UTAH PARKS EXTRAVAGANZA

Hit every Utah national park, plus Nevada's Great Basin National Park, on this 1,453 mile trip that starts in Salt Lake City.

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Salt Lake City Provo

UTAH CO Great Basin Arches Ely National Park National Park

Capitol Reef National Park Moab NVV Torrey

Cedar Canyonlands National Park Zion City Monticello National Escalante Blanding Park Bears Ears Bryce Canyon National Durango St. George National Park Monument Blu
Glen Kanab Canyon Dam Monument Jacob Lake Valley MesaVerde Page Kayenta National Grand Canyon Park North Rim ARIZONA NM Grand Canyon Tuba City South Rim Cameron

ncredible outdoor adventures, and then to Monument Valley, one of way north to Cedar City to visit the seven national parks and the West's most iconic landscapes. uncrowded Cedar Breaks National ancient ruins combine to make  en point your wheels toward the Monument. Explore Panguitch and Ithis a trip of a lifetime. Start in Salt North Rim of Grand Canyon National Bryce Canyon National Park before Lake City where you may be Park. It's just as beautiful but draws heading to Escalante for a deep dive surprised by the vibrant cra brewing fewer crowds than the South Rim. into spectacular slot canyons. scene and how easy it is to get around this city framed by the Great Salt Lake A erwards, head north to the historic Next is Capitol Reef and the towns that and Wasatch mountains. Head south town of Kanab, Utah, home to surround it, including a few that are to Moab, home to Canyonlands and hundreds of  lm shoots and great home to nationally recognized chefs. Arches national parks. From there restaurants. Zion National Park is a From there, head to the striking but stop at Bear Ears National Monument short drive away.  en make your uncrowded Great Basin National Park.

PHOTOS ON OPPOSITE PAGE FROM TOP: 'The Wave' petrified dune sandstone formation in Coyote Buttes North. Hiker at Zion National Park (Depositphotos)

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Discover six things you didn’t realize about bustling Salt Lake City. by Tori Peglar

THERE’S FOODIES YES, THE OUTDOORS A THRIVING BEER SCENE. FEEL AT HOME. ARE JUST AS WORLD- CLASS AS THEY APPEAR OVERVIEW: OVERVIEW: Whatever you’re 1 2 3 IN PHOTOS. This city has exploded in the mood for, Salt Lake has it. This city’s with microbreweries food scene has taken off and even Ty OVERVIEW: With 60 national in the last 10 years Burrell, an Emmy-award-winning actor and state parks within a and even within a who plays the awkward father on few hours, Salt Lake is brewery beers can ABC’s Modern Family, is on the literally ringed by skiing, range from 4-13 scene. hiking and biking trails. percent in alcohol TIP: Head to Beer Bar owned by TIP: Head to Snowbird content. Burrell. Chef Viet Pham, who was to ride the aerial tram up TIP: Download the Salt one of Food & Wine magazine’s best 2,900 feet to the top of Lake Brewery Tour Pass onto your phone to chefs of 2011, cooks up house-made Hidden Peak or drive to the sample food and beer at as many as 12 bratwursts and Belgian-style fries. For an Utah Olympic Park to ride on a different breweries. Get it here: artisan cocktail, head next door to Bar-X, bobsled, go on an alpine slide or zipline at this SaltLakeConnectPass.com also owned by Burrell. family-oriented park.

YOU CAN SEE YOU DON’T NEED TO SEEING THE CITY’S WORLD-CLASS ACTS. BE A MORMON TO ATTRACTIONS IS OVERVIEW: Salt Lake is one of the ENJOY TEMPLE AFFORDABLE. 4few cities in the nation with a professional 5 SQUARE. 6 OVERVIEW: Buy a Visit Salt Lake Connect symphony, orchestra and ballet. Two great OVERVIEW: The city’s most visited Pass that offers 50-80 percent off regular places to catch a show are Eccles Theater and attraction, this iconic landmark includes admission fees to attractions covered the historic Capitol Theatre. the temple, gorgeous gardens and by the pass. TIP: Visit the stunning Eccles Theater, built in historic tours. Head to the FamilySearch TIP: Charge your smart phone, 2016, that hosts Broadway shows like Hamilton, Center to find out about your ancestors. so you can present your electronic along with concerts. Designed by world- TIP: Non-Mormons are not allowed in pass at the area’s sights. Get the pass here: renowned architect Cesar Pelli, Eccles features the temple. SaltLakeConnectPass.com. a six-story grand lobby and a 2,500-seat theater.

