This review is for the Willis Creek Slot Canyon Trail. I've heard of them but never been to one,…read moreand we decided to stop here on the way home to our rental. To get to the trail head, you have to drive in on an unpaved five or so mile road which is scary at times. Make sure you have clearance for your car like the sign says before coming. Our Toyota 4Runner made it through without any problems. After what seems like an eternity because you can't go fast, we got to the head. There's a sign-in book for names, where you're from, and if you're a day or evening/overnight group. Now off to the Slot Canyon! This trail is marked as easy. It's mostly gravel rocks and little steps. My son the adventurous one wanted and did make his own excursion from what others surely have done before. Since it was late afternoon, we decided on a half hour in and then a turn around. The major slot canyon is pretty close to the start of the trail, and it's rather epic. The rocks are so smooth and it can be peaceful in there. I believe because of the remoteness of the canyon, it never seems to be crowded. I would recommend honking shoes, not sneakers, and appropriate clothing for the sun that will bear down on you. Bring lots of water. Watch out for the horse poop! If we weren't so exhausted after a long day, we probably would have hiked along the trail much longer than a half hour, but we definitely got the flavor we were looking for. Have you ever been to an amusement park like Disney where they create mountains and rocks? I can say I've been to the real deal and it's much better.

Beautiful and special place. Watch out for horse poop up and down the creek. Hike is short and…read moreeasy. The drive up was sketchy, I wouldn't attempt in a 2 wheel drive. We drove an all wheel drive suv and made it. We loved it.

The Red Canyon portion is as beautiful as Bryce Canyon National Park. It's lesser known I think…read morebecause the visitors all swarm to Bryce, but I think it's a good thing too, which gives it a different vibe. Even if you don't stop to do any trails, the drive is gorgeous, with pull outs and shoulders to park at and gawk at the rock formations. (I'm not sure if you're supposed to be parking on the side of the road, but a lot of people were doing it!) There a bunch of informational signs outside the Red Canyon visitor center which provide information driving tours, hikes, ecology of the area, etc. From the parking lot are trail heads to hoodoo & birdseye trail, and also pink ledges trailhead. Of course, there's more to the national forest than the red canyon. There are high mountain forests and alpine lakes, which I didn't have the time to check out unfortunately. Next time!

On our way to Bryce Canyon we had to pass by the Dixie national forest…read more Dixie National Forest straddles the divide between the Great Basin and the Colorado River in southern Utah. Scenery ranges from desert canyon gorges of amber, rose, and sienna to high mountain forests, plateaus, and alpine lakes. The forest is a part of the world-renowned, with beautiful red rocks back drops scenery. Just amazing

Wow what breathtaking views! We enjoyed our time exploring the area. Parts of the roads were…read morenarrow but still enjoyed it.

Amazingly huge and remote place to explore! We only tackled one trail for the first visit, Lower…read moreCalf Creek Falls. It's an easy, 6-mile hike with minimal elevation change, and a stunning waterfall at the end! Definitely bring plenty of water and sun protection- small sections of shade but plenty of non-shaded areas. A fantastic introduction to this area- plenty of red rocks too. Either display your America the Beautiful parks pass on your dashboard, or pay for a day pass and display in your car (this almost certainly varies in different parts of the park- but signage was pretty good in this trail area).

Even if you didn't know about Thor's Hammer, you will easily notice one hoodoo not like the others…read more I had the opportunity to view Thor's Hammer from Sunset Point (from the paved area), and also closer by taking Navajo Loop (a more strenuous hike). Very distinctive! I did the the Figure-8 Combination hike, which combines three amphitheater hikes, Queen's Garden, Navajo Loop, and the Peekaboo Loop. The NPS recommends to do the hike in a clockwise direction due to the elevation slope at the end of the hike, but I wanted to be contrarian haha. It wasn't bad! I liked how there were some tunnels going through some of the hoodoos, and there were various parts of the trail in the shade and in the sun just by going around the rock formations. Be aware that horses and mules on the Peekaboo Loop and should give the right-of-way to these riders. I didn't see any, but I definitely smelled and saw their leavings. Do note that there's no water on the trail, and seasonal pit toilets on Peekaboo Loop, but otherwise no restrooms.

Beautiful Park. A must see. We enjoyed Bryce Canyon and hiked the rim. So incredible. This is my…read morefavorite National Park so far.

