The Nonsense of W&J

Location

Goblin Valley State Park is located in what looks like the middle of nowhere in Green River, Utah.  Not knowing what laid in store for us, we stopped by this remarkable state park while traveling from Moab, Utah to Capital Reef National Park.

We learned about this small state park from a YouTube video of hikers we watch.  We traveled West on Highway 70 and turned off on State Route 24.  We had to take a couple of turns in the long stretch of Utah desert to reach it.  In fact, on our way we questioned our GPS several times.

The mostly bleak landscape prior to reaching the park provides no indication of the amazing geological sandstone features that lie ahead.  Even when arriving at the Visitor Center, you will question whether it is worth the $20 day entrance fee per car to visit.

However, hold onto your hats, because once you pay the fee and head inside the park, you will discover a playground that will hold your attention for hours.

Day Visit

By looking at the pictures of this astonishing park, you cannot imagine how fun it is to play among the goblins.  There are signs that warn about falling and it seems there have been some injuries in the park.  I can see why, as all I wanted to do when we arrived was climb around the goblins.  Just pay attention and be aware while you are running amuck that the goblins, like any landscape feature, are eroding.

I am afraid we did climb and run and play amongst the goblins, against the sign warning.  As you hike the valley past the smaller goblins, you reach the back walls where your imagination runs wild.  I saw castles, moats, and fountains that must be investigated and explored.

As soon as we reached the back, we both went separate ways, searching, wandering, and climbing.  We investigated crevices, walked bridges, and climbed hills.  There is nothing quite like Goblin Valley State Park to make you feel five years old again.

We spent several hours traversing the goblins, laughing and playing.  We only left when we heard thunder and saw rain in the background.

Hikes

If you must hike a designated route at the park, you have several choices.  You have the ominous sounding Goblin’s Lair, which is 1.5 miles one way and considered strenuous.  The moderate Carmel Canyon Loop and Entrada Canyon trails are both only 1.5 miles roundtrip.

And, if you want easy trails, you can hike the Curtis Bench Trail, 1.5 miles one way, or The Three Sisters which is only 250 yards.

We didn’t hike any of these trails.  As soon as we parked at the main parking and saw all the goblins, we could not contain our excitement to go play among the goblins!  Even Jessica did not want to hike on the outskirts or climb to views of the Valley.  Instead we took off straight down to Goblin Valley.

Camping

Unfortunately, we only spent a day in this park.  However, we believe it would be a great place to spend the night.  Goblin Valley State Park is part of the International Dark Sky Park and we imagine the night sky at the park would leave you in awe.  You can visit the park’s website for the Dark Sky Forecast to plan your uninterrupted views of the celestial sky.

The nightly fee for camping at the park is $45.  This does include the $20 entrance fee.  There are no hookups at the campground.  But at the Visitor Center, the park has a water spigot that anyone can use to fill their fresh water tanks.

We would have stayed in the campground for a night if we had been pulling our travel trailer.  To see the open night sky at this park and spend more time playing with the goblins would have been a blast!  It was definitely better than the boondocking spot we picked right before Capital Reef National Park.

Conclusion

It may not look like much when you are driving to this state park and you may not think it is worth visiting.  But you will be surprised.

If you want to run, laugh, and play like children again, do not bypass this park.  It is in the middle of nowhere and you might not think it is worth visiting.  But you would be wrong.

When you do visit, plan on at least several hours to play among the goblins.  Leave your adult self in the car.  Instead, let the park transport you back to your childhood, where your imagination and playful nature takes control.  You will be running, climbing, and giggling before you know it.

Kanab, Utah is a magnificent place with many unique landscape features and very friendly people.  We boondocked in this area for several days after visiting the North Rim Grand Canyon.  We loved visiting Kanab and hearing the stories of relatives who starred in the Westerns filmed here.  The area is located in the center of Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks, North Rim Grand Canyon, and Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness.  It is a fantastic area to explore and adventure.

What We Visited in Kanab

Sand Caves

There were several things on our to do list in Kanab.  Peek-a-boo Slot Canyon, Sand Caves, Moqui Cave, and the Belly of the Dragon were high on our list.  Our first stop in Kanab was the parking lot for the Sand Caves on Highway 89.  This is a huge parking lot, GPS 37.11342, -112.55504, with a dumpster right off the highway.  We believe there is a huge sign that says Sand Caves before you reach the parking lot, but we can’t remember if it was heading north or south.

From the parking lot, we easily found the trailhead.  However, after the trailhead there are several trail split offs.  We started hiking along one trail, hoping it would lead to the Sand Caves. On our return, we hiked a completely different path back and accidently took the one marked “Not the Trail”.  Although there were many side paths and the main trail was not well marked, we still made it to the bottom of the rock of the Sand Caves with no issues.

Upon reaching the bottom of the rock, it was a little more difficult to find a path up to the Sand Caves.  You can see the Sand Caves on the trail, so you know where you need to be, but we were unsure on how to scale the rock.  So, we simply walked along the bottom of the rock until we found a good spot to start climbing.  While hiking up the rock, there is one section we reached that is very vertical and slick.  Windell held Jessica’s hand across this sketchy section so she wouldn’t slide down the rock, as she is prone to falling.

The Sand Caves are amazing.  You will enjoy exploring the cave and crawling through the small opening like a child.  Although not elaborate or glamorous, the cave is well worth the trail confusion and slick rock to hike to it.  We actually enjoyed guessing which path to take to the Sand Caves, deciding how we were going to climb the rock, and exploring the cave.  Make sure to add this sight to your list when visiting Kanab.

Moqui Cave

We expected Moqui Cave to be touristy, with lots of T-shirts and ball camps.  However, when we researched it on Google,  the internet said it contained collections of dinosaur tracks, minerals, and an old bar where alcohol was served.  We were pleasantly surprised that the cave does indeed contain many amazing artifacts and the curator explains the history of the cave and the Chamberlain family.