To learn more go to VisitSaltLake.com. PHOTOS: Salt Lake City skyline (Steve Greenwood), Beer (Austin Diamond Photography), Alpine slide (Eric Schramm) All images courtesy of Visit Salt Lake

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GCJ2021_RoadTrips_UtahParks_FINAL.indd 66 9/23/20 10:11 AM Freedom is creativity with spontaneity. When you grab your backpack and allow your inner adventurer to take a detour to Salt Lake on the way to Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon. It’s the on-the-way destination, whether driving or fl ying, that comes with an all- in-one ticket to our greatest attractions including museums, gardens, and outdoor resort activities. And while we’re feeling spontaneous, we might as well give it to you for free.

Book a 2 or 3-night hotel stay at a participating Salt Lake area hotel and choose from two free 2-day Connect Passes good at 16 attractions, a $50 gas card, or a $200 Delta fl ight voucher.* Don’t forget the backpack.

Find your FREE at visitsaltlake.com

*Limited time off er

VISIT SALT LAKE_GCJ_2021.indd 1 9/23/20 9:36 AM UTAH PARKS EXTRAVAGANZA SALT LAKE CITY TO BLANDING, UTAH 308 miles, 5 hours and 16 minutes TOXIC LANDS Uranium mining in the West, from Bears Ears to the Grand Canyon, threatens Indigenous and public lands. by Mikaela Ruland

rowing up, environmental study and FIGHTING URANIUM MINING Talia Boyd clean up e orts that  ree IN BEARS EARS lived on the Mile Island, a nuclear GNavajo Nation near accident that occurred a Today, Boyd has been  ghting for over a the Tuba City, Arizona few months prior in decade to stop the expansion of uranium Disposal Site, which Pennsylvania, did. At mining and processing on the Colorado was a former uranium  ree Mile, a nuclear Plateau, including the Daneros uranium mine mill. She remembers the reactor partially melted down, that sits three miles from the boundary of kids she d ride the bus with causing radioactive gases to be Bears Ears National Monument in playing on top of the unfenced released into the air. Many Indigenous southeastern Utah. piles of tailings. people like Boyd feel the lackluster response to Church Rock was because the spill occurred on At Bears Ears, red rock spires sprout out of the We were unknowingly and unwillingly rural, Indigenous land. desert  oor. Endless stars blanket the night exposed, she says. sky. Whispers of the past beckon from every Boyd s stories of living alongside contaminated twist and turn. A kiva here, a wall covered in  en, she moved to Church Rock, New waste are not the exception for Indigenous pictographs there. Mexico, home of the single largest accidental people in the United States.  ey re the norm. release of radioactivity in American history More than 600,000 Indigenous people in the In 2016, President Obama designated the area — third in the world only to Chernobyl and U.S. live within six miles of an abandoned in southeastern Utah a national monument Fukushima. On July 16, 1979, 94 million hard rock mine, according to the 2017 a er tireless e orts by the Diné, Hopi, Pueblo gallons of radioactive waste spilled when a Current Environmental Health Report, of Zuni, Ute Mountain Ute and Ute Indian dam broke at United Nuclear Corp. s uranium written by sta at University of New Mexico s people to protect their ancestral homeland that mill. It seeped into Diné (Navajo) wells and College of Pharmacy. the eventual monument encompassed. In into the Puerco River, a major source of water 2018, President Trump s administration for the Diné and their cattle. It broke my heart, Boyd re ects on learning unprecedentedly shrank the monument by about the extensive uranium waste legacy on 85% to make way for resource extraction from  e Church Rock disaster received a fraction of her homelands. It lit a  re in me to learn more oil and gas drilling to uranium mining.  e

the media attention and, until recently, and educate others. tribes, along with the climbers who scaled the PHOTO: Cedar Mesa in Bears Ears National Monument (Courtesy Bob Wick/BLM), Talia Boyd (photo by Raymond Chee)

