Last week, we went on a trip across southern Utah to see the sights. It was all a lot of fun, and I came away with some really nice photos. In this post, I’ll talk about things we did and the photo opportunities we found.
Day 1: Snow Canyon
On the way from Las Vegas, where we arrived, we stopped at Snow Canyon. We were treated to beautiful vistas, and the prickly pear cacti were in full bloom.
There were also lava tubes to explore, though some required a bit of a squeeze to enter. It was a great place to stop on the way to Zion.
Day 2 & 3: Zion
We spent one full day and part of the next in Zion, but didn’t do some of the more intense hikes. We didn’t attempt the lottery for Angel’s Landing, didn’t do the lengthy hike to Observation Point, and couldn’t do the Narrows because water levels were too high. Still, there were plenty of good trails to hike, and my favorite was the Kayenta trail, heading southwest from the Grotto stop on the bus line.
Kayenta runs along a ledge above the valley floor, but well below the top of the cliffs, and has some sheer drop-offs along the side with no rails, but it’s plenty wide enough to stay away from the edge. The views of the valley are stunning! If you enjoy astrophotography and have the opportunity, the Milky Way ought to lie above the valley in the fall, making for a potentially spectacular photo opportunity!
We hiked to the middle and upper emerald pools. Although we enjoyed the hike, it was much less scenic once we headed up away from the valley, and the pools weren’t really much to see.
Later in the afternoon, after we’d hiked along the bus line all we wanted to, we headed to the northwestern part of the park: the Kolob Canyons area. We hiked the Timber Creek trail, which was a fairly easy (though uneven and trending upwards) trail along a ridge. The views of the orange cliffs from the trail were very nice, and would have been a good spot for sunset.
We spotted numerous lizards on the rocks along the trail. (Don’t ask me what type of lizards they were, I don’t know.)
The next day, we headed out through the tunnel and enjoyed a morning hike along the Canyon Overlook Trail just outside the east side of the tunnel. It was a very nice trail through beautiful scenery, ending in a nice overlook of the canyon. Most of the canyon was, unfortunately, in the shade when we were there, and skies were cloudless, so the photos weren’t great, but we still enjoyed it. If you’re there on a day that shows the possibility of a good sunset, or that has dramatic clouds midday, that might provide a better photo opportunity.
On our way east, towards Bryce Canyon, we passed many very interesting rock formations, and even spotted a few desert bighorns. They’re significantly smaller than the bighorns found in the mountains near where we live, and look a little different, but they’re definitely recognizable as bighorns.
In all, we enjoyed Zion, but the bus line in the main part of the park means people are very concentrated at bus stops. The small size of the park doesn’t help either, so you will have trouble getting away from people. You’ll probably enjoy this park most if you can do some of the longer, less popular hikes, and if you are active in the park either very early or late. Biking in the park might also be preferable to taking the buses, as we were told that lines at the bus stops can involve waits of 2 hours or more at peak season times.
On the way to Bryce, we stopped in Orderville for a tour of the Elkheart and Crimson slot canyons. The canyons were quite pretty, but can only be accessed through ATV trails with very deep sand. Don’t try to drive these trails yourself unless you know how to drive in sand, have a vehicle capable of driving deep sand (you need 4-wheel drive, NOT all-wheel drive!), and have a good map to follow.
Unfortunately, due to a camera malfunction, all of my photos of these canyons were quite bad. 😢 A good tripod and camera should get you some very nice photos here, though!
Day 4: Bryce
The following morning, I got up and out early for sunrise in Bryce. Get there early so you can scout – or do your scouting the day before – to find the best spot. There will be other morning photographers, but don’t assume that the place where all the photographers are set up is the best spot. If you look at an app like PhotoPills to determine what time sunrise will be, you should keep in mind it will be a little later than that before the sun crests the edge of the canyon.
I didn’t have the opportunity to scout the day before, so I made a choice somewhat at random. I set myself up at Inspiration Point, overlooking the Silent City formation, crossing my fingers that the morning light would be good there. I was not disappointed!
The morning light really made some of the hoodoos glow!
We explored the rest of the park, but Bryce was a bit of a one trick pony, and one day was more than enough. Don’t get me wrong, it’s gorgeous! But once you’ve seen hoodoos, almost every overlook is just more hoodoos. I thought Silent City was the most spectacular, with the most hoodoos packed into a mind-blowing formation that leaves you amazed at what geological processes can create.
Leaving Bryce in the early afternoon, we headed for Kanab.
Day 5-7: Kanab
On the morning of our first day in Kanab, we hiked to a strange spiral channel cut into white sandstone, called The Nautilus. It’s off the beaten track and completely unmarked, so it’s hard to find. I found the trail in the onXBackcountry app, but it was still a challenge to find. The area had some amazing rock formations, though, and The Nautilus itself was well worth the trouble.
In the afternoon, we took a tour of Peekaboo Canyon, which is one of the best slot canyons I’ve visited. We had the canyon mostly to ourselves, with a few other groups coming through now and then. Like the canyons in Orderville, Peekaboo is also a challenge to get to. We got a private photo tour, which was absolutely the way to go, as we were able to stay in the canyon most of the afternoon. Other tours that came through were in and out very quickly.
The canyon had been used by early native Americans, and at some points in the canyon, ancient Moqui steps could be seen carved into the canyon walls.
The following day we had a full-day tour of White Pocket, an area of folded, colorful sandstone similar to The Wave, a famous formation also near Kanab.
White Pocket is one square mile in area, and it’s crammed full of crazy sandstone formations, from bright white to deep reds. Folded and cross-bedded layers make for some serious drama and really interesting photos!
Over lunch, while sitting in the shade of a large formation, we were entertained by whiptail lizards, which, as their name suggests, whip their tails around wildly.
At the time of our visit, there were some pools of water here and there, but they were not particularly attractive. Visiting at another time of year, when the pools are more full, could make for some interesting photos. It would also be a wonderful place for astrophotography. It doesn’t matter whether you’re interested in the Milky Way or star trails, you’ll find something interesting to put in the foreground!
The next day was our canyoneering day. My son and I spent the afternoon rappelling and climbing down a slot canyon named Huntress Canyon, then hiking back out to the car, with a guide. I didn’t use my “real” camera that day, focusing more on the experience with my son. It was a blast! If you’re feeling adventurous, this or another canyoneering tour would be highly recommended.
Day 8: Back to Vegas
Our last day, we headed back to Vegas. On the way, we took a detour to explore Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park. The rock formations there were brilliantly orange, and were riddled with caves and holes unlike any other formations I’ve seen in the area.
If you want to really explore the park, though, the longer hikes are closed from May through September due to heat. Apparently, they got tired of having to rescue people who didn’t use common sense and got themselves in serious trouble in the desert heat. The Fire Wave trail, in particular, looks extremely interesting, but you’ll need to visit during cooler months if you want to hike it.
From there, we headed on to Vegas, went to a show, and flew back home the next morning.
Questions?
If you’ve got any questions about the things we did, please feel free to ask in the comments. I’ll answer as best as I can.