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This magazine was built off of my love for the national parks and my obsession with successful marketing campaigns. Those are two things that most of my conversations revolve around with exception to everything else I talk about. Enjoy!
Š 2020 Miranda Call. Made with Adobe CC 2020. Typefaces used were Helvetica Neue and Acme Gothic. All copy comes from the mighty 5 campaign found at visitutah.com. Maps of the parks come from google maps. Images come from unsplash and the following artists are to thank: Chris Henry, Josh Soriano, Philip Graves, Natalie Aecheatel, Ken Cheung, Seth Betterly and Dave Herring.
ARCHES NATIONAL PARK
CAPITOL 05 REEF
NATIONAL PARK
CANYONLANDS
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NATIONAL PARK
BRYCE CANYON
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NATIONAL PARK
ZION
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NATIONAL PARK
ARCHES
NATIONAL PARK
Moab,UT — Arches National Park is on of the top national parks in America: it’s a 73,234-acre wonderland of eroded sandstone fins, towers, ribs, gargoyles, hoodoos, balanced rocks, and, of course, arches northwest of Moab.
3 MOAB UNDER CANVAS: Glamping
Glamping at Moab Under Canvas offers a paradoxically close connection with the outdoors you have come to immerse yourself in, compared to staying within the confines of a hotel room. It may be glam, and it may be downright cushy, but detached from nature it is not.
While staying in a fully-furnished luxury canvas tent may seem most suitable for city folk, experienced campers and backpackers might get an even bigger kick out of a tent that comes pre-stocked with firewood and clean bed linens. There’s no mucking around here — just basking in your airy surroundings. It’s camping without the dirty work.
The surroundings are, by the way, just moments from the entrance of Arches National Park, a central draw in the Moab area. The helpful Moab Under Canvas staff provide service equivalent to what you’d find in the
4 nicest hotels. They’re ready to help recommend the right hike, bike, river run, or other outside attractions for your day. And when you arrive, your campsite host team crew is on hand to transport your luggage to your tent in their handy golf cart.
Hungry? No problem. They’ll even pack your picnic lunch and send you out the door with a hearty breakfast in your stomach. If you’d like to grill your dinner on-site, the staff will enlist their provisions company to bring in whatever ingredients you’d like.
You may want to dine in town, which is just a few miles down the main road in the opposite direction of Arches National Park. Plenty of options await and depending on your tastes, the camp’s staff can help point you to the right place.
By night, the staff builds a communal bonfire where guests meet, swap stories, and bond under the starry desert sky. S’mores are a frequent component of an evening, adding to the childlike pleasure of nibbling gold-roasted marshmallows before crawling into a fort to slumber the day’s exertion away.
While the place is fine for families and groups, the setting is especially wonderful for young adults, couples and friends who want to add something out of the ordinary to their desert wanderings. If it suits your budget best, you can snag a basic Safari tent — which sleeps up to two adults and two children — and make use of the tidy communal bathrooms within nearby teepees. Or if you’d like to go all-out, get one of the pricier Deluxe or Suite tents, which elevate camping to a whole new level. These canvas retreats bear untold wonders like your own private bathroom and a cool private patio with lounge chairs.
BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK
Bryce, UT — An alpine forest with as many red rock hoodoos as trees. At dawn and dusk, mule deer graze the forested plateau along the road into Bryce Canyon.
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DARK SKIES OF BRYCE CANYON Long after the last drop of twilight fades to black, the next phase of the earth’s rotation begins to shine. It is a part of the 24-hour cycle that many developed places have lost to the constant shine of the cityscape — most Americans live in an area where they cannot see the Milky Way due to lighting from cities. Utah has several certified Dark Sky Parks, with Bryce Canyon being Utah’s fourth national park, and 13th location altogether, to receive dark sky certification from the International Dark-Sky Association. At Bryce, there’s something awe-inspiring about the way the canyon’s red rock hoodoos interact with the infinite depths of the Universe.
WHEN TO VISIT Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays, during spring, summer and fall, Bryce Canyon National Park offers about 100 astronomy programs per year, presented by its Astronomy Rangers and volunteers. Some recommend the best time to come is when the sky is darkest — during the week of the new moon or the week prior to the new moon. Most offered astronomy programs are followed by stargazing with telescopes. Check the program schedule or Bryce Canyon Visitor Center for more information. Programs are subject to weather and may be canceled in the event of adverse conditions. Reservations are required and be sure to arrive 15-30 minutes early for seating.
Every summer, Bryce Canyon also hosts an annual Astronomy Festival, more than 16 years running! Attendees will enjoy a variety of astronomy-themed activities and programs offered both day and night.
8 BRYCE CANYON STARGAZING PROGRAMS Amateur astronomers will find Bryce to be a prime destination to set up a telescope and observe celestial events, but if you are not equipped to do that, you can join the free educational and entertaining stargazing programs at the visitor center organized by the park’s Astronomy Rangers. Alternatively, you can purchase professional telescope tours from the Dark Rangers at their observatory outside the western boundary of Bryce Canyon National Park.
Both entities follow a similar format: a 45-minute multimedia show, followed by a 90-minute telescope session, where you can observe some of the 7,500 stars that can be seen on a moonless night, along with the incredibly bright, silver Milky Way stretching across the sky. Planets like Venus and even Jupiter shine bright enough to cast your shadow on the earth! No vacation at Bryce Canyon National Park is complete without some stargazing.
CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK
Moab, UT — Canyonlands is home to many different types of travel experiences, from sublime solitude in the more remote stretches of the park to moderate hikes through the needles district to the opportunity to create your own version of one of the West’s most photographed landforms, Mesa Arch.
