Surprise Canyon and Headquarters Canyon (see my previous post)—Surprise’s nearby, more-frequented cousin—share a number of common traits. For one, they both cut deeply through the Waterpocket Fold, the 100-mile uplift in the earth’s crust that is the signature feature of Utah’s Capitol Reef National Park. Both can be hiked in less than 1 ½-2 hours …
Continue reading Surprise Canyon (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
If I were to guess, I’d say upwards of 90-95 percent of visitors at Utah’s Capitol Reef National Park spend their entire stay along the main arteries running through the central district—Highway 24 and the Scenic Drive. But the southern portion of the park—a long tongue known as the Waterpocket District—is equally, if not more, …
Continue reading Headquarters Canyon (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
There is so little information on the web about this scenic yet obscure hike outside Bicknell, Utah that even its name is in doubt. According to National Geographic’s 1995 “Trails Illustrated” map of the area, it is called the “Durfey Canyon Trail,” though it is unclear whether a “Durfey Canyon” even exists. Meanwhile, one website …
Continue reading Durfey Canyon / Boy Scouts Trail (Fishlake National Forest, UT)
Though not the most beautiful—nor the most diverse—hike in the area, the short, self-guided Nature Trail at Kodachrome Basin State Park is the most accessible, making this the best option for aging travelers, families with small children, and visitors in wheelchairs. The well-graded path (a hard-packed dirt-gravel mix) weaves through a dense community of junipers …
Continue reading Nature Trail (Kodachrome Basin State Park, UT)
Though the state’s five national parks—Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion—often steal the show, Utah also boasts a handful of very impressive state parks, from Snow Canyon to Goblin Valley to Kodachrome Basin. Another is Antelope Island State Park, a peaceful refuge for wildlife and wonder, a beautiful landscape surrounded by Utah’s famously …
Continue reading Antelope Island State Park, UT (photo collection)
Like many places in Utah, the ragged badlands and towering spires of Kodachrome Basin State Park are best viewed and photographed in the late afternoon. At Kodachrome, the perfect spot to watch the evening sun wane over the basin (especially in winter) is along the Angel’s Palace Trail, a 1.3- to 1.5-mile hike that boasts …
Continue reading Angel’s Palace Trail (Kodachrome Basin State Park, UT)
Amid a landscape of wrinkling badlands and mysterious spires, Shakespeare Arch is the only significant natural arch in Utah’s Kodachrome Basin State Park. The loop hike described here offers a short, pleasant walk out to the hidden arch, accented by panoramic views of the surrounding area, including the Pink Cliffs of Bryce Canyon National Park …
Continue reading Shakespeare Arch and the Sentinel Trail (Kodachrome Basin State Park, UT)
Kodachrome Basin State Park’s Grand Parade Trail is a short, pleasant loop along a wide, sandy trail with minimal elevation gain—making this hike good for families with children. The distinctive geological feature of Kodachrome Basin is the park’s collection of 67 “sedimentary pipes”—mysterious stony spires thought to be most likely formed by underground water sources—and …
Continue reading Grand Parade Trail (Kodachrome Basin State Park, UT)
After a failed attempt earlier this month when I unintentionally ended up at a higher, more distant point, I returned to the area two weeks later seeking out a rock feature known as “The Motorman” in western Capitol Reef National Park. Though sometimes hard to spot, the spire is visible—and best accessed—from a paved pull-out …
Continue reading The Motorman (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
At approximately 50-70,000 people per year, visitation at Kodachrome Basin State Park in southern Utah clocks in at just around 3% of its ever-popular neighbor’s up the road—Bryce Canyon—which absorbs nearly two million visitors annually. Though not as striking as Bryce’s dizzying array of pink and orange hoodoos, the unique landscape of spires and box …
Continue reading Panorama Trail (Kodachrome Basin State Park, UT)
Live and Let Hike 