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monument’s cracks and hikers who traveled on waste from as far away as Estonia and Japan, for this waste, and no one wants it in their its trails, rallied to protest. for recycling purposes. Recently, another front yard.” reclaimed uranium mine near the “The Creator left this place for us,” says Boyd monument—the Easy Peasy—was THREATS TO THE GRAND CANYON who is the cultural landscapes program unearthed. These new developments are a manager for the Grand Canyon Trust. “We’ve cause of concern, according to Boyd. The case of Bears Ears is not unique. All over given the land our offerings and prayers, in the West, Indigenous and public lands are return for the sustenance and medicine that IS URANIUM MINING AND experiencing the effects of uranium mining. we’ve gathered from the Earth here since time MILLING SAFE? immemorial. There is respect and balance.” On lands surrounding the Grand Canyon, a Studies have shown that uranium radiation is temporary ban is in place on uranium mining At Bears Ears, the tribes gather plants for toxic to humans. Exposure through breathing through 2032 to give time for research on its medicine, as well as stones, herbs and crystals air particles, such as those that result from effects. With one exception: The Canyon for their ceremonies, according to Boyd. Here, mining, and drinking water with higher than Mine. Like Daneros, this mine has also laid they pray. The land is filled with memories of normal levels of uranium can result in cancer, dormant for decades, thanks to low uranium their ancestors from the stories painted on the reduce fertility and shorten life spans. prices. However, in 2016, as the mine’s owners walls to their structures still standing. were deepening the mine shaft, it suddenly “We need cumulative health, air, soil and water began filling with groundwater. Since then, There’s a traditional Diné story about uranium studies,” Boyd says. “Where other forms of the shaft has taken on over 30 million gallons that’s been passed down through generations. pollution are more visible, you can't see your of water and counting. The creator gave the tribe a choice between two exposure to invisible radioactive pollution. sacred yellow objects: corn pollen or That's the scariest part," says Boyd. This is a problem, according to Grand Canyon yellowcake uranium dust. The Diné chose the Trust’s energy program director, Amber corn pollen. After they made their choice, the According to Energy Fuels, Inc.’s vice Reimondo, because the normally sedentary creator warned that if the uranium wasn’t kept president of marketing and development uranium becomes highly mobile in water when in the ground, it would cause destruction. For Curtis Moore, many concerns over uranium oxygen is present. Uranium deposits are Diné, like Boyd, the prophetic nature of the mining and processing stem from practices natural and frequently come into contact with story has come true. from the 1950s and 1960s. water deep in the Earth. However, without the presence of oxygen, these deposits rarely pose a Not only does the Daneros mine pose an “It’s like night and day,” he says. “Just like threat as they can’t disperse in the water. There environmental threat to the monument, it also technology has gotten much better in our cars are many unknowns when it comes to mining poses a threat to the Ute Mountain Ute tribe. and computers, our technology and in the area and one of those is how the canyon’s Despite significant protest from local regulations have changed a lot since 1955. hydrogeology works. A USGS study from 2020 Indigenous communities, the Bureau of Land We’ve had no instances of environmental or established that there is connectivity between Management approved a plan to expand the health issues from our operations. I absolutely shallow and deep aquifers near the Grand mine’s operations in 2018. The mine currently think it’s safe.” Canyon. This means the contaminated water sits dormant due to low uranium prices, but from the mine shaft could eventually threaten when and if it resumes operations, truckloads Moore mentions that nuclear energy is a the aquifer that provides water to Tusayan, of uranium ore would be moving through the “carbon-free” alternative to fossil fuels. Today, Grand Canyon National Park and the remote monument each day. Its destination? The 20% of the United States’ energy grid is made Havasupai village of Supai. White Mesa uranium mill on the edge of the up of nuclear energy. Ute Mountain Ute White Mesa community, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE less than four miles away. Not everyone, though, is convinced that uranium mining and its waste is safe. In 2018, the Trump administration listed Uranium ore processing isn’t the only issue at uranium as a “critical mineral,” a designation the mill. Nuclear waste from around the “'Newer, safer' technology is always being that means it’s critical to economic and country is trucked there to sit in pits near the boasted about, but our communities are still national security. While uranium mining is Ute community. Energy Fuels Inc., the mill’s being contaminated,” Boyd says. “There's no currently forbidden in wilderness areas, owner, has also applied for a permit to accept permanent repository anywhere in the world national parks and national monuments, Boyd

Across the West, the fight to protect ancestral and public lands continues. You can get involved by visiting

PHOTO: Cedar Mesa in Bears Ears National Monument (Courtesy Bob Wick/BLM), PHOTO: Cedar Mesa in Bears Ears National Monument (Courtesy Bob Wick/BLM), Talia Boyd (photo by Raymond Chee) GrandCanyonTrust.org to sign up for action alerts on Bears Ears, the Grand Canyon and other lands on the Colorado Plateau.

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and her colleagues at the Grand Canyon Trust worry that this new designation will lay the foundation for eroding those protections.

With an estimated 75% of uranium mines in the U.S. on tribal or federal lands, Indigenous people are the ones bearing the brunt of our GET OUT THERE & country’s reliance on nuclear material for both defense and energy. The waste is ending up in their front yards.

Environmental racism — environmental injustice that occurs within a racialized context — is very real in the United States. A 2018 study by the Environmental Protection Agency found that Black, Indigenous and people of color are disproportionately burdened by air pollution.

“Indigenous people have suffered the effects of nuclear contamination since the Manhattan Project,” Boyd reflects.

FamilyTime Time She sees her work and the work of other Indigenous advocates as a way of reclaiming their space and power.

Closest Accommodations to “We must remember that public lands are ancestral land,” Boyd says. BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK Indigenous peoples are the original stewards of this land.”  ------RUBYSINN.COM/GCJ Mikaela Ruland is a staff writer for National Park Journal.

