If you're heading to Zion and want something that feels straight out of a Western movie, Grafton…read moreGhost Town is 100% worth the quick detour. We stopped here not expecting much, and it ended up being one of the most unique spots of the trip. This place dates back to the 1860s and was settled by pioneers trying to farm along the Virgin River. Between floods, isolation, and tough conditions, the town was eventually abandoned--but what's left behind is seriously cool. Unlike a lot of ghost towns, Grafton actually has several well-preserved buildings, including an old schoolhouse, homes, and even a cemetery. Walking through it feels quiet... almost too quiet. It's the kind of place where you can actually picture what life was like back then. And the setting? Unreal. You've got massive red rock cliffs from Zion in the background, which makes it feel way more cinematic than your average historical stop. It's no surprise this place has been used in movies. There's no entry fee, no crowds (usually), and no over-the-top tourist setup--just raw history and insane scenery. If you're already visiting Zion, skipping Grafton would honestly be a mistake. It's quick, eerie, beautiful, and totally unforgettable. Follow us for more hidden gems on our socials @reessroots

I remember going to Grafton with my family when I was a child, so when I had the opportunity to go…read moreback and visit as an adult, I was excited to see how it changed. It's much cleaner and well-maintained than I remembered. I think the LDS church owns the property now and is doing some renovations on the buildings. You can walk through most of the buildings as well as the grounds around them. It's a neat stop and worth taking the time to be in the space and energy of some of Utah's history.

This place is awesome I would really recommend you guys to take a flight with Kevin awesome pilot…read morefunny and a very informative and educational dudes definitely gonna do this again next time we're out here Thank you guys

The 55 Mile Zion panoramic flight was a neat experience, although it must be noted that no…read morenarration was provided, either live or recorded--the ride was strictly silent. Captain Kevin was competent and professional; I enjoyed talking with him briefly after the flight. I did have issues with matters on the ground. My reservation was for 2:00 in the afternoon, but that wasn't going to happen per a phone conversation with the staff. Although it isn't clear on the website, an aircraft apparently must be at capacity to make the trip, which meant I needed to join others on an earlier, 10:00 morning flight. I opted to do this, although I had to forgo a planned breakfast to arrive on time. I needn't have hurried. I was told after arriving (hungry) that the other passengers wouldn't be arriving until nearly 11:00, this due to a miscalculation involving the daylight time difference between Arizona and Utah. I was offered compensation: A "photo package," which I thought would be a nice memento of the experience, something to help erase the sourness I was increasingly feeling. But no photos were taken, no words of explanation given. I left disappointed.

Stunning! We stopped here on our way back from Brian Head and it did not disappoint…read more We hiked the Alpine Lake loop trail (which was short and family friendly), visited the lookouts, and stopped by the visitor center. Be sure to display your pass (or use your annual national park pass) while parking at the lookouts and enjoy the beautiful views. Bonus points if you catch a ranger program at the visitor center - we were attended a fun and informative presentation on the area's geological history!

This place has a view you'll be upset you missed. A nice walking path for those who don't hike a…read morelot. Even the drive up is breathtaking. There is a $25 fee per car to park. There is also a gift shop.

Zion National Park covers nearly 150,000 acres. Most people will go the most popular area in…read moreSpringdale, but there's a separate area known as Kolob Canyons which is located in a different area of the park about an hour's drive away. I spent a leisurely day here, which I thought was enough to enjoy the visitor center, the scenic drive, and hike Timber Creek Overlook as well as Taylor Creek Trail. The visitor center has the NPS ranger desk, a small gift shop with the usual NPS offerings, and information about the rocks. There's also washrooms here and water available. The drive was beautiful with many pull outs to enjoy the view. I drove up to Timber Creek Overlook which is at the end of the drive. It's about a 1.2 mi path, although it was evidentially super muddy in the past with super deep foot prints and people walking everywhere. It was ok. The Taylor Creek Trail was amazing. I've never hiked a trail with as many stream crossings, which made it fun. There's also two homestead cabins on the way, and the trail takes you through a narrow box canyon toward the Double Arch Alcove. The end of the hike was pretty chilly due to the shade and the water present. Brr. I think this is a great counterpart to the more famous area - it's definitely less visited and you get more solitude.

