Parks & Peaks with Peter

Get out there and Carpe Diem

Vista of Zion, Hoodoos

Hiking Capital Reef, Bryce and Zion National Parks

Itinerary At-A-Glance

Location: Utah, USA
Timeline: Thursday, Mar. 30th – Friday, Apr. 7th, 2023

The Three Amigos are back! Sandy, George and I hiked two of Utah’s “Mighty Five” national parks in July 2021: Arches and Canyonlands. On this trip, we hiked the other three: Capital Reef, Bryce Canyon and Zion.

April is early season at these national parks, particularly Bryce, at an elevation of 9,000 feet. We expected a range of weather conditions among the 3 parks, and that is indeed what we got. A significant advantage of early season timing is the lack of crowds; although we did find Zion very busy but were able to manage around it.

This trip included several activities that took us Three Amigos out of our comfort zone – canyoneering at Capital Reef, walking up The Narrows in the frigid Virgin River, and hiking up the vertiginous Angels Landing trail at Zion. It was an experience of a lifetime! I hope this itinerary is helpful toward your planning and enjoyment of these three incredible U.S. national parks.

What’s Special at Capital Reef NP

The geology of this Park is extraordinary and may best be appreciated with scenic drives and short hikes. Navigating this Park, which has been off the tourists’ radar screen, is a pleasure compared to the others of Utah’s Mighty Five national parks. In particular, don’t miss the opportunity to observe the Waterpocket Fold – a 100-mile wrinkle in the earth’s crust – as well the red cliffs of Wingate sandstone and white domes of Navajo sandstone towering above the Freemont River, lazily carving its way through the valley.

Scenic Drives: there are two routes not to be missed. Rt 24 is the east/west transverse of 22 miles through the park. It offers several panoramic vantage points (Goosenecks Overlook, Sunset Point) and views of ancient petroglyphs and early Western settlers’ sites. Scenic Drive (really, that’s its name) is an 8-mile north/south paved road starting at the visitor center that follows the valley floor and accesses many trailheads.

Hiking and Canyoneering: there are many short hikes here and longer ones, which (1) rise from the valley floor to very scenic views or (2) begin at a higher elevation to provide something even more panoramic.  Two of the former, include Freemont River Trail and Cohab Canyon Trail, but many others are excellent experiences. The latter include Hickman Bridge Trail and Rim Overlook Trail, which are the most popular, along with the aforementioned Goosenecks Overlook and Sunset Point Trails. Finally, for the non-acrophobic, an opportunity to rappel down the walls of one of the many canyons is a thrilling experience.

What’s Special at Bryce NP

Highlights: The hoodoos. They are particularly beautiful at dawn and dusk. Sunrise and Sunset Points are overlooks best enjoyed at those times of day. Yet, the colors and shapes may be enjoyed throughout the day, and are particularly striking if there is residual snow, as we found in early spring.

Driving: Scenic Drive is an 18-mile paved road that follows the curvature of the rim, providing access to most viewpoints and trailheads. Due to significant snow accumulation, most of the Drive was closed during our visit. Still, we were able to venture as far as Bryce Point, which reportedly delivers the most stunning panoramas. If you do the drive, it is recommended to drive to its end and then stop at the viewpoints on the return.

Hiking: For 5.5 miles, Rim Trail follows the rim similar to Scenic Drive, delivering terrific views without the need to descend into (out hike up and out of!) the amphitheater. We donned microspikes and descended on two consecutive days, first on Peekaboo Trail, then Fairyland Trail. Each were stunning in their own way. Unfortunately, the Queens Garden Trail and Navajo Loop were not open yet – too much snow – and I will have to return. I had read that the variety of trails which lead into and around the Bryce Amphitheater are among the most stunning in the entire National Park System, and I wholeheartedly agree. Do not miss this!

What’s Special at Zion NP

Zion is an iconic national park, a blessing (natural beauty) and a curse (over-visitation). A visit to Zion should be carefully planned in order to revel in its blessings and avoid crowds to the extent practicable. We achieved this, by staying at Zion Lodge to avoid the line-up at the Park south entrance, going early in its busy season (first week of April), doing weekdays rather than the weekend, spending time in areas less popular (East Zion and Kolob Canyon, for example); and starting early in the day.

Scenic Drives: Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is the six-mile road leading from the visitor center at the south entrance to the Temple of Sinawava, at the road’s end. You may not drive it; you must take the park shuttle – the earlier, the better. The 10-mile Zion-Mount Carmel Highway and Tunnel connects the East and South Entrances and is a particularly stunning drive if you are entering the Park from the east as we did.