Where will WONDER take you?

Cedar Breaks National Monument VisitCedarCity.com

GCJ2021_RoadTrips_UtahParks_FINAL.inddPARTIALS_GCJ_2021.indd 70 70 9/23/209/23/20 10:12 3:34 PMAM UTAH PARKS EXTRAVAGANZA BLANDING, UTAH, TO THE NORTH RIM OF THE GRAND CANYON 319 miles, 5 hours and 40 minutes

NORTH RIM

O ering fantastic views with less congestion, the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park o ers those willing to drive  ve hours and 212 miles from the South Rim a chance to see the canyon without the crowds.

 ere are places like Point Imperial where you can watch the distant rising sun gradually spread a blanket of warm red and gold light across the giant walls of rock and the singular spire of Mount Hayden. You might even hear the evocative song of a canyon wren rising and falling in crescendo, just eight or 10 clear notes. It is, perhaps, the most memorable bird song of the West.

 e North Rim of the Grand Canyon is an experience wholly separate from the South Rim. A more remote, rugged and individual opportunity to see what John Wesley Powell described as, "ledges and cli s where the soaring eagle is lost to view before it reaches a summit."

PHOTO: Bright Angel Point on the North Rim (Grant Ordelheide)

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GCJ2021_RoadTrips_UtahParks_FINAL.indd 71 9/23/20 10:05 AM UTAH PARKS EXTRAVAGANZA GRAND CANYON NORTH RIM TO KANAB, UTAH 80 miles, 1 hour and 45 minutes

FAB KANAB

Base out of Kanab, Utah, to enjoy fantastic food and discover the hidden gems along the way to three of the Southwest s most gorgeous national parks. by Tori Peglar

anab is one of those magical places Cave just  ve miles out of town that has creations. He's a former executive chef at where locals practice random acts ancient Native American artifacts, cool the upscale Amangiri resort. of kindness on a daily basis. bright-colored mineral displays and more than K 180 dinosaur tracks. Continue on to Coral Try your luck and join the enthusiastic crowd A stranger pumped up local Camille Pink Sand Dunes State Park minutes from standing in line for a permit for  e Wave, Johnson's low car tire while she was in the town but worlds away. Its like a giant the iconic sandstone formation in the Paria Kanab Visitor Center. A Canadian tourist sandbox, says Johnson of Kane County O ce Canyon-Vermillion Cli s Wilderness. Grand only had a credit card to buy her ticket at the of Tourism. It brings out the kid in all of us. Staircase-Escalante National Monument cash-only movie theater, so a local standing  e sand dunes are great for sledding, so rent Visitor Center in Kanab issues 10 walk-up behind her paid for her. Two travelers got a sandboard at the state park o ce. permits for the following day, beginning at their car stuck on the road to Peek-a-Boo slot 8:30 a.m. A erwards, book a tour at Kanabs canyon and a passing local lent a hand to get  en drive the 190-mile Marble Canyon Loop Best Friends Animal Sanctuary Visitor them driving again. that hits everything from Vermillion Cli s Center to meet adoptable pets. For 30 years, Overlook to Lees Ferry and Marble Canyon. it has been the nations largest no-kill  ese types of things happen all of the time,  is scenic loop takes 3 hours if you don't sanctuary. If you have your pet with you, you Johnson says. Were just authentic and stop, so you can be back in Kanab in time to need to stay at Best Friends Roadhouse and down-to-earth here. have an amazing dinner. Mercantile Hotel in Kanab. Its the most pet-centric hotel you may ever experience Which just adds to Kanabs allure as a  e next day, wake up early and head to the with built-in cubbies for pet sleeping, little-known world-class destination for some North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. dog-washing stations and more. of the most gorgeous scenic drives, best  is best-kept secret receives only 10 outdoor adventures and incredible food in the percent of the visitation of the South Rim. Learn more at Kane County, Utah - Visitor Southwest. Start o at Kanab Creek Bakery It's open mid-spring through late fall. For Information Center in downtown Kanab or go that o ers delicious European-style dishes by dinner back in Kanab, head to Sego to VisitSouthernUtah.com. Download the chef Cheryl McAllister.  en set o for Moqui Restaurant to taste Chef Shon Fosters Kanab Trails app for o -the-beaten path tips.

PHOTO: Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (Courtesy of The Great Chamber, Kanab, Utah, Barry Glazier) Barry Utah, Kanab, Chamber, Great The of (Courtesy Monument National Staircase-Escalante Grand PHOTO: 72 . Grand Canyon Edition 2020-21

GCJ2021_RoadTrips_UtahParks_FINAL.indd 72 9/23/20 10:09 AM Best Known for Being UnknowN We’re a small town with undeniable charm, big hearts and big events