Nothing like a good ol’ rivalry to get your blood going.  Before my trip out west I never knew people were so passionate about which park is better in the big 5. If you don’t know, and have been living under a rock, there are 5 National Parks in the great state of Utah, and all are supposed to be spectacular.  I put on my I heart Utah shirt and decided to check out a couple myself.  This week, we are going to be talking about the heavy hitters, Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park.  I am sure I will make some frenemies down the line whichever one I declare the victor in my book.

We were in Utah for 3 full days, which is not nearly enough, but if you have limited time you have to prioritize.  We decided to have neutral territory and stay in Orderville, which is on the other side of Zion, but has easy-ish access to Bryce Canyon as well. 

Arrowhead Bed and Breakfast was our home away from home.  We had beautiful views of the White Cliffs and Elkhart Mountains.  There are several cabins on the property, which is also a working farm by the way. If you have kiddos that love animals, this is the place for you.  We stayed in the Juniper Cabin, it included a small table, sofa, bed, and bath.  We also had a mini-fridge and microwave for late night snacking.

Besides the beautiful backdrop and cozy cabins, let me just say, their food is KILLER!  It is so good I rank it to be the best food that we had on our trip.  So remember before a big day of hiking or exploring slot canyons, to fill up on the free breakfast.

Speaking of food, there are not too many places around to eat at 8 p.m.  We have a real problem of wandering all day then wanting to eat supper a little later.  Most of the time we ended up at the Thunderbird Restaurant.  This gem is the Home of the “Ho-Made Pies”.  The best thing is that there is a giant pin-up holding the Ho-Made pie, which I have now deemed their mascot.  The Thunderbird is a retro type diner that serves American flare food. The food is ok and the prices are a bit high, but you are paying for the experience.  Keep in mind this place is also connected to the Best Western and also has an RV park.

It is hard to find the words to describe Zion.  The landscape is so vastly different than the Midwest and I am in awe as I take it all in.  With sandstone cliffs that tower up to 8,726 feet at the highest point  and beautiful canyons, it is hard to navigate your eyes to the most spectacular vantage points.

Zion is one of the “must see” powerhouses of the National Park system.  This park spreads across three counties in Southwestern Utah and covers an impressive 232 square miles of beautiful landscape. Be aware if you do not like Disneyworld crowds, this park may disappoint.  Zion has seen a 90% increase in attendance over the past few years from 2.6 million to 5 million visitors per year. There is an entry fee charge depending on what type of vehicle or mode you are using to access the park.  We had an annual pass (I recommend) that got us into several arks on our trip.

In order to dodge and weave the crowds you may have to alter your schedule by choosing a little less popular season, and choosing some hidden gem trails instead of the big names.  My heart was set on The Narrows from the time we started planning this trip until we arrived.  The universe had other plans however by delivering a mudslide to the area so no Narrows for me, and I am too much of a sissy to do Angel’s Landing.  Be advised, Angel’s Landing now requires a permit to get the views on this trail.

Speaking of hiking, there are some things you need to know before you go.  Most trails are accessible only by foot, bike, or shuttle.  The shuttle is boarded at the welcome center and runs from early spring to late fall.  This helps keep traffic down and some sort of organized chaos to the park.

Our first trail we chose was the Canyon Overlook trail. This is one of the few trails you can drive to, but there is limited parking.  We lucked into this trail and stopped on a whim when there was a spot available. Canyon Overlook is a 1 mile hike that ends in beautiful views of a canyon below.  This is a moderate trail with several stairs and boulders.  However all in all it was very doable and had a big payoff in the end.  

Parking is kind of rough at the visitors center if you do not get there early.  When it is full it is full and you will have to park somewhere in Springdale and either walk to the visitors center or take the free trolley that the town provides.  Parking can range from $15 bucks to $50.  Cheapness sent us two miles away, but we took the free shuttle and it was not a big deal.

We also tried and failed to hike The Watchman, this was also ruined by the severe weather producing mudslide.  Damn we were having no luck!  

