Bryce Canyon & Capitol Reef National Park

Inspiration Point Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park is well worth the trip to visit it. Plan to spend about 2 days there as there are multiple viewpoints along the main area with many viewpoints near the entrance of the park but I would highly recommend a hike down to the bottom of the canyon. We ended up getting a camping spot at the North campground and stayed there at on Memorial Day. This time is perfect to be in Bryce Canyon as the temperature was 60 degrees during the day and never too hot while hiking in the red rocks. It’s hard to camp in any elevation in Colorado, Idaho, or Wyoming over the Memorial Day weekend as you could possibly be snowed on or in rainy weather. So chose Utah!

From the North Campground, you can easily access the Rim to Rim hike and see all the amazing viewpoints from Sunrise Point to Sunset Point to Inspiration Point. It’s impossible to get a bad view or photograph there! Inspiration Point was my favorite and is the viewpoint where you see most of the photos from. It is known for the famous sunset pictures and I will tell you to be there several hours before sunset as the rim cuts off the sun well before it actually sets.

We hiked from Sunrise Point on Queen’s Garden Trailhed and got close up photos of the Hoodoos in the hike down to the canyon and back up. It is worth the 90 minute hike and climb to the top to see all the different types of Hoodoos and rock formation. The climb back up is touch but well worth it.

Switchback trail back to the top of Queen’s Garden Hike

On the second day, we drove 18 miles to the edge of the Park and took in the Natural Bridge and Aqua Canyon. We also enjoyed a beautiful sky with cloud formations filling in a great backdrop to all the rock formations.

Afterwards, we took a back road to Capitol Reef National Park and enjoyed the ever changing landscape through the town of Escalante and Boulder. Our only regret was that we couldn’t stop and hike through some of the slot canyons or along the Escalante River, which empties into Lake Powell. That trip is now on our list for next year!

Left Picture: Capitol Reef
Right Picture: Capitol Dome (named after the Dome in Washington DC)
Capitol Reef was breathtaking with its red canyon walls and dome structures. But even after leaving it, the scenary continued to capture our attention as we drove to Hanksville. From Hanksville, you can head south to the Bullfrog Marina at Lake Powell or north to I70 and the Green River. Either way, it’s worth the trip!