Day one: Travel Day
Fly into Las Vegas, grab an amazing meal at FireFly, and drive to Zion. It’s about a two-and-a-half-hour drive. We stayed in a little town named Hurricane, about a 30-minute drive to the National Park entrance. Hurricane is a small town with not much going on, but with cheaper hotels than Zion. Springdale is the more upscale option. It a gorgeous town that has plenty of great food options and the National Park entrance is actually in the town, but a bit pricey.
Day 2: Explore Zion
I can go on and on about how beautiful this park is. I uploaded some photos to check it out! Exploring this park can be a little tricky. You can’t just drive in and park at the trailhead. You have to either book a shuttle ticket a few months in advance or rent an E-bike. We didn’t know about the shuttle tickets and ended up going with the E-bike option and loved it! It was amazing to have the freedom to come and go as we pleased.
We only spent a day here, so we had to hike “Angels Landing”. It is labeled a dangerous climb with a large degree increase in elevation. It’s only a 4.4-mile hike, but it will wear you out! At the start are pretty steep switchbacks. Time to get your cardio on! After the switchbacks are steep climbs with chains to the top. Don’t let this discourage you. We witnessed numerous people of all ages with kids and even a couple of individuals carrying their infants in backpack style carriers. There were a lot of people at the beginning, but as we got closer to the top, the crowd thinned. We absolutely loved the view! The view from one of the last switchbacks and at the top will take your breath away. You definitely want to be a good shape for this hike though! Hiking boots or shoes and plenty of water are definitely recommended. Early morning or late afternoon are the best times for lesser crowds.
After you finish the epic hike, it about an hour and a half to Bryce Canyon. Again, we stayed in a city about 45 minutes away from the park entrance, Tropic. I would eat in Springdale and then head towards Bryce because most restaurants were closed by the time we got here.
Here is the link to the Zion National Park Website for the latest updates. It’s also where to go for the shuttle pass.
https://www.nps.gov/zion/index.htm
Day 3: Explore Bryce Canyon
This Park has several drive-to observation points and hikes to check out! The rock formations or “Hoodoos” as they are called are incredible, like nothing we have seen (more photos guys!). Sunrise point and Sunset point are both incredible views, even if you like to sleep-in like us. Our favorite hike was the Queen’s Garden to the Navajo Loop. Part of the Navajo Loop was closed, but the hike was still well worth it. After this, we decided to check out all of the observation points. Bryce Point, Inspiration Point, and Rainbow Point were all wonderful.
Now its time for the long drive. From Bryce Canyon to Monument Valley is 4 1/2 hours. Along the way, stop in Kanab, grab some pizza at Peekaboo Canyon Wood Fired Kitchen, and find the pink sand cave. You have to stay at the view in Monument Valley. They have cute stand-alone cabins that offer the most incredible sunrise!
Day 4: Explore Monument Valley.
After an incredible Sunrise (and maybe a nap), It’s time to go check out the iconic rock formations! It’s really breathtaking and makes you feel quite small in relation to the Monoliths. When we went, the Navajo Nation was still closed and we weren’t able to respectfully hike the park, but we were able to stop off at so many points along our route and check out the views! We went to the Goulding trading site which was fun, grabbed a Navajo Taco, and took a picture running at forest gump point!
We then drove to Telluride, CO. This was 3 1/2 hours and it’s incredible how much the scenery changes from Utah to Colorado. We went from the barren desert to lush green, snow capped mountains. There was a few cool places to stop but this lake almost to Telluride was the best.
Day 5: Explore Telluride
This is the most picturesque mountain town and the best spot to relax after an epic hiking adventure. It has wonderful views, good food, and wonderful people. We showed up on May 1st, the day after the town reopened. (Telluride closes down for two weeks between the winter and summer seasons) We had the town almost to ourselves. We drank some wine, ate some amazing food, talked to awesome locals and had an amazing time. Next time, we will check out Ouray, a hot springs town about 45 minutes away. You can too!
Flying out, you can go through Montrose or Durango which are both about 2 hours away. Montrose looked more scenic, but we opted for Durango. You can also take the cheaper route and just fly out of Denver which will be about a 6 hour drive.
Until next time,
Dez and Jordan
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