The history of Garth Chamberlain who purchased the cave in 1951 is a fascinating one that you will learn when you visit the cave.  When the famous actors of the Western movies wanted a bar, Garth Chamberlain created one in the cool interior of the cave.  You will see many wood carvings of some of these famous actors hanging in the now closed bar and learn a little bit more about Garth in the process.

The other collections of curious items in the cave is worth the admission price.  The darkened room with the glowing minerals was one of our favorite collections.  And, of course, we loved the dinosaur tracks and the memoribilia in the bar area.

The family of Garth Chamberlain still own the cave.  We met the current owner in the gift shop and enjoyed talking with him and hearing a bit of his and his family’s background.  In addition to touring the cave and all the cool artifacts, right outside the cave, you can order food and book a guide tour, which we did.

Peek-a-Boo or Red Canyon Slot

While speaking with the owner of Moqui Cave, we happened upon the subject of where we were going next.  We mentioned that we wanted to visit Peek-a-Boo slot canyon.  The owner told us we could not drive to the canyon because of the sand and the hike would be hard in the heat.  So, he offered to book us on a Jeep or UHV tour with ROAM Outdoor Adventure Co to the canyon for that day.

The UHV tour lets you drive one vehicle while the guide is in a separate UHV behind you.  We bet this would be a blast playing in the sand while you drive to the slot canyon.  However, we opted for the Jeep tour driven by the guide.

Wow!  Riding in the Jeep through the thick sand was a blast!  It was our first off-road Jeep tour and we would do it again in a heartbeat.  Our truck would not have made it to the slot canyon, and hiking it would have been miserable.

While playing in the sand, our super-friendly tour guide stopped several times to give water to people stuck in the sand.  Obviously, they did not talk to the locals before attempting the drive.  One family even tried to drive their diesel truck through the sand.  Boy, were we appreciative we booked the Jeep Tour.

Being from Kanab, our guide told us stories of visiting the canyon with friends and scaring their girlfriends.  We were actually surprised he was happily married after the stories.  But he was an awesome guide and we could not have picked a better person to lead us on this tour.  He took lots of pictures of us in the canyon and even offered his photography services to other people passing.  We had so much fun on this tour, and do not regret forking out the money.

Peek-a-boo canyon is a beautiful small slot canyon.  Its walls and rock features had us oohing and awing.  Since hiking the Peek-a-Boo slot canyon, we have visited Antelope Canyon.  Although Antelope Canyon is more beautiful to us, our awesome experience in Peek-a-Boo was enhanced by the smaller tour group, more friendly guides, and the personal touch of the tour, in addition to a beautiful slot canyon.

Belly of the Dragon

Our final stop in Kanab was at the Belly of the Dragon parking lot GPS 37.21154, -112.6844.  We have to say inside this cave looks exactly like the Google search pictures.  It really does look like you have been swallowed by a dragon and you are working your way to his belly.  The cave becomes quite dark in the center, and Jessica tripped over a rock.  Bring a flashlight for safety while hiking through the cave.  We had a lot of fun pretending to be dragon food in this distinctive cave and you will also.

What We Missed In Kanab

The Wave

When we return to Kanab, Utah, there are more items on our list to do.  If we ever plan our trip to this area again, we will apply for a permit to hike the Wave, GPS 36.99593, -112.00625, in the Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness.  Although this is on our bucket list, you must apply and be awarded the permit for Coyote Buttes North. You can apply for this permit four months in advance or try to win a daily lottery.  We are not big on jumping through hoops and entering lotteries that you cannot reschedule.  Every year, our plans change mid-trip and we hate to spend too much money on an uncertain adventure.

Dinosaur Tracks Trailhead

We love dinosaur tracks and we were so excited when we saw our first ones in Moab, Utah.  But we decided not to hike to the dinosaur tracks after viewing the pictures of the hike posted on Google.  To be honest, there are dinosaur tracks everywhere in Utah and Arizona, and we have stopped at a few sites to check them out.  So, we bypassed this trail at GPS 37.08657, -112.53925.

Hikes We Completed:

• Figure-8 Combination, 6.4 miles, 1575 feet elevation gain, strenuous, this hike combines three hikes: Queen’s Garden,
  Navajo Loop, and the Peekaboo Loop
• Natural Bridge Overlook, short walk to overlook, Mile 12.25 of the 18 mile Southern Scenic Drive

Hikes We Missed:

• Mossy Cave Trail, .8 miles, 150 feet elevation gain, easy
• Fairy Land Loop Trail, 8 miles, 1900 feet elevation gain, strenuous

Visiting Bryce Canyon

We originally bypassed Bryce National Park to arrive earlier at Zion.  However, while driving through the area and seeing the gorgeous colors in the rocks, we knew we had to return and visit this national park.  This is a park you must visit to see the hoodoos, the irregular columns of rocks.  The hoodoos have layers of colors that make them jaw-dropping beautiful.  Cameras do not do it justice.

If you are an early riser or enjoy sunsets, Sunrise Point at Bryce Canyon is said to be an amazing spot to sit and watch the sun glide over the hoodoos.  Unfortunately, as we were truck camping without our RV, we did not arise and pack up early enough or stay late enough to see this phenomenon.  However, this is on our list when we return to Bryce Canyon.

When you visit the park, also check out Sunset Point.  It is in the same parking area as Sunrise Point and many trailheads.  Sunset Point offers some of the most famous and breathtaking views of Bryce Canyon’s hoodoos. Per the NPS. gov website, “Nowhere are the colors of Bryce Canyon’s rock better displayed than from Sunset Point”.

Hikes in Bryce Canyon

Originally, we planned to hike the Queen’s Garden Trail, the Navajo Loop Trail, and the Peekaboo Loop Trail separately.  However, after reading about the Figure 8 trail that combines all three trails into a more challenging trail, Jessica wanted to try it.