Hiking: Zion offers an incredible variety of hiking options, and visitors cannot fully appreciate this Park without some personal footpower. There are so many options, it is daunting to even consider them all but we chose well:

  • Canyon Overlook Trail: just beyond the Tunnel in East Zion, this is a short and easy trail to a spectacular vista; no better intro to Zion!
  • Taylor Creek Trail: in Kolob Canyon, this is a less popular but beautiful trail along a snowy streambed to a double archway.
  • Emerald Pools: the trailhead, directly across the drive from Zion Lodge, leads to the Lower, Middle and Upper pools of water. With a little bit of extra effort to get to the Upper Pool, you’ll be rewarded with a dramatic 400-foot waterfall and surrounding cliffs.
  • The Narrows: the trail is the Virgin River, sufficiently frigid in April that we rented dry suits and other equipment in order to do it right. The trail name is apt, as high canyon walls tighten in spots to an aperture of about 20 feet. Considered one of America’s most iconic experiences.
  • Angels Landing: perhaps the most vertiginous trail in the national park system. The first 2.1 miles are not scary and lead to a very large resting area known as Scout’s Lookout. Views from here are stunning. It’s the last half mile up The Spine that is only for those comfortable with exposure to heights. This roundtrip was the longest mile of my life and worth every step.

Lodging and Dining Options

Here’s what we enjoy:

Bucolic House (Torrey, Utah): a very reasonable, spacious 3-BR house (through Airbnb) in downtown Torrey, a 10-minute drive from the visitor center at the Capital Reef National Park entrance.

Bryce Canyon Lodge: located 300 feet from the rim of the canyon. Don’t get fooled by other lodging with similar names; this is the one to stay at, but you must reserve months in advance. (I reserved one year in advance when reservations could first be made in the month of my stay.) Cabins and rooms are atmospheric (aka rustic) but clean and tidy. The lodge is nearby, with excellent dining, particularly the breakfast buffet.

Zion Lodge: the only lodging in the Park. The location of this lodge is critical, as lines can be very long throughout the day at the Park entrance. Cabins are nicer than lodge rooms, but all is clean and tidy. Dining at this lodge is less elevated, shall we say nicely, than at Bryce Canyon Lodge.  

The Wild Rabbit: best breakfast in the town of Torrey at Capital Reef, at a casual eat-in/take-out eatery. Great coffee options and the breakfast pastries rival the best I’ve had in any city!

Hunt & Gather: considered a top ten restaurant in the state, it’s a farm-to-table menu inspired by local produce and is open seasonally. Best dining in the area, to be sure.

Stone Hearth Grille: George said this was the best ribeye he’s ever had, and we all agreed the steaks were tremendous. Excellent service. The night after that meal, we drove through a blizzard to return for dinner again. The Grille was fully reserved but still found a way to get us a table after a half hour – while we had wine and some bread on the house!

Café Soleil: terrific breakfast burrito. We had to return on our final morning for burrito take-out at the outset of the long drive back to Salt Lake City.

Zion Pizza & Noodle Company: advertised by locals as the best pizza in town, and indeed, we had several excellent pies and local beers.

Clockwise: The Three Amigos reaching Angels Landing, Canyon Overlook, Manly Hoodoos at Bryce, The Three Amigos, Peter, mid-rappel and Hickman Bridge

Daily Itinerary

Day 0: Flying into Salt Lake City from Toronto (Wednesday, March 29)

There was only one daily non-stop flight arriving mid-evening, so I arrived the night before the adventure was to begin.

Day 1: The Three Amigos Reunite! (Thursday, March 30)

  • 12:00-4:00 PM: Drive from SLC airport to Capital Reef NP, Torrey, UT
  • 4:00-7:00 PM: Stop at the Visitor Center, hike Freemont River Trail, and visit the Fruita Historic District.
  • 7:00-8:00 PM: Sunset photos at Panorama Point/Gooseneck Overlook /Sunset Point.
  • Evening: check into “Bucolic House” Airbnb and cook in

Day 2: Canyoneering, What Were We Thinking? (Friday, March 31)

  • 8:00-9:00 AM: Breakfast at The Wild Rabbit.
  • 9:00 AM-3:00 PM: Canyoneering at Cassidy Arch with Mike Hinkle of Capital Reef Adventures
  • 3:00-6:00 PM: Drive the Scenic Drive and Rt. 24 transverse through the NP. Stop at the Petroglyphs and other roadside pullouts, such as Capital Dome.
  • Evening: Dinner at Hunt & Gather