This is not a business! It's a beautiful view of Mother Nature--the back side of Zion National Parkread more

The Narrows is one of the most beautiful hikes I've ever done. Check weather conditions before…read moregoing, as flash floods can occur, and the ranger station will have the latest information. Hiking/trekking poles and proper water shoes are highly recommended. The water ranges from ankle-deep to waist-high in places, and the rocky riverbed makes for slow going if walking barefoot as I did, but it's well worth the effort. Towering canyon walls, waterfalls, hanging gardens, and vibrant wildflowers make this feel like a hidden oasis. Keep an eye out for the Zion snail, which is found only in Zion National Park. The farther you go, the greater the reward. Zion means "City of God," and The Narrows felt like one of its chambers. Beautiful, cold, and unforgettable. If the God of all creation, has a throne on this earth, it would be here!

You get to The Narrows by taking the shuttle to the Temple of Sinawava, which is shuttle stop #9…read morewhen the shuttle is running, and going on the Riverside Walk which is a nice paved two mile round trip walk alongside the Virgin River. That trail ends at the river where The Narrows begin - aptly named as it's the most narrow part of the gorge. I spent a little bit of time in the river, but nothing serious as I didn't have enough time to dedicate to the trek to Wall Street. It's on my list of things to do for a future trip. You shouldn't enter the The Narrows if there's any rain in the weather forecast or any rain in the surrounding areas. It's too risky to be caught in the canyon with any chance of flash floods. There are port-a-potties and water at the shuttle station. Even though you're hiking in a river, that water should not be consumed as there have been cyanobacteria and their associated toxins found in the Virgin Riven. There is no known recreational water filtration or disinfection method that can reduce the toxins to a safe level for drinking!

Morning of day2 of a road trip with my son from AZ to WA. We stopped in Hurricane, UT overnight so…read morewe could visit Zion National Park the next morning. It was a beautiful overcast day in the park where we got a few short showers. We parked in the visitor lot just early enough to find a few open parking spots (when we returned the lot was full and cars were everywhere trying to usher people out so they could take their spot). We took the shuttle to the stop at the end and did a casual hike along the river and the canyon walls. It was an amazing spot and we wished we had time for the 7-hour experience but was had to get to Boise before the end of the day. After about 1 hour we arrived back at the first stop and did another 1 hour hike around one of the main intermediate trails. The beauty of Zion is everywhere- the rock formations, the rivers, the waterfalls, the vegetation, the animals and more. We spent an hour more than we planned just to soak as much in as we could! I'm definitely coming back here in the future to spend a full day or more with the family. We only saw the tip of the iceberg and it was amazing!

First and more importantly, arrive early. Zion's visitor center has a small and limited parking…read morelot, if no spots are available, then your option is to First and more importantly, arrive early. Zion's visitor center has a small and limited parking lot, if no spots are available, then your option is to park in town at Springdale and shuttle in. We parked at the closest parking lot to the park, it was $42, I am not sure if other lots have a charge but I would assume so. This park is primarily accessible by shuttle, after passing the ticket booth, you will proceed on the shuttle to your desired destination. We first did the 3 Emerald Pool hikes, we were not impressed with the hikes, the pools were primarily dried up and there was not much to see. We proceeded to the Narrows, a 1/2 mile trail ended up in the river and the rest of the hike is on foot. We proceeded 2.5 miles into the river and the deepest the water reached was mid-thigh. We did hear the water got as deep as chest high a bit farther. The rapids were strong, so chest deep water would've been difficult to maneuver. We wore keen hiking sandals and did not rent water shoes or sticks. The sandals worked fine, we could see how it is beneficial to have a walking stick to test the depth of the water or where a rock might be. High risk for rolling ankles so move carefully. This was an enjoyable hike. We spent 1 full day at Zion, we later determined we needed a second day to get more of a Zion experience. With everything, bring plenty of water and salty snacks. There are some water refill stations along the way but be sure to check in advance. I recommend having a hydration pack with a water bladder, plenty of sunscreen, bandaids and a hat. It was 102 degree F our day in Zion mid sept.

