In May 2025, I did a research road trip to Southern Utah for research purposes. I visited 3 national parks, 2 national monuments, and 2 state parks. I scouted out hotels and restaurants along the way. I drove 1500 miles and hiked 30 miles!
Here’s the day-by-day overview of what I did, where I stayed, and what I ate.
I visited the Kolob Canyons and Kolob Terrace sections – two lesser-visited areas – of Zion National Park.
Checked off another Utah state park with this one. Its focus is on the pioneer history of Southern Utah. It’s only $4, and it’s an ok stop. Lots of wagons, farm equipment, and some historical buildings. I scoped out some good hotels in Cedar City as well.
This section of Zion is awesome. It’s just small. The view of the peaks as you round the bend is amazing. Today was especially cool because they were covered in clouds. The drawback was that it was raining, and the hike I wanted to do (Taylor Creek) was too muddy.
This road is a beautiful scenic drive that goes in and out of Zion. Few people think to drive it, but I love the small hog’s back, the meadows, farms, and red and white rock peaks that can be seen throughout.
This hike is on the road, and I really enjoyed this because it was flat, went through beautiful open meadows and pine trees, and ended with a really nice viewpoint. I saw deer and heard birds chirping the entire time. Totally not what you’d think as a “Zion” hike.
I ate dinner here. It’s a trendy little spot located on the edge of the gorge that runs through La Verkin. My burger was ok. The outdoor seating is great and has views of the gorge.
This is a new hotel right at the junction of Highway 9, about 30 minutes away from Zion’s South Entrance. I stayed a few nights here.
Today was a magical day of biking through Zion, and it finished with a crazy ending!
I rented bikes from Utah E-Bike Rentals. I got the all-day rental (8 hrs). I slowly made my way up the canyon, stopping at several stops that I rarely stop at when riding the shuttles. The Pa-rus Trail was gorgeous due to all the green growth and river crossings. I hiked the Grotto trail, then finished my ride up the canyon to the end. I filmed a video on biking in Zion, then rode through the town of Springdale, researching the best hotels to stay. I found several little gems.
In the afternoon, I hiked the Watchman Trail, which provided some amazing views of the mouth of Zion Canyon, including Springdale, the Visitor Center area, and the Temples and Towers of the Virgin. On the way down, a storm rolled in and poured rain on me. The trail was turned to sloppy mud, and it was caked on my shoes. I could barely finish the hike!
I met up with some customers (now friends) at King’s Landing. I was soaked from the rain, so I ate dinner entirely wet. LOL. Little did I know they would want to chat for so long – 3 hours! But worth it. Really delightful couple (her name is actually Delight).
A full day of exploring the east side of Zion. I did 12 miles of hiking today.
This is a 7-mile hike to a great overlook of Zion Canyon. Getting to the trailhead requires driving on a rough dirt road, so I booked a shuttle ride through Zion Ponderosa Resort.
The road was a muddy mess, so much so that they had to drop me off a half mile from the trailhead. I slopped through the mud, not sure if I’d be able to make it to the trailhead. But I did, and completed the mostly mundane hike of 3.5 miles to get to Observation Point.
Great viewpoint – some would argue the best in Zion. But I think Angels Landing and Canyon Overlook provide a similar experience, but are more intimate. It was cool being on top of the canyon, though.
I did Many Pools, the Hobbit Trail, and Pine Creek. All were ok – would have been better had I not already hiked 8 miles. All require scrambling to an extent. These hikes will definitely allow one to get away from the heavy crowds of Zion, but they aren’t must-dos.
I ate at Havana Cabana (meh), and scoped out restaurants and hotels for my guide. I also stayed at an interesting Airbnb that was a room in a household. The couple had 5 dogs and 10 cats. Good thing I like animals!
Today, I did an all-day tour through Coral Cliff Tours to several off-roading sites around Kanab.
This is a slot canyon that the locals are billing as an alternative to Antelope Canyon. It’s cool, but not an alternative. We did have it all to ourselves in the morning.
This is an interesting alcove high in the white sandstone cliffs on the northern edge of Kanab. Wind blows sand into the alcove, which has formed a big hill. It provides some cool pictures where you can stand on the sand and get the arch of the alcove overhead.
This is a 5-mile road that heads down into an old town site and filming location. Unfortunately, the town and movie sets burned down. All that remains is a strange little cemetery that I don’t know anything about. But it’s worth it for the drive alone, which has some drop-offs as it enters the canyon, and provides views of the bentonite hills to the east – these are purple and white striped hills.
This is the main tour. It’s normally 8 hours long! 2.5 hours to drive to White Pocket, 3 hours to see it, and 2.5 hours back. We only spent maybe 2 hours there, instead of 3, and I was ready to head back.
However, this was easily the best site of the day. It is a strange, swirling rock formation that sprawls over the landscape. There’s a lot to wander around and explore.
I went back to Zion today to explore more hotels and restaurants, and to film a video about how to use the shuttle system.
It was a magical day. The weather was perfect, and I had the best time exploring the canyon and not being in a rush. I really think Zion is amazing.
Today, I spent time exploring more of the back country around Kanab.
I did a horseback ride with Staircase Stables. Cheryl was my wrangler-guide. She took me through a narrow canyon. The ride provided the perfect desert scenery.
This hike is right off Highway 89 and well-marked. It was a fun 1.6-mile round-trip hike up through a dry wash that led to several hoodoo formations sticking out all over.
The fun part was scrambling around on the rocks. I wish my family were with me to play, because they would have liked this.
I also drove off the road a bit to this hidden and strange site. The water has carved out a swirly rock formation. It’s like a natural slide. Again, the kids would have loved this.
I didn’t have time to play around here, which was good because it was Sunday and everything was closed – the sandboard and ATV rentals.
But this is definitely a place I’d bring my family back to so we can play in the dunes. It’s a fun site and it’s amazing how all the sand has gathered in the valley around here.
After exploring around Kanab for a few days, I was ready to move on to Bryce Canyon. It blew Kanab out of the water.
This delightful little hike travels at the base of the hoodoos to a man-made waterfall.
The most amazing trail! I’ve done it several times, and it never gets old. One of the all-time best hikes. Towering hoodoos, tunnels, and amazing desert scenery. A 10+ hike!
This was my first time trying out this dinner and a show. Dinner was good – the best food in Bryce Canyon – and the show was a lot of country classics with a few new ones mixed in. Good if you like country music, which I do.
Today I drove Scenic Route 12 to Capitol Reef, stopping for a hike along the way.
Driving this road never gets old. It’s unreal how this road goes through hoodoos, farmlands, white rock, red rock, canyons, and over the towering Boulder Mountain, through alpine forests. The variety is insane!
One of the best hikes of all time! This travels through a red rock canyon, where Lower Calf Creek travels. There are trees and green growth, thanks to the creek, the entire way. One spot had wetlands where there were hundreds of birds flying around and singing.
It ends with a spectacular desert waterfall that is over 120 feet high. The towering red rock walls, the waterfall, the variety, the birds, the greenery, and the fact that it was mostly flat make this another 10+ hike!
Awww, Capitol Reef National Park. The green trees with the high red rock walls all around make for a picture-perfect spot. All the better with the barn, old buildings, horses, and fruit orchards all around.
What a peaceful spot and a great way to end the trip!
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