The Queen’s Garden Trail is a lovely trail that begins at Sunrise Point.  You hike through hoodoos and rock archways.  Simply walking from the parking lot to the trailhead you have astounding views of Wall Street and the colorful hoodoos.  Although we enjoyed our hike through Queen’s Garden, Peekaboo Loop blew us away.

The Peekaboo Loop was our favorite part of the Figure 8 trail.  The overlooks as you hike up provide you with the most gorgeous views of the hoodoos.  We still remember the beauty of this trail.  Unfortunately, there are a lot of horses and mules on this trail.  We had to stand aside a couple of times to let them pass and then sidestep the remains of the animals.  Otherwise, this is a must do hike in Bryce Canyon.

The Figure 8 Combination Hike ended with the Navajo Loop Trail.  We won’t lie.  We were tired by the time we reached the end of this trail.  However, this trail has impressive and unique rock features not found on the other trails.  The Navajo Loop also contains the park’s most famous hoodoo: Thor’s hammer.  At the end of the trail, we stopped at a huge area between the rock to cool down before attempting the Wall Street switchbacks.

While in the park, be sure to stop at mile 12.25 along the Southern Scenic Drive.  You will want to see Natural Bridge, which is a majestic arch at Bryce Canyon.  The arch is huge and well worth the stop to see.

Dispersed Camping

While visiting Bryce Canyon National Park, we boondocked at Tom’s Best Spring Dispersed Camping in the Dixie National Forest GPS: 37.728, -112.2487.  Right off Highway 12, you turn onto a gravel road.  As we were only in the truck we turned into the first right for smaller designated campsites.  However, larger rigs can continue further down the gravel road for a campground with larger sites.

We enjoyed this campground and would easily leave our little travel trailer unattended.  It is quiet and no one bothered us.  In fact, the couple in the Class A parked at the first campsite came over to say hi and introduce themselves.  The campground is about half an hour away from Bryce Canyon.

Hikes we Completed at Canyonlands:

• Mesa Arch Trail, Island in the Sky section, .7 miles, 88 feet elevation, easy
• Grand View Point Trail, Island in the Sky section, 1.8 miles, 164 feet elevation, easy
• Upheavel Dome Trail, Island in the Sky section,  .7 miles, 108 feet elevation, moderate

Hikes We Missed but Plan to Do:

• Aztec Butte Trail, Island in the Sky section, 1.6 miles, 249 feet elevation, moderate
• Druid Arch Trail, The Needles section, 9.7 miles, 1446 feet elevation, moderate
• Peekaboo Trail, The Needles section, 10.8 miles, 429 feet elevation, strenous

Our Visit to Canyonlands National Park

We really did not expect Canyonlands National Park to impress us as much as it did.  The main reason we visited Moab, Utah, was to see Arches National Park.  However, Canyonlands is a gorgeous national park with beautiful views, arches, and cool geological features.

As usual, our first stop was at the national park’s Visitor’s Center at the Island in the Sky section of the park.  We always stops at visitor centers to speak with a Ranger and find recommendations for points of interest and best hikes.  We already planned to hike the Mesa Arch Trail and the Grand View Point Trail, but he also suggested the Upheavel Dome Trail.  He also recommended that we stop at various overlooks, including the Green River Overlook.

Canyonlands National Park has three main sections:  Island in the Sky, The Needles, and The Maze.  We only visited the Island in the Sky section, although we have a couple of future hikes we want to try in The Needles.  However, the Maze is the most remote section of Canyonlands.  Some of the trails in this area require 4-wheel drive to access.   We don’t currently have any plans to hike the Maze area, as it requires more planning and backpacking.

Island in the Sky Area

We are unsure which hike we completed was our favorite.  We loved the hikes to Mesa Arch, Upheavel Dome, and the Grand View.  None of the three hikes were strenous and we completed them all in one day.  Mesa Arch is a cool arch with a scenic view through it.  It is a very easy hike and we enjoyed posing in front of the arch.  We then walked around, exploring and observing the different perspectives of the overlook and the arch.

However, the Upheavel Dome Trail is amazing.  We were unsure what to make of the geologic abnormality.  Per the signs we read at the dome, no one is sure how the Upheavel Dome came to be although there are currently two theories.  The two theories are the Salt Dome Theory and the Impact Crater Theory.  There are two overlooks for the Upheavel Dome.  After hiking to the first overlook, you can backtrack a little and hike to the second overlook, which is a little more challenging.  The second overlook, however, provides you with a different angle of the dome and we are glad we hiked it.

The busiest trail we hiked in Canyonlands was the Grand View Point Trail.  When you arrive at the end, you have the opportunity to rock scramble a little for some higher views.  Plan to explore the area around this trail; it has spectactular views that vary depending on which side you stand.  The Grand View Point Trail is currently closed on weekdays from August to September 2024.

The one hike in the Island in the Sky Area that we did not do that was on our list is the Aztec Butte Trail.  This trail supposedly leads to an ancient granary built into an alcove.  However, per hiker feedback, some rock scrambling is required and the trail is not well marked in places.  So, maybe it was good that we skipped it!

Canyonlands National Park is a fascinating national park to visit.  Although, Arches National Park is more popular, while staying in Moab, Utah, take the time to visit this national park and check out its cool features.

While visiting Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park, we boondocked in the truck at a designated campground in Mill Canyon.   Per the Campendium app, it is Gemini Bridges Road Designated Campsites GPS 38.7114, -109.7271.  The designated campsites are past the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Track campground.  The pictures in Campendium show fifth wheels and travel trailers.  However, we did not drive up towards the rock to check out this camping, but instead drove down further on a very bumpy Cotter Mine Road to a designated site with only the truck.  The road is rough and we would not take our travel trailer to the campsites further on this road.  We did enjoy waking up the view of hot air balloons in the morning at this boondocking!