How tall do you think this mammajamma is? Wrong...it's taller than that. Go see. It's a quick…read moredetour from I-15 and is a nice place to stretch your legs. It's on private property so be cool. When I was there they also had some self-serve stray bales for sale. You can tell the owner puts some love into their property. Nice work, owner. Thanks for the roadside attraction. Plenty of space to pull over/off the road, even if you were pulling a trailer, etc. They have a spot you can toss your old plates so they can add them someday. Some questions: How do they get up there?! Is there a Maryland plate? (The good folks at the MDOT are kooky about recovering their old plates!)

Mood - Weird Stuff Part 2…read more As I was in the area def wanted to check out more things to arouse my curiosity. This pole came on my radar. The rain started to pour down and it became a bit of an adventure. Upon arriving you cant miss it. This pole is clearly seen from the intersection. It is on private grounds. The pole stands 81 feet tall and is adorned with license plates from all 50 states. Kimball Gardner is the proud owner of this roadside attraction as it sits in his yard. He welcomes you to drop off any plates you would like to have added to his continual work in progress. This work of art started in a smaller state of mind and after gaining much attention the pole had to be increased in size to allow for all of the plates that have been donated to his cause. Would def recommend as it is something to see. Even if just once. Pricing is free. However be mindful as it sits on private property. Location is E Washington Dam Rd - St George UT, ample parking on the street.

We visited Pioneer Park for the first time recently, and while it's definitely a beautiful and…read moreunique spot, our experience was a bit mixed . We didn't really know where to start when we arrived, and there wasn't much direction, so we ended up just climbing the first rock formation we saw. Honestly, if it weren't for a group of people ahead of us, we probably wouldn't have had any idea where to go. I was hoping to make it to the arch, but the climb felt a little too steep and slippery, especially with kids. We were carrying our three-year-old and keeping a close eye on our six-year-old, who was feeling a bit more adventurous than we were comfortable with in that terrain. We didn't make it very far in and mostly just stopped to take a quick photo so we could say we visited. It was also pretty hot, with the sun beating down the whole time, which made it harder to explore and enjoy the park fully. That said, the park itself is really nice, and you can tell there's a lot to see if you're prepared and know where you're going. I'd recommend going earlier in the day, bringing plenty of water, and maybe looking up a map or trail guide ahead of time, especially if you're visiting with young kids. Overall, it's a cool place, but we didn't get to experience it as much as we had hoped. Definitely worth another try with better planning!

I took my dogs on this trail for a hike and they were happy and tired! HAha. Amazing rock…read moreformations and views! It's only 1hr and 45 mins drive from Las Vegas. Just wanted a different scenery out of Vegas. They also have a garden area. It is worth a drive! No entrance fee. Free parking and they have plenty different areas to park.

You have to be careful when trying to use Google Maps when getting here (Petroglyphs site). You…read moremay go to the wrong side of the mountain if you're not careful, it's best to use GPS coordinates. 36.982827, -113.503066 This is free to visit and an easy activity for families, singles, or groups. The hike is easy and short, less than a 1/2 mile. There is a sort of gate that you have to squish through. The best Petroglyphs are the right on the "trail". It's a short trip, I would pair this with glitter mountain and warner valley dinosaur tracks. This trail also has a toilet and picnic area on site. If it has rained recently you may not want to visit. Cars can get stuck in the mud! All wheel drive not required when it's dry. Bring water, snacks, sunscreen, and garbage bag. Keep an eye on kids so they aren't messing with the Petroglyphs, or can be tempting for them to scratch at things with the rocks laying around. Always clean up after yourself!

Great little hike for all ages. There is a porta potty one seater. There is a little picnic table…read more Easy walk to read the history of the petroglyph. Staying on the path you will see plenty of the petroglyphs. Further in there is a platform you can walk up to see the other petroglyphs.