Travel Diary - West to Utah Pt. 2
We woke on Monday morning to a lovely sunrise and decided to drive back to Canyonlands to see the rest of the Island in the Sky District.
We drove the scenic road through Canyonlands and took in a few of the overlooks. We stopped at the Mesa Arch trailhead, and hiked the easy 1/2 mile trail back to the arch. What a stunning view! We can see why folks show up early to catch the sunrise here. That wasn’t in the cards for us, but this remarkable midday view will do just fine.
The view at Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park.
We then drove the main road down to the Upheaval Dome trailhead. It was another easy trail that leads back to two overlooks. We didn’t stop at the first due to the crowd. We trekked back to the second overlook and had it alll to ourselves! Once you scramble to the edge, you get gorgeous 360 degree views. The upheaval domed formation was created most likely by a crater impact millions of years ago that has since partially eroded. The various types of stone make for some interesting colors.
Upheaval Dome, Canyonlands National Park.
Looking down on Shafer Trail.
We said goodbye to Canyonlands and made plans to visit Capitol Reef National Park the next day. We set our course and ended up stopping for the night at a wonderful campsite just outside the park’s border. It was a nice, peaceful spot right off of Utah Highway 24 next to the Fremont River. There are a few places to park at this pull-off area, but the one we boondocked at was located behind a large berm, giving us privacy from passers-by. The backdrop of sandstone and the sound of the river flowing by really added a nice touch to a really superb campsite. We put together a review of the site. Check it out below!
We had our first visit from a critter that night. I had unknowingly left a package of trail mix out by the front seat. No harm was done. Apart from waking up to M&Ms and nuts being strewn throughout the van. Needless to say, the little guy ate pretty well that evening.
We ate a hearty breakfast in the morning and drove into Capitol Reef. We knew very little about the park before we showed up. Capitol Reef is very underrated. The park has a full-on fruit orchard there. If you show up in the Summer, chances are you’ll drive away with some hand-picked fruit. There is also a multitude of petroglyphs to check out.
Taken from the Scenic Drive in Capitol Reef National Park.
We drove the Capitol Reef Scenic Drive through the park and took in the sights. There were many side roads off the Scenic Drive, but we didn’t take the time to explore them. Looking back, we kinda wish we had researched the park a bit more. There’s a lot of natural beauty down those dirt roads. It’s the least-hyped of Utah’s big 5 National Parks, so we mistakenly thought it had little to offer. Next time out, we’re gonna dive in and take full advantage of Capitol Reef.
Exploring around Dixie National Forest.
Velvety-Looking Hills along Burr Trail.
From there we explored Utah Highway 12 which is a renowned scenic drive through the state. We climbed our way up through the pines and spruce trees of Dixie National Forest and back down to Boulder, Utah where we hung a left on Burr Trail Road. A former cattle trail, Burr Trail Road is one of the most picturesque drives in Utah. Had we known we could have started our Burr Trail drive in Capitol Reef, we would have done so. Anyhow, from Boulder it takes you through Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument and into Capitol Reef. Thirty-four miles from Boulder, and just before you drive into Capitol Reef, you encounter a set of switchbacks meandering down the cliff side. Not as treacherous as the ones we encountered in Canyonlands, the switchbacks on Burr Trail are wide enough to pass other vehicles without breaking a sweat. The view here, however, is just as amazing, as you can see.
Looking down on Capitol Reef National Park atop the Burr Trail Switchbacks.
We stopped to eat lunch at the bottom, and then made our way back up and headed back toward Highway 12. We researched for another free campsite during our return trek back down Burr Trail Road and found a spot to stay near Kodachrome Basin State Park. That site wasn’t anything special, but it gave us solitude for the evening. We had a nice dinner, and went to bed dreaming about tomorrow’s visit to Bryce Canyon National Park.
We’ll wrap up the story of our trip to The West in our third installment in a couple weeks. Thanks so much for reading!
- Andrew