Our Favorite Hikes and Arches:

• Delicate Arch Trail, 3.2 miles, elevation gain 629 feet, moderate
• Double Arch Trail, .6 miles, elevation gain 95 feet, easy
• Landscape Arch Trail, 1.9 miles, elevtion gain 252 feet, easy
• Windows and Turret Arch Trail, 1.2 miles, elevation gain 154 feet, easy

Hikes we missed but plan to do in the future:

• Fiery Furnace and Surprise Arch Trail, 2.1 miles, elevation gain 492 feet, moderate – this hike requires a permit and a good offline map
• Devil’s Garden Trail, 7.9 miles, elevation gain 1085 feet, hard – this hike does require climbing some slick rock

Our Visit to Arches National Park

Arches National Park was our second favorite place while visiting Utah.  Arches is an amazing national park with lots of cool hikes to various arches.  The park currently enforces a timed entry reservation system to limit the number of people entering from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Although you can purchase tickets months in advance, the park releases some tickets the day before, and we had no issues securing passes the day before our visits.  You can purchase a timed entry pass on Recreation.gov.

We spent a couple of days in Arches National Park, hiking and exploring arches.  Our favorite hike in Arches is the Delicate Arch Hike.  The hike is three miles and considered strenuous.  You will need water on this trail, especially during hotter weather.  However, reaching and posing under the Delicate Arch makes this hike memorable.  Do not forget to check out some amazing petroglyphs at the beginning of this trail.

During our visit to Arches, we also hiked Double Arch, Windows and Turret Arches, Landscape Arch, Broken Arch, and Sand Dune Arch Trails.  Our favorite arches, besides Delicate Arch, are Double Arch and Landscape Arch.  The short hike to Double Arch was worth seeing this amazing arch.  We enjoyed plopping a squat underneath this striking arch while we cooled down.  People climb up the interior of this arch and sit and reflect.

We had plans to hike the entire Devils Garden Trail.  We hiked to Landscape Arch.  However, after Landscape, the trail goes up the rock to Double O Arch.  Some people hiked up the rock with no issues.  However, after starting this portion of the hike, we decided it was not worth falling or hurting ourselves.  So, we hiked back down the rock and decided to be content that we had seen Landscape Arch.

Besides completing the Devils Garden Trail, we also plan to hike the Fiery Furnace when we return to Arches National Park.  You must have a permit for this hike.  You can accompany a Ranger-guided tour or apply for a self-guided exploration permit.  Per our understanding of the Fiery Furnace hike, it is easy to get lost on this hike.  There are many possible paths, dead ends, and no GPS.  This will be a compass and offline downloaded map hike when we return.

Boondocking at Moab, Utah

While visiting Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park, we boondocked in the truck at a designated campground in Mill Canyon.   Per the Campendium app, it is Gemini Bridges Road Designated Campsites GPS 38.7114, -109.7271.  The designated campsites are past the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Track campground.  The pictures in Campendium show fifth wheels and travel trailers.  However, we did not drive up towards the rock to check out this camping, but instead drove down further on a very bumpy Cotter Mine Road to a designated site with only the truck.  The road is rough and we would not take our travel trailer to the campsites further on this road.  We did enjoy waking up the view of hot air balloons in the morning at this boondocking!

Our Favorite Hikes in Zion National Park:

• Scout Overlook Trail, Shuttle Stop #6 The Grotto, 3.6 miles, 1115 feet elevation gain, hard – be sure and hike a mile past Scout Overlook on the West Rim Trail for some more amazing views
• The Narrows Bottom-Up Day Trail, Shuttle Stop #9 Temple of Sinawava, as many miles as you can hike, very little elevation gain
• The Watchman Trail, right at Visitors Center, 3.1 miles, 636 feet elevation gain

Hikes We Missed but Plan to Do:

• Zion Canyon Overlook Trail, .9 miles, 157 feet elevation gain, it is located on the east side of the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel and can be tricky to find parking
• Observation Point via East Mesa Trailhead, 7 miles, 702 feet elevation gain, the East Mesa Trailhead on the East side of the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel via Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort GPS 37.29698, -112.90013

Our favorite place to visit in Utah is Zion National Park.  We stayed in the area for a couple of weeks in mid to late May, hoping to avoid the crowds during the busier summer months.  We dispersed camped fifteen minutes away from Zion at Hurricane Cliffs Designated Dispersed Campsites GPS 37.2072, -113.2402.  Zion is extremely crowded.  Every day we visited the park, we arrived early in the morning to find parking in the RV/oversize lot with our dually truck.  The Visitor Center opens at 8 a.m. but the shuttles begin running at 6 a.m.  Do note that the parking lots fill up fast!  There is a free shuttle service from Springdale into the park, if the Zion parking lot is full.  However, we had no issues finding parking by arriving before or around 8 a.m.

We now know why Zion National Park is so popular.  It is gorgeous!  We completed the Scout Overlook Trail, The Narrows bottom-up day Trail, the Watchman Trail, and all three of Emerald Pool trails.  We did not attempt to gain a permit for the famous Angels Landing Trail.  With her current fear of heights, Jessica did not feel comfortable attempting this hike.   But who knows what the future will bring.

Scout Lookout Trail

However, even if you do not want to hike Angels Landing, the Scout Lookout Trail is amazing.  This is now Windell’s favorite hike, displacing the Fremont Fire Tower in Mount Rainier National Park.  The Scout Lookout Trail is a strenuous trail and we took a lot of breaks on Walter’s Wiggles.  The Lookout is gorgeous.  We stopped and took in the inspiring view before continuing on the West Rim Trail. Hiking a mile or so further on West Rim Trail past Scout Lookout provides even better views of Angel’s Landing and different perspectives of the canyon.  If you still have the energy after Scout Lookout, we encourage you to continue on the West Rim Trail.  It is well worth the hike.

The Narrows Bottom-Up Day Trail

Jessica’s now favorite hike to date is the Narrows bottom-up day hike.  Although we did not feel comfortable attempting the hike when the water flow was 124 cubic feet per second, we did attempt it the second week when it dropped to 84 cubic feet per second.  We are glad we waited.  Especially Jessica who still fell into the water three times hiking back.

