Zion & Bryce Canyon Nationalpark

After our departure from Yellowstone National Park we went back to the state of Utah. We looked for a motel on the highway, checked in very late and went straight to sleep. We drove as close as possible to Zion National Park, which we wanted to visit the next morning. The park is divided into three sections and we visited the lesser-known western part called “Kolob Canyon” because it was better on our route. Due to road damage, large parts of the park were closed here, but exactly the hiking trail we had chosen was accessible. He led us comfortably along a riverbed and past cool red rocks to the “Double Arch Alcove”. The color of the stones totally reminded us of Western Australia. The double arch consists of two rock overhangs, underneath which is a cave in which a rather loud echo can be heard. On the way we saw a rattlesnake! It was relatively large, but fortunately we were completely unimpressed. We learned that she grows one more ring on her tail per year of life. After hiking we drove to our super cool hotel. We got a bargain in the ski resort of Brian Head and stayed in a chic lodge that was pretty unpopulated in late summer. After completing a short exercise session in the gym, we ate delicious burgers and then went into the whirlpool. At over 3000m and with a cool outside temperature, it really felt almost like a skiing holiday.

The next morning we drove on to Bryce Canyon National Park, which is also a little higher at over 2400m. Even the first view from the viewing point was amazing! There were so-called “hoodoos” everywhere, which are rock pillars formed by water and frost and colored white and red. We walked a combination of three small circular trails and were able to see all facets of the park. First we walked between the huge rocks, then through greener sections past trees whose trunks were twisted and at the end we had the great view from the top again. Finally, we looked at other viewpoints and the sunset.

In the evening we drove back to a motel, from where we'll head towards Arizona tomorrow!