Wow... now THAT'S what I call a hike!!! This loop is rated as "moderate" on AllTrails, but it's…read moredefinitely on the harder side of moderate. But the amazing views of the unique hoodoos are what makes this hike worth the trek. Whether you start clockwise or counterclockwise, you are definitely in for a serious workout. The trail is about 6.5 miles long and is a double loop that connects to Wall Street and the Queens Garden via the Navajo and Peekaboo Loop trails. The double loop is where it gets its' name "figure 8 combo". This is a great hike that incorporates so many wonderful highlights within the park since you really get a little bit of everything. I started this hike going counterclockwise from Sunset Point. Connected to the Navajo Loop and took a right down the switchbacks which will lead you to Wall Street. Wall Street is a gorgeous stretch of slot canyons that's honestly a must see if you're coming to Bryce. From there, the trail mellows out and opens up into a a gorgeous canyon filled with beautiful green trees and the cutest little chipmunks. I continued on the Navajo Loop Trail until I connected o the Peekaboo loop. This is where those inclines start to really hit. I climbed up to the top of peekaboo canyon until I reached a plateau that granted me 360 degree views of the stunning hoodoos that surrounded me. The peekaboo trail is also a popular trail for horseback riders, and many of them did pass me by on the trail. From here, I descended back down into the canyon and then back up through more of the marvelous hoodoos. I'd say this stretch of the Peekaboo trail is the most majestic because you literally have these gorgeous rock formations right at your fingertips and it's so insane. I took the Peekaboo loop to the Queens Garden trail. This was my absolute favorite and another amazing landmark that must not be missed. It literally looks like a castle. So crazy that these rock formations are naturally occurring like this. The last and final stretch is extremely tough. It's a steep incline all the way up to Sunrise Point. And let me tell you, EVERYONE who was near me going up this stretch was struggling. It was grueling, but the best part was being rewarded with the magnificent views of Sunrise Point at the top. Plus, the little chipmunks were just so damn cute. Definitely one of the most enjoyable National Park hikes that I've ever done. I feel like I saw so much of the park during this one hike alone. Would absolutely 1000% recommend, but bring lots of water and sunscreen if you're attempting this during the summertime.

Hike this April 3, 2021. This trail incorporates part of Navajo, Peek-A-Boo & Queens Garden. Sadly,…read morebecause there was still too much ice in parts, Wall Street was closed. This trail took about 4 hours. Started at Sunset Point and ended up at Sunrise Point. Loved the beginning of the Navajo Trail as it takes you down into the Amphitheatre and close to the hoodoos. The bottom with the trees unfortunately was less scenic and often times your views were obstructed by the trees. There were lots of nice arches within the hoodoos to pose in along the trail, and depending on when you go, there were numerous ice patches that remained on the trail during various parts of the Peek-A-Boo trail. The section that intersects Queens Garden was less interesting in the beginning but was well worth it as you got closer to the trailhead at Sunrise Point.

I did the the Figure-8 Combination hike, which combines three amphitheater hikes, Queen's Garden,…read moreNavajo Loop, and the Peekaboo Loop. The NPS recommends to do the hike in a clockwise direction due to the elevation slope at the end of the hike, but I wanted to be contrarian haha. It wasn't bad! I liked how there were some tunnels going through some of the hoodoos, and there were various parts of the trail in the shade and in the sun just by going around the rock formations. Be aware that horses and mules on the Peekaboo Loop and should give the right-of-way to these riders. I didn't see any, but I definitely smelled and saw their leavings. Do note that there's no water on the trail, and seasonal pit toilets on Peekaboo Loop, but otherwise no restrooms. Highly recommend!!

Thought this was the best trail in Bryce Canyon. We did this in November and it took about 3 hours…read morewith my three kids (11, 14 and 16 years old). Bring snacks and water and start early if you are doing this in the winter as it starts getting dark around 5:00 pm. Do the figure 8 with Navajo Loop and be sure to hit Wall Street section of the Navajo Loop trail.