Day 3: From Capital Reef to Bryce Canyon (Saturday, April 1)

  • 8:00-9:00 AM: Breakfast at The Wild Rabbit
  • 9:00 -11:00 AM: Hike the Hickman Bridge Trail. Stop by Gifford’s Homestead to buy pies before heading out to Bryce.
  • 11:00 AM-5:00 PM: Drive Highway 12 Scenic Byway from Capital Reef to Bryce Canyon NP, stopping to enjoy the scenic overlooks. While passing through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, hike the Lower Calf Creek Falls Trail.
  • 5:00-8:00 PM: Check in at Bryce Canyon Lodge. Enjoy the sunset at the nearby canyon Rim Trail.
  • Evening: Dinner at the restaurant in the Lodge.

Day 4: Exploring the Hoodoos of Bryce (Sunday, April 2)

  • 7:00-8:30 AM: Hike to Sunrise Point and take photos of sunrise and breakfast at the lodge restaurant.
  • 9:00 AM- 3:00 PM: Drive to Bryce Point and hike Peekaboo Loop Trail.
  • 3:00- 6:00 PM: Rest/recover/refresh.
  • Evening: Dinner at Stone Hearth Grille

Day 5: More of The Canyon (Monday, April 3)

  • 7:00-9:00 AM: Breakfast at the lodge restaurant, then snowshoe along the Rim Trail past Sunrise Point to the next trailhead.
  • 9:00 AM-3:00 PM: Hike part of the Fairyland Loop Trai, and side trail to the Tower Bridge.
  • 3:00 – 6:00 PM: Rest/recover/refresh.
  • Evening: Dinner again at Stone Hearth Grille

Day 6: Goodbye, Bryce / Hello, Zion (Tuesday, April 4)

  • 7:00-9:00 AM: Breakfast at the lodge restaurant and check out.
  • 9:00-10:00 AM: Drive to Sunset Point and Inspiration Point for final views of hoodoos from the rim.
  • 10:00 AM-4:00 PM: Drive 2 hours along scenic Rt. 12 and Highway 89 to Zion, including driving through Zion Tunnel. Stop for two hikes in East Zion: Many Pools and Canyon Overlook Trail.
  • Evening: Check-in and dinner at Zion Lodge

Day 7: Zion, to the North! (Wednesday, April 5)

  • 7:00-8:00 AM: Breakfast in the restaurant at Zion Lodge
  • 8:00-9:00 AM: Drive to Kolob Canyon Visitor Center, the northwest entrance to Zion, and check on trail conditions.
  • 9:00 AM-2:00 PM: Hike Taylor Creek Trail; bring lunch.
  • 2:00-5:00 PM: Hike Emerald Pools
  • 5:00-9:00 PM: Drive into Springdale. Rent dry suits, canyoneering boots, neoprene socks and a river walking stick from Zion Adventure Company. Explore the town and have dinner at Zion Pizza & Noodle Company.

Day 8: The Narrows (Thursday, April 6)

  • 9:00 AM-noon: Breakfast in Springdale at Café Soleil. Collect gear, take the Park shuttle bus from Zion Lodge to the last stop on Floor Valley Road, Temple of Sinawava, and hike 1 mile up the Riverside Walk along the Virgin River. Get into dry suit and gear.
  • 12:00-5:00 PM: Hike up The Narrows of the Virgin River. Return to Zion Lodge.
  • 6:00-9:00 PM: Return gear to Zion Adventure Company in Springdale. Have dinner. Pack up for early departure tomorrow.

Day 9: Angels Landing to Salt Lake City (Friday, April 7)

  • 6:00-6:30 AM: Walk to the trailhead for Angels Landing (1ml), since no shuttle service this early.
  • 6:30-10:00 AM: Hike Angels Landing, return to Lodge, shower and check out.
  • 10:00 AM-3:00 PM: Breakfast “to go” from Café Soleil and drive to SLC airport.

Resources

Trail Maps: For day hiking in the national parks, I find most useful the National Geographic’s series of Trails Illustrated Topographic Maps. I always have it with me in my daypack.

General References: The best advice for me on planning trips to national parks has come from two series: Lonely Planet and Moon Guides. For this trip, these resources, while both are entitled “Zion and Bryce,” each has also included sections on other Utah national parks, such as Capital Reef, and other important nearby areas such as Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears.

Park Specific: Often, the best resource is written as a labor of love by a local devotee, and I benefited from two in particular.

About Peter Hinman

National Parks lover and adventurer