-Monu-ment Valley, Utah; 435-727-5555; monumentvalleyview.com/the-view-hotel/.

MONUMENTAL STAYThere’s more to views at The View Hotel.

VIEW FROM HUNTS MESA, MONUMENT VALLEY


“World Famous”

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Utah Parks ExtravaganzaGRAND CANYON NORTH RIM TO KANAB, UTAH229 miles, 4 hours and 6 minutes

For an intimate outdoors experience in some of the Southwest’s most stun-ning country, look no fur-ther than Kanab, Utah.

“It o� ers an alternative to the overcrowded tourist experience,” says seventh-generation Kanab resident Camille Johnson, who’s executive di-rector of the Kane County O� ice of Tourism. “We have Buckskin Gulch, the largest slot canyon in the nation, and you may not see anyone else there. If you want to be a traveler im-mersed in the experience and not just a tourist, this is the area.”

Kanab provides easy access to the less commercialized sides of two na-tional parks. The east entrance of Zion National Park o� ers stunning beauty and a less-crowded alterna-tive to the park’s much more popular western entrances. And the Grand Canyon’s North Rim receives far few-er visitors than the South Rim.

Surrounded by so much beauty, it’s no wonder why more than 200 � lms and commercials have been � lmed here.

“Kanab is a cute authentic Western community,” John-

son says. “So many locals are passionate about the place and love to share it with visitors.”

Learn more at visitsouthernutah.com and stop by Kane County, Utah Visitor Center, 78 South 100 East in Kanab

DRAMATIC SCENEFind out why artists and outdoor adventurers rave about Kane County, Utah.

Kanab Area's Top ThreeGet in touch with your inner artist at these three Kanab area attractions.

LITTLE HOLLYWOOD LANDKANAB

Kanab and its surrounding area � rst appeared on the silver screen in 1924,

launching a decades-long relationship with Hollywood, including Disney’s 2012 � lm

John Carter. Discover the tales behind the � lms at 297 W. Center St.; 435-644-5337;

littlehollywoodmuseum.org.

PARRY LODGEKANAB

This is where movie stars like Anne Bancroft and Frank Sinatra stayed back in the day.

Plaques above each room door note which Hollywood star spent the night. Sinatra paid

for the construction of the lodge’s swim-ming pool. It’s located at 89 E. Center St.;

435-644-2601; parrylodge.com.

MAYNARD DIXON HOME & STUDIOMT. CARMEL

Visit Maynard Dixon’s home and studio. A 20th-century painter who focused on the

American West, Dixon and his wife muralist Edith Hamlin built their home in 1939. You

can tour it spring through fall or participate in artist workshops. 2200 South State St.;

435-648-2653; thunderbirdfoundation.com.

VISIT BUCKSIN GULCH NEAR KANAB, UTAH.


Nestled amidst an array of state parks, national parks, and national monuments, Kanab and surroundingKane County is a magical land filled with an innumerable combination of world-famous landmarks andstunning spaces that are still largely unexplored. And the best part? It’s spectacular any time of the year.Plan to make Kanab your basecamp for Southern Utah adventure at VisitSouthernUtah.com

NOT UNCHARTED. JUST UNSPOILED.

DISTANCE fromKanab

DISTANCE fromKanab

40 miles (64 kM)

77 miles (124 kM)

78 miles (126 kM)

23 miles (37 km)

5 miles (8 km)

73 miles (117 km)

317 miles (510 km)

209 miles (336 kM)

350 miles (563 kM)

Zion national park

Bryce canyon nATIONAL PARK

grand canyon north rim

coral pink sand dunes

Grand staircase-escalantenational monument

Lake Powell/glen canyon rec area

Salt lake city Airport

las vegas airport

phoenix airport

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