It was our first time hiking over ten miles while crossing a river through a canyon and it took our breath away, sometimes literally with the current and cold water.  The Narrows has been on our bucket list for four years, and we are grateful we finally hiked it.  There is no set endpoint to this hike.  You hike as far as you want upstream and turn around wherever you want to hike back downstream with the current.  We recommend this hike to anyone visiting Zion, although it is more enjoyable earlier in the morning with fewer people.

The Watchman Trail

The Watchman hike right at the parking lot introduces you to the gorgeous canyon of Zion and was recommended to us by a ranger.  This trail gets busy, but if you go early, you can have some time at the top to sit alone and reflect a moment.  There is also a short scenic loop trail at the end.  The Watchman Trail is considered an easy to moderate hike that can be completed in around two hours.  We hiked the Watchman trail and all three Emerald Pools in the same day.

The Emerald Pool Trails

The Emerald Pool trails were a disappointment to us.  We hiked these trails later in the morning and into the early afternoon in mid-May 2024.  The trails are very busy and the pools themselves are not very epic.  The waterfalls may flow better at different seasons, and maybe the pools are prettier then. Early spring, late fall, and winter are recommended as the best times to visit these pools.  If you like strenuous hikes, as Jessica does, you may enjoy the hikes to these pools and the lower pool does have a small waterfall you can walk behind.  To hike the Emeralds Pools, get off the shuttle at Stop #6, The Grotto.  The hike is considered moderate, although hiking to all three pools gave our legs a workout.  It is only three miles with 620 feet of elevation gain.

Other To-Do Hikes in Zion

The only hikes we missed that were on our to- do list during our first trip to Zion  were The Observation Point Trail and the Canyon Overlook Trail.  Both trails are supposed to provide amazing views of the Canyon.  However, it was not meant for us to hike these trails due to the Weeping Rock shuttle stop closure and the difficulty of parking.

There are two ways to access Observation Point.  It is a moderate hike at East Zion via the East Mesa Trailhead from the Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort.  The parking lot and trailhead are on the the east side of the Zion-Mount Carmel tunnel.  The hike is seven miles with 702 feet of elevation gain.  We had planned to hike to Observation Point from the Weeping Rock Trailhead, which is Shuttle Stop #7 within the park.  During our visit in May 2024, the Weeping Rock shuttle stop was closed due to rockfall.  It has been closed since 2019.  So, we decided to leave the Observation Point Trail until the next time we returned to Zion.

It was also in our plan to hike the moderate Canyon Overlook Trail.  This trail is less than a mile in distance and was on our way out of the park.  However, while awaiting our turn to drive through the tunnel on East Zion, we spoke with the Ranger.  She said it would be difficult for us to find parking with our dually and that the parking lot was for smaller vehicles.  We looked, but did not find any parking for this trail after passing through the tunnel, so we continued on our way to Bryce National Park.

Zion National Park is extremely busy, and we are not particularly fond of crowds.  However, if you are in Utah, this national park is a must to visit.  The canyons, mountains, and views will take your breath away.  Zion National Park exceeded our expectations in its beauty.

During 2024 we traveled throughout Utah, visiting five national parks and many more amazing sights.  We did not have any Thousand Trails or other campgrounds; we only stayed on dispersed camping sites in Utah for our entire visit.  Although we were truck camping, there were only a few sites we would not have felt comfortable pulling in our travel trailer.  There is so much boondocking in Utah that it is very easy to find spots near the national parks and other areas.  The only area we had difficulty finding a spot was near Salt Lake City.  So we bypassed that area and went to the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway, where we saw lots of moose!

Gemini Bridges Road Dispersed Camping

Campendium App

GPS: 38.7114, -109.7271

Moab, Utah

The GPS coordinates for this dispersed camping in Campendium actually led us past the Mill Canyon Dinsoaur tracksite which has a small campground.  However, there are many designated spots along this road.  The pictures in Campendium look as though the travel trailers, etc. took a right to sit beside the rock.  We, though, continued along the Cotter Mine Road and found an amazing spot on a really bumpy road.  The Cotter Mine Road is really bumpy and we would not feel comfortable pulling our travel trailer on it.  But, if you have a truck, van or car, these spots are great.

There is some UHVs that travel the road for some off-roading.  They were very considerate.  The designated campgrounds are not near each other, so you have some privacy and quiet.  Hiking in the area is a lot of fun.  You can visit the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Bone Trail and the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Track Trail.  This is a great place to boondock for Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.  We stayed here for almost a week.

Hole in the Rock Dispersed Camping

Campendium App

GPS: 37.723, -111.527

Escalante, Utah

This boondocking campground is huge!  There are many designated campsites on the campground.  We would be very comfortable pulling in our travel trailer and leaving it while we explored.  Bigger rigs can easily fit in this campground; you just have to check out the individual sites for ruts and travel slowly on the road.  This is a great spot to explore Escalante.

Our Verizon cell service was good.  In fact, we really had few issues with our cell service at our boondocking spots in Utah.  We stayed in this campground for several days.

Hurricane Cliffs Designated Dispersed Campsites

Campendium App

GPS: 37.1866, -113.2228

La Verkin, Utah (near Zion National Park)

This is BLM dispersed camping that allows a fourteen-day stay maximum.  There are many campsites and roads leading into the designated campgrounds in Hurricane Cliffs.  This is fifteen minutes away from Zion National Park.

We stayed here for over a week exploring Zion and taking care of some maintenance on our truck.  The individual campsites 55 and 56 are very private and were our favorite.  However, we also sat on one site that had a road going through it.  The sign for the Hurricane Cliffs boondocking lists the sites for tents and for RVs.

You can easily pull in bigger rigs into the campground, making sure you find the bigger campsites.  Most of the main roads are well maintained.  We would have parked our travel trailer and felt easy about leaving her while we explored the area.  There is some public and UHV noise, but it is pretty quiet and secluded.  Our Verizon service was excellent here.

