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Get Back to Nature

Make Utah Your Next Dream Destination

Story and Photos By Asma Mohammed

Everyone wants to get back to nature. It’s part of the human experience to be able to bond with the environment that we call home. Hiking trails can be one of the greatest ways to get in touch with the wilderness in a safe and organized way. If you’re not too fond of sleeping in a tent or bathing in streams, but love nature and the beauty it has to offer, then spending a couple of days in a national park might just be the perfect compromise. Utah is home to some of the most beautiful natural phenomena in America. Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park are just two of the beautiful parks that you can find in this gorgeous state. So, if breathtaking views, lush green trees, and stunning rock formations sound like something you’d be interested in, look no further than Utah.

Breathtaking view at Sunset

Zion National Park offers campgrounds within the park, so you can really get the full experience. When you purchase your entry at the gates, the pass is only $30 and is good for seven days, which ensures that you are able to explore all the parts of the park that you intend to see without having to pay for multiple entries. Zion is extremely

large, spanning over 147,551 acres full of trees, rock formations, natural bodies of water, wildlife, and hiking trails. There’s a shuttle that will take hikers to each hiking spot, or of course you can always walk from trail-to-trail if you’re brave enough. Some of the must-see trails are The Narrows, Angel’s Landing, and Weeping Rock. There are varying levels of difficulty for these hikes however, so these won’t be for everyone, and if you’re traveling with kids, you may want to avoid The Narrows and Angel’s Landing as they can actually be quite dangerous. Angel’s Landing provides the most stunning view of the park, however it’s an extremely narrow hike at high elevation and is the most dangerous trail in the park. The Narrows isn’t dangerous in and of itself, but most of the trail does require you to dredge through a river that can be freezing cold (even in summer) and has many rocks at the bottom so falling in is a very real possibility. But if you are willing and able, these are some of the greatest trails in the park and are not to be missed.

Of course, Bryce Canyon National Park is an essential part of any Utah trip. Bryce is signifi-

cantly smaller than Zion spanning a mere 35,835 acres. Despite its size, it truly is a sight to behold. This park also has a $30 entrance fee, but you can absolutely do it all in one day. The park isn’t much for hikers, but instead is more of a scenic drive-up park. There are four main viewpoints in Bryce Canyon that feature the most spectacular views and a small parking lot, so you can get out and look over the entirety of the canyon from different angles. The most famous of all of these is Sunrise Point, which is about a mile from the visitor center, so be sure to make it your first stop. Since the park is open 24 hours, you can be sure to see Sunrise Point at sunrise and have the rest of the day to hit all of the other viewpoints on the scenic drive. Be sure to catch the sunset at Sunset Point, and make your way to Rainbow Point, which is the highest point in the canyon at 9,100 feet, to see the magnificent blanket of stars that covers the canyon at night.

These two parks really give a sense of where you stand in the universe, as they are enormous natural parks that will stun your senses, and maybe even cause you to shed a tear. They’re absolutely worth seeing, so add it to the top of your travel list and make your way to these beautiful Utah destinations. nps.gov/zion and nps.gov/brca

All of nature’s beauty comes together in Zion