National Parks - Utah

Arches National Park

7/30/1994 Drove to Arches National Park and through the park. More magnificent scenery with many arches (duh!) and other formations, all in red stone.

The park sign

How's that staying up there?

Maureen heading for an arch

Me in an arch

Bryce Canyon National Park

9/15/1988 Did Bryce - fantastic place. Hiked up and down, puffed, panted, oohed and aahed for about 2 1/2 hours on a 2.2 mile trail. Had to control our picture taking - everywhere you turned was another beautiful sight. Worked up a terrific hunger so our last picnic lunch tasted especially good. Did a little more car sightseeing in the park.

A tree with a firm grip

Beautiful colors ...

... in many layers

Me enjoying the view

Chiseled columns

Trees among the formations

Canyonlands National Park

5/28/1997 Up the road to Canyonlands National Park. This superb park (the Island in the Sky part where we are) is at the confluence of the Green and Colorado rivers that formed magnificent canyons. Drove around and hiked the trails. Best was a 1.5 mile hike (RT) to the White Rim Overlook, with unbelievable views of the canyons and snow-capped mountains. Once again, warm and sunny and beautiful, with trail winding through Pine, Juniper, cactus, etc. Also walked to Upheaval Dome overlook (1 mile) and to Mesa Arch (0.5 mile). Picnic lunch under a Pine tree with great views. From the White Rim and Grand View overlooks on top of the mesa, we could see far down in the distance the White Rim road, which wound around the top of the river canyon walls. Finally left the park ... .

The park sign

A deep canyon

Me on a ledge

Maureen by an interesting mound

Pretty cactus flower

Me and a great view

The mountains through an arch

Capitol Reef National Park

7/29/1994 Continued on (through a few thunder showers) to Capitol Reef National Park. Magnificent structures - spires, mounds, cliffs, etc. in all colors of the rainbow. Also saw nice petroglyphs.

The park sign

It's hard to concentrate on driving!

Pretty cliffs and valley

Petroglyphs

9/17/2009 On into Capitol Reef NP. Noted that SR24 was called a (UT) Scenic Byway. The views along the route were breathtaking, with the low sun against the rocks and blue sky with white clouds. Headed pretty far in, to the Gifford Farm in the Fruita Historic District (also in the MP NHA). Walked across the Fremont River to the house (now museum and store), barn and farm area of an early Mormon settler. Beautiful location, with pretty groves of fruit trees right at the base of the cliffs. Headed back out of the park, and stopped for the views that I had passed. Spent some time at Chimney Rock, where the views couldn’t be beat. Time to call it quits ...

The park sign

Almost the same view as last time

I bet he heard me coming ...

On the Gifford Farm

Chimney Rock

A panorama with Chimney Rock

Zion National Park

9/14/1988 Left Vegas and rove north to Zion National Park (drove in Nevada, Arizona for about 45 minutes and then into Utah). Toured Zion for a few hours in the car and on foot - another day of beautiful sights.

The cliffs from the valley

Interesting formation

Prickly Pear

Beautiful valley view

Steep cliffs

A tenacious little tree