Tom’s Best Spring Dispersed Camping

Campendium App

GPS: 37.728, -112.2487

Panguitch, UT 84759, Dixie National Forest (near Bryce National Park)

This is a great spot for boondocking on BLM land.  Per Campendium, the maximum stay limit is 16 days.  Although we turned right on the first road that led to smaller campgrounds, there are larger rig campgrounds further down Road 117 off Highway 12.  However, an A and a fifth wheel did fit into the first campground.

This is an awesome designated campsite campground.  Some of the campsites are pretty close together.  However, we would have no concerns about leaving our travel trailer while we explored in this area.  As in most areas of Utah, our Verizon cell service was good.  It is a very quiet area.  We stayed here a few days.

Hancock Road Dispersed Camping instead of Hog Canyon Dispersed Camping

Campendium App

GPS: 37.1364, -112.5997

We looked for boondocking near Kanab, Utah after returning from the Grand Canyon North Rim.  At first we tried Hog Canyon Dispersed Camping, GPS 37.0812, -112.5295.  The road is rough, and although there is a large parking lot closer to the entrance of the road, it is not very private.  Also, our cell service was not good in Hog Canyon.  Jessica was not comfortable staying overnight and we would definitely not leave our travel trailer at this location.

However, we traveled further along highway 89 and found a Hancock designated campground on the left side on the way to Pink Sand State Park.  The campsite was quiet and secluded and we stayed for several days.  There was another campground right across the road and we saw vans and Class Cs check it out.  But we saw no one pull in to camp.  The campsites are very sandy and we might have been more concerned if we were pulling our travel trailer.  Luckily, we had no rain while we were there.  However, if there had been a forecast of rain, we would have left rather than chance getting stuck.

We probably would not pull our travel trailer into the Hancock boondocking simply because of the sand, although Campendium has pictures of travel trailers at a site.  Our Verizon cell service was good and we stayed a few days at this boondocking site.

Freemont Road Dispersed Camping

Campendium App

GPS: 38.1263, -112.6224

Heading North from Kanab, Utah towards Salt Lake City, Utah, we decided to park overnight in the Freemont Road Dispersed Camping.  The first area is just a large gravel parking lot.  However, there are a couple of campsites further down the road.  When we arrived in the early afternoon, we were the only ones there.  However, we were really lucky and a Jeep SUV pulled up and asked if he could pull in.  We had no idea that the person in the Jeep would be a gentleman from Switzerland traveling throughout the U.S. and that we would visit and chat the entire next day about traveling, customs, and languages.  It was a chance meeting that gained us a friend and changed our view on future travels.  We stayed two nights rather than our expected one-night stay so we could visit.

Larger rigs should have no issue finding enough room at this BLM land.  The dirt road may be a little rough but it is not too bad if taken slowly.  Cattle does roam this area and the gate may be closed.  There are two more campsites further down the road.  However, you cannot hear the highway much at the first parking lot.  There is no shade, but our Verizon cells ervice was very good.

Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest near Salt Lake City

Our game plan was to boondock in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest and hike to Donut Falls and Lake Blanche near Salt Lake City.  Using the Campendium App, Jessica thought we could find dispersed camping nearby with Forest Road 182 Dispersed Camping 40.5308, -111.5945 or Big Flat Dispersed Camping 40.56, -111.5577.  However, this area is extremely tight, even for just our dually truck.  It is a very busy area and trying to maneuver around all the people was difficult.  We were frustrated and a little tense on the narrowness of some of the roads and the amount of traffic and people.  We were grateful we had not tried this area with a travel trailer.  We may have missed some boondocking opportunities in this area due to our frustration.  However, we simply skipped our hikes and continued to travel north after we thankfully reached highway 15 again.

Christmas Meadows Campground

Campendium App

GPS: 40.825, -110.802

This area in the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest is amazing.  We stayed at the Christmas Meadows Campground.  However, there is a lot of boondocking in this area.  It is free to stay if you are primitive camping, as we were in our truck.  However, our America the Beautiful Pass would have covered the fee with our travel trailer.

Although the Verizon cellservice was not good in this area, we enjoyed our stay of several days.  We saw lots of moose early in the morning and late in the afternoon.  Christmas Meadows is a long gravel road that also has permanent summer homes on it.  The road traffic can be a little much sometimes.  However, there is a lot of other boondocking sites besides the Christmas Meadows area.  Some boondocking sites are nearer the wetter areas where we saw moose.

This is a beautiful area with plenty of campsites for larger rigs.  Just make sure and check out the fees for staying here and check in with the office.  We stopped and chatted with the Ranger who told us about the camping regulations and fees and when and where to see moose.

This year (2024) we decided to change up how we RV and try truck camping for the summer months.  We have already written one article on our truck camping experience at  https://thenonsenseofwj.com/truck-camping-for-a-summer/.  As we only had one Thousand Trail Campground in the state of Colorado and none in Utah, we believed, incorrectly as it turned out, that this was the best way to experience these states.  Even Passport America and RPI in these states are few and far between.  So, instead of paying for campgrounds throughout the summer, we chose to camp in our truck.

Boondocking

Now, we know many people boondock and leave their campers while they go exploring.  However, we are not yet comfortable with this.  Also, we do not want to feel obligated to put external cameras and security alarms on our camper.  We have many friends who boondock all the time and some who boondocked when they began RVing.  Although, a few did have a few items left outside stolen, they still recommend boondocking.  As everyone tells us, simply stay where you feel comfortable and introduce yourself to your neighbors.  However, let us face it, we are glampers.  We like campgrounds and full-hookups.  Yes, sewer please!

We have boondocked in some spots this year that we would be comfortable leaving the camper during the day to go adventuring.  Tom’s Best Spring Road near Bryce Canyon is one such spot.  These are designated dispersed camping in the Dixie National Forest.  There were many other campers around and we felt very comfortable here.  The couple in the Class A beside us even introduced themselves and were very friendly.