Only having two days at this park we only had one more shot to make it count.  Our last day here my dream of hiking The Narrows was shot down yet again when park rangers did not recommend going due to weather.  The trail was not closed, yet, but it was highly discouraged.  We listen to those recommendations because we are not dumbasses.  However it did not stop a whole bus load of dipshits going to meet their doom with possible flash floods.  I like my life so we tried something else.

We ended up taking the shuttle to the Emerald Pools.  There are three trails in this system, Lower, Middle, and Upper. I was pretty excited about these because I had heard great things.  The trail starts pretty decent and easy with mostly paved paths.  It then changes to a bit more rugged.  You walk behind a small waterfall, I do mean small, but it does make the rocks pretty slick.

The Emerald Pools were pretty, but they did not have the WOW effect I was expecting. I guess I was wanting a version of Niagara.

There are so many things to see in this park, I am sad that I am making a judgment on a two day stay. Make sure you do your homework, Zion has full descriptions of their trails on the National Park website.   I was impressed by the area and loved everything I experienced.  I will return to Zion to experience what we missed, and I will not go in July.  I am thinking maybe October for a little cooler weather and maybe smaller crowds.

Our next leg of the trip was Bryce Canyon National Park.  We had only 1 day to explore (sadness) so we had to make it count.  We drove through the Dixie National Forest on the way to Bryce.  The drive through gave us a sneak peak of what we were about to see.  There were red rock cliffs with lush forest and canyons.  This area looked like God’s painting.  I have never been a fan of orange but the backdrop of orange and red hues here makes me want to wake up every morning to this

Entering Bryce Canyon National Park was fairly easy. Like Zion, there is an entrance fee.  If you are going to several parks in the area, opt for the annual pass for $80 bucks, it will save you money in the long run.  Bryce also has a shuttle system to get to the trails.  It works on a loop so you will have to park at the visitors center and then get on the shuttle. There is also quite a bit of parking if you get there at a reasonable time.

My obsession with the area and the park was the detailed  hoodoos and how they were like snowflakes.  All were different and had a fire of different colors. What the hell is a hoodoo you ask? It is an irregular rock formation created by weathering and erosion.  There are hoodoos in many places, but the largest concentration is at Bryce Canyon National Park.

Like Zion, Bryce has some big names of hiking trails.  These include the Navajo Loop and The Queen’s Garden Trail.  If you have problems climbing inclines you might struggle.  Navajo Loop is easy going down, however you will have to climb back up switchback inclines which makes you think you are going to die.

If you are looking for an easier trail to give you breathtaking views you can also do the Rim Trail which is paved with incredible views along the 1-11 mile path.  Bryce is a you do you park.  You can easily see and experience the park no matter the difficulty. 

What I also liked about Bryce Canyon that I did not see at Zion is the amazing picnic areas.  These were in a canopy of trees and smelled like Christmas.  There were also modern restroom facilities and water here.

If I had to pick a winner of the National Park battle, it would be Bryce Canyon.  I know the internet may come for me, but in the end the beauty of the hoodoos and just the way the park operated and the ease of navigating the park itself made it push ahead of the powerhouse Zion.

While you are in the area of Bryce National Park you can also head to Bryce Canyon City for food, shopping and entertainment,  This is where Bryce also outshined Zion.  Amenities!  There was so much more to experience here besides the park.

There are horse rides, ATV rides, helicopter tours, and even a rodeo.  We ended up going to the Bryce Canyon Country Rodeo.  It was only $16 bucks a person for admission and is a must see if you are in the area, especially if you have never experienced a rodeo. This is held every Wednesday -Saturday during the summer at Ruby’s Inn Rodeo Grounds.

I was only in Utah for a short time, but I fell in love with the area.  The landscape is so different from the Midwest.  This trip will provide so many memories for me, the good, the bad, and the ugly.  We experienced our first flash flood and mudslide, our first real western rodeo, breathtaking views of Zion, and I got to experience hoodoos.  What more can a girl ask for?