11 THINGS TO DO
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BACKPACKING The park is divided into three regions: The Needles, Island in the Sky, and The Maze. Each region offers secluded backpacking, incredible views, and exciting hikes. Before your trip, be sure to learn more about permits and pack necessities.
CAMPING Amidst the park’s canyons you’ll find countless places to set up camp. The park houses two established campgrounds, Needles Campground and Willow Flat Campground, as well as numerous backcountry campsites (permits required).
HIKING Hiking at Canyonlands National Park is a dream come true for day hikers and thru-hikers alike. Head to The Needles district for access to over 70 miles of hiking, or bring the family to the awe inspiring Mesa Arch.
RAFTING Spend a day or two floating the same rivers that ultimately formed Canyonlands. Venture down the adventurous Cataract Canyon with its Class V rapids, or relax as you float calm waters under impressive cliff sides.
TOURS With over 500 square miles of park to explore, knowing what to prioritize can be daunting. Book a trip with a local guide to visit mustsee destinations and learn about the park’s interesting past.
CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK
Torrey, UT — Even considering Utah’s many impressive national parks and monuments, it is difficult to rival Capitol Reef National Park’s sense of expansiveness, of broad, sweeping vistas, of a tortured, twisted, seemingly endless landscape, or of limitless sky and desert rock.
15 CAPITOL REEF PETROGLYPHS
Capitol Reef is home to towering sandstone structures and impressive canyons, but it also holds many ancient petroglyphs, which are engraved etchings into rock walls. Fremont and Ancestral Puebloan people lived here between 600-1300 A.D., and their markings tell what appears to be their the stories, hunting patterns, crop cycles, and mythologies of their lives. What they thought and what exactly they were communicating, will never be known because there is no actual translation available. That’s part of the fun of seeing them: imagining what the conversations of the ancients told of this colorful and rugged place.
You can scour over the beautiful renderings yourself, and take your best guess at a mixture of forms, including pictures that appear to be anthropomorphs (human figures), wildlife, birds, tools, and more esoteric, abstract things. The Fremont people, more than other neighboring Native American cultures, were prolific with their rock art output.
16 Archaeological artifacts from the Fremont were first found along the Fremont River, which flows through the park. These people lived in pit-style houses and they lived in bands of several families. They were huntergatherers, but also adopted agricultural practices to supplement their diets. The Fremont have left their markings throughout the park in petroglyphs on big rocks.
The most pristine example of Capitol Reef petroglyphs can be seen 1.5 miles east of the visitor center on Highway 24. The parking turnout is well-marked. It’s just a short walk along the boardwalk to get to the impressive petroglyph panel. You’ll note animals they hunted, as well as human-like figures with elaborate horned headdresses. Additionally, there is another rock art panel in Capitol Gorge, as well as smaller petroglyphs in more remote destinations within the park. The most pristine example can be seen 1.5 miles
east of the visitor center on Highway 24. The parking turnout is well-marked.
It’s worth mentioning that you should refrain from touching the panels, because the oils in your hands can severely damage and erode these precious and ancient art forms. If you see anyone damaging rock art or any archaeological site, report it to a ranger immediately.
The Fremont culture navigated this very landscape that you are exploring, searching for food, documenting the patterns of nature and time, potentially passing on information about medicine, and trying to communicate and translate the divine with petroglyphs. The real question is, what do you think the Capitol Reef petroglyphs mean? Start making plans to visit this mystical attraction on your next trip to Utah!
ZION
NATIONAL PARK
Springdale, UT — Whether you are trying to catch your breath while climbing the trail to Observation Point or watching the shadows constantly change the mood of the Court of the Patriarchs, Zion National Park is always ready to quench your appetite for outdoor wonder.
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THINGS TO KNOW Bring Your Boots
It is okay to pack flip flops for a trip to Zion National Park — as long as you leave them, and other open–toed shoes, at your hotel for the walk to the pool. They are not for hiking Angels Landing. Foot injuries are one of the most common calls for park ranger assistance. Sprained ankles, blisters, and stubbed toes can make walking back to the trail head and can put a real damper on plans for other hikes in the park.
Pack Plenty of Water and Food
Park officials suggest visitors drink one gallon of water per person, per day. Water is available at the visitor centers, campgrounds, the Zion Lodge, and at some shuttle stops. If you see a faucet while out and about, fill up your water bottle even if it is almost full. However, don’t drink water from any natural sources in the park; untreated water can be unsafe.
Dogs May Not Hike With You
To protect Zion’s natural landscape, dogs are not allowed on the park’s hiking trails, with exception of the Pa’rus Trail (where they may join you if leashed). Dogs are allowed in some areas of the park, but must be leashed at all times and are only permitted in established campgrounds, public picnic areas, and along public roads.
Zion Trails Can Be Difficult
Some of Zion’s hiking trails can be very challenging. While some are paved and relatively easy, others can be very strenuous and require specialized skills. Before starting down any trail be sure to research its length, difficulty, and uncommon features.
20 ZION NATIONAL PARK HIKES Zion carries a reputation as a bucket list destination for adventurous trail seekers around the world. Here you can gaze down the commanding Zion Canyon from atop Angels Landing, reconnect with nature on a multi-day backpacking expedition, or visit one of a kind destinations like Emerald Pools and Weeping Rock via numerous easily accessed day hikes. However you imagine a perfect day hiking, Zion National Park has the trails to fill your itinerary. To start planning your trip, browse the park’s trails below and find a place to stay.
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