However, many times when we are boondocking in Colorado or Utah at a site we found with Campendium or IOverlander, we are by ourselves in the middle of nowhere.  We are definitely not comfortable leaving our travel trailer fby itself in these areas while we go off exploring.

Truck Camping

So, we camped in the back our truck for 46 days.  We explored mainly Utah, a little of Arizona and Wyoming, and some of Colorado.  When we first started, we had a futon in the back of the truck.  We could lay the futon down for sleeping.  And we could sit up on the futon during the day.  However, the futon was much too large for the space.  At our age, sleeping on a futon was very uncomfortable and our backs let us know it was not working.  So, we broke down the futon with a sledge hammer and strapped it to the top of the truck.  Luckily, we found a dumpster at a rest stop with plenty of room to throw in the futon.

We replaced the futon with a mattress topper three inches thick and another smaller topper with bumps.  The mattress topper was pretty comfortable for sleeping.  During the day, when we loaded the truck back up, we just rolled the toppers to the back of the truck bed.  Sitting in the truck bed on the mattress toppers was not as comfortable as the futon.  But we made it work.

During our 46 days, we also purchased a larger 55 quart cooler and a 5 gallon drinking cooler.  The smaller cooler that we carried was too small and the ice melted too quickly.  So, we bought some new ones in Utah.  Boy, did they come in handy.  While boondocking in Utah, the state had a sudden heat wave.  The new coolers made the heat wave almost bearable.  We had cold drinking water and our new 55 quart cooler kept ice much longer.  Luckily, most gas stations and grocery stores in Utah sell block ice.  We bought block ice for the food cooler and cubed ice to add to our drinks.  We bought a lot of ice crazy amout of ice in Utah!  However, the block ice and the new coolers lasted several days in the heat wave.

The Truck Camping Diet

Our food while camping in the truck mainly consisted of tuna fish, packaged noodles and rice, instant potatoes, and oatmeal.  We both lost a lot of weight.  If you are wanting to shed some pounds, try our new and improved truck camping diet for a couple of months!  Of course, we were also very active in Utah.  We did a lot of hiking!  Sometimes we would even find hikes while traveling before we ate breakfast.  When we hiked the Grand Wash Trail in Capital Reef National Park, we had planned on eating breakfast at the Visitor’s Center.  However, we found the hiking trail first.  So, we ate granola bars to sustain us while we hiked.

Unsurprisingly, we lost a lot of weight.  We usually eat red meat pretty frequently.  However, keeping hamburger in a cooler in a heat wave was not our idea of fun.  So, we ate a lot of canned meat.  Hence, the tuna fish.  Sometimes we would throw in some canned chicken and fajita strips.  FYI, canned meat is very expensive compared to buying raw hamburger and chicken.  Especially as we usually buy our groceries  at Aldi – our favorite grocery store.  Since we are back in our RV and have our awesome refrigerator, we can eat our normal again.  We will probably gain our weight back.

Right now, though, our clothes are a lot looser.  Windell must wear a belt for his pants.  Jessica has to tie her shorts and pants even tighter.  Maybe Jessica will even wear the bikini that Windell wants her to wear in her fifties, if she can keep the weight off.  Probably not though.

So Much Dirt

Dirt is the main constant while camping in the truck in the desert.  We purchased pump sprayers before we started this journey.  Although we usually do not shower every day normally, we do like to stay clean, shave, and wash our hair.  So, we purchased three pump sprayers and a gravity camping shower for us.

The cheap, gravity camping shower did not work well.  Maybe we are a little spoiled.  However, it did not have enough pressure to even remove shampoo.  We put it up as high as we could on the truck to no avail.  So, we mainly used our pump sprayers for showering.  The naked person would stand in the poop tent while the other person hosed them down.  It took two people to shower.   By yourself, you could not get the little head at the right angle to rinse your hair.

The pump sprayers did get us cleaner, for a little bit.  However, showering outside in the desert means you are showering in the dirt.  Everything is dirty.  We bought a cheap little rubber mat to stand on while we showered in the toilet tent.  But we were so dirty.  Dirt just ran off us onto the mat and then the ground.  Even though the mat was easy to spray off where you stood, the underneath was all muddy.  At the end of the truck camping, we were so tired of trying to get the dirt off that we just counted the number of days to the campground and our travel trailer.

While returning from Wyoming to Colorado, we treated ourselves and stayed at a nice hotel.  We felt so sorry for the hotel staff.  After we finished showering, the washcloths were so dirty and we could not rinse all the dirt out.  However, we felt awesome!  Our hair was clean and not greasy.  We put on clean clothes that were not covered in red dirt.  And, we even had a huge, free breakfast with cookies!

After several more days of traveling and adding dirt to ourselves and the truck, we finally returned to our travel trailer.  We were both so filthy.  When we each had a long shower, we were several shades lighter on our skin.  What we thought was tan was dirt!  Also, being able to really scrub our toes in a shower without standing on more dirt was the best feeling.

Truck camping in non-desert states may be completely different for keeping clean.  However, in Utah, the wind blows dirt everywhere.  The pump sprayers are not going to get you clean.  And, forget about the gravity shower!  While hiking, riding the shuttles, or even bumping along in the Jeep tour, we knew we were those people whom everyone shimmies away from.  We did try to stay clean, use deodorant and shave.  However, trying to keep clean while camping is a lot harder without a pressurized shower and clean floor.

Disorganization can be Fun – Not

It does not matter how organized you try to be while truck camping.  Things become very chaotic quickly.  We thought we were so smart.  All our clothes were labeled and we put all the items we thought we would use daily in the side compartment of the camper shell.  We tried to be organized!  However, because almost everything had to be pulled out of the back of the truck to sleep every day, things became disorganized instantly.  Bathroom and shower items got mixed in with kitchen items.  Forks were placed in our hiking backpacks instead of the silverware container.