This is Escalante Natural Bridge within the heart of Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument…read more It stands at 130 feet high and is located along a 2-mile trail each way just off Highway 12 in Escalante, Utah. To be more precise, the parking lot and trailhead sit 14 miles outside the small town of Escalante. I wasn't so impressed with this Escalante Natural Bridge. If you look up at it...it sort of blends in with the rest of the backdrop. It doesn't really stand out shining by itself high above the canyon floor. My best interpretation of how I witnessed it was like trying to find a hidden object within a colorful collage. And I don't mean to be so specific...but all I'm saying is that overall, the view didn't really "wow" me. I guess I had high expectations since everything in Utah seems to be wondrous...just after trekking all the way to arrive at it, the appearance fell flat. Let me explain the 4-mile roundtrip hike along this Escalante Natural Bridge Trail.... It was difficult. And I don't mean in terms of strenuous...the trail is all along flat ground. I'm talking about having to cross 4 different rivers/streams just to make it here! Yes, be prepared to either take your shoes off and walk barefoot (which I did) or come with water shoes or flip flops! And the water in the rivers (for me being 5 foot 10 inches) actually got up to my knees. I was a little scared traversing these sections. Biggest point of all is that I highly advise you to be mindful about the path of the trail. There are no signs, and you just have to follow footprints embedded in the sand. At times, trust the most logical pathway of the trail. I can't recall the number of moments I had to pause from hiking and backtrack because I took a wrong turn! The 2 miles each way were tough and I had to take my time going slowly. It felt as if the journey lasted 10 miles to get to this Escalante Natural Bridge! In total, I at least used half the day grinding the 4 total miles...grrr! This Escalante Natural Bridge is one of the big highlights for exploring Escalante NM and, there is a 5th stream you can cross to try and capture better/more accessible views looking up at the bridge. Overall, the appearance wasn't so rewarding in my opinion. I tried finding better vantage points but wasn't successful. Though...when I looked at pictures on the internet, I did find more scenic photos than the area I was standing in front of. For those adventurous ones out there hoping to discover better spots for what makes this Escalante Natural Bridge so special...then maybe you can go ahead at your leisure and climb more rocks or even continue further along the trail. I decided to call it quits and return to the trailhead. I accepted my journey's fate and was okay with leaving with the pictures I had taken. Oh well. Not everything can be perfect. I would like to quickly recommend another hike right nearby that was the ultimate best memory from my time in Grand Staircase Escalante. It's called Lower Calf Creek Falls. This was a 6-mile roundtrip trail that took me to Lower Calf Creek Waterfall...simply a stunning waterfall that is an absolute MUST DO! So majestic! I'd say Lower Calf Falls is maybe 3 miles down the road from here on UT - Highway 12. So, although this Escalante Natural Bridge was okay...it's worthwhile in that it can be paired together with Lower Calf Creek Falls. You might as well hike both of them since they're so close to each other. And then for those spontaneous travelers out there...you can actually camp out for the evening in Lower Calf Creek Campground...a terrific setting in nature. Just some final details about Escalante Natural Bridge.... I visited on a Saturday in late July of 2021, and I was virtually the only person hiking on this trail. It's pretty remote and quiet. You can use Google Maps to find the trailhead for not just here at Escalante Bridge, but for Lower Calf Creek Falls as well. In general, Grand Staircase Escalante NM is mostly navigated along dirt roads. It'd be very helpful if you had a 4x4 vehicle to drive to some of the hard-to-reach landmarks. For myself I only had a compact car, so I was limited in the amount of exploring I was able to do. Before coming here and to Lower Calf Creek...you can first stop in at the Escalante Interagency Visitor Center. Park rangers provide maps, and they'll offer any advice and itineraries for helping you plan out your days. Alright. This is Escalante Natural Bridge along a 2-mile pathway here in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument.

Nice little visitor center in Big Water, on the south side of the Monument. Very good scientific…read morereview of the Staircase.

Staying in Tropic UT for our Bryce Canyon National Park visit. Our Airbnb host recommended this…read moretrail to us and so glad they did. I don't think I'll enter Bryce Canyon any other way except through the Tropic Trail. The trailhead is accessed at the end of the dirt road in Tropic, UT. The elevation gain is very gentle on this trail. It is 3.5 miles out & back. This trail connects directly to the Navajo Loop and access to Peekaboo and Queens. It is a long walk but far less strenuous. You can enjoy the hike without having to hike out the top of the canyon. It is a great way to enter Bryce Canyon without the crowds. We hiked on Friday April 8th so the trail was dry and gravel trail. Fairly easy walk, very quiet and peaceful! It's sunny on some parts of the trail but there was shade on most of the Tropic Trail. I decided to walk a bit further to check out the switchbacks and the view of the amphitheater on the Navajo Loop trail, the trail adjacent to Thor's Hammer. Wall Street was closed off to hikers when we arrived at Navajo Loop so you cannot do the entire Navajo Loop. The best part about entering Bryce Canyon from Tropic Trail is that once you're done hiking, it is all downhill to your vehicle. Plus lots of decent places to eat and grab essentials in Tropic. Highly recommend!!