Camping in the Truck was a whole different ballgame than living in our RV.  Everything was out of place.  Although it was hard to pull things out from underneath the futon, we did have more storage area.  When we removed the futon, many items had to put on the hitch or crammed in the back of the truck bed.  So, things were easily misplaced.  Windell could not wait to return to his trailer just so he could put his stuff in its place and it would stay there.

When we were considering purchasing a pop-up truck camper for future trips, we watched You-Tubers who lived in their truck campers full-time.  They added solar, indoor toilets, sinks, etc.  However, we have decided we are not those people.  We are the type of people who do not want to try to fit all our living into the back of our truck.  We want indoor showers, a refrigerator, a flush toilet, and toys for our hobbies.  The truck camper is not large enough for us to live in full-time.  It is okay for a few days for some amazing adventuring, but then we want to return to our travel trailer with all of its comforts.

So, we will not be buying a new pop-up camper shell or slide in truck camper.  We are going to enjoy coffee programmed in the morning and everything organized and always in its place.  Our amazing little travel trailer will travel across the U.S. with us.

We did it!

Wow, we actually camped in our truck for 46 days and didn’t get divorced.  Some of the YouTubers we watch truck camp a week or two.  They live in houses and travel and adventure part-time.  We do know that there are people who live in their vehicles full-time.  We say Kudos to you!  It is not for us. A truck camper does not provide all the comforts and benefits of the travel trailer.  Oh, sure, we will still vehicle camp every once in a great while……for a couple of days…..before we return to our refrigerator and shower.

Changing It Up

After a heat wave in Utah and Arizona, we decided to change our plans and head north to Wyoming for somecooler temperatures.  We tend to change our plans a lot while traveling.  And, it is easier to switch it up this year (2024) while traveling in only a truck.  Originally on our way to the Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, we were going to disperse camp near Salt Lake, Utah.  However, we couldn’t find any good camping spots.  Campendium did show a couple in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.  However, when we tried to find them, we ended up driving down a narrow, steep one lane road in our dually.  Let us just say some butt puckering occured.  So, we decided to spend a few days disperse camping on the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/uwcnf/recarea/?recid=9908 on Utah 150.

Mirror Lake Recreation Fee

We find our dispersed camping through a Campendium app on Jessica’s phone and an iOverlander app on Windell’s phone.  When we drove to the GPS coordinates on Campendium, we passed the Ranger Station to find camping.  However, we turned around to talk to the Ranger when we saw that a recreational pass was required.  We enjoy speaking to Rangers at National Forests and Parks.  They are some of the best resources to learn about an area.  Because we were tent camping, we did not have to pay the recreational fee.  However, our interagency America the Beautiful Pass would have covered the fee if we had been pulling our travel trailer.

So Many Moose!

The dirt roads to the camping in this area are rough, very rough, but the area is gorgeous.  We dispersed camped at Christmas Meadows in the US Forest right off Utah Highway 150.  We had our own personal, private campsite.  There was no cell service on our Verizon except with our antenna. However, the best part of staying here was all the moose we saw!  The Ranger let us know that there had been several sightings of moose.  She recommended driving along the highway next to the swampy areas during the morning and evening hours to see moose.  So, we went “moose hunting” early evening and in the morning.  We saw five moose total – three females and two males.  There is a lot of dispersed camping in this area and you can stay for up to 14 days. The drive on Utah 150 is breathtaking!  When we went through in early June, Mirror Lake still had ice and the Provo Waterfall was roaring. This is a fabulous place to visit and camp.   If you want to see moose, this is the place to be!

Changing it Up, Again…

When you travel, adventure, and fly by the sCeat of your pants, you sometimes have no idea what you are getting yourself into.  While staying near Kanab, Utah, a heat wave set in.  The temperatures were near 100 degrees. We decided to throw all our plans out the window and head north to cooler temperatures.  However, we had a few sights we wanted to see before we left Kanab, including the Sand Caves, Moqui Cave, Peek-a-boo Slot Canyon, and the Belly of the Dragon.  So, we hiked to the Sand Caves first thing,   Afterwards we stopped by Moqui Cave before heading to the Peek-a-boo Slot Canyon parking lot.

Peek-A-Boo Canyon Advice

The Moqui Cave was awesome.  However, after exploring the cave, we went into the gift shop and actually talked to the owner.  And, boy, are we glad we did!   He asked us where we were headed next and we told him Peek-a-boo Slot Canyon.  When he asked what type of vehicle we had and we told him a F350 Dually, he said, “you will never make it”.  When we asked him about hiking to it, he said that it would be a rough hike in the sand.  So, he informed us about the Jeep and UHV tours through ROAM https://www.roam-outdoor.com/. He had a couple seats available for a Jeep Tour in little over an hour.  So, we said yes and he booked us on the next Jeep Tour.  It was worth every penny!

Jeep Tour with ROAM

The Jeep was so much fun in the sand, bouncing and washboarding, and our guide was amazing.  On the way to the slot canyon, we passed several single wheel trucks (one being a diesel) stuck in the sand.  Our guide stopped and offered waters to all those stuck.  While touring the slot canyon, we ran into a few people who had hiked in, and, again, we were glad we had picked the Jeep Tour.  The hike looked rough, especially in 100 degree Celsius temperature.  Peek-a-Boo Slot Canyon near Kanab, Utah, is gorgeous!  If you plan to visit it, book a tour.  It is more fun that trying to drive or hike to it.  Our guide was awesome, and would take pictures for us at the most epic spots.  The guides for ROAM grew up in Kanab and know the canyon and area really well.  They will give you information on how the slot canyon has changed and ideas on other cool places to see in the area.  This was our first Jeep Tour ever, and we had such a blast.  We love talking to people who know an area we are visiting because we usually get some great information.  We believe asking a lot of stupid questions is a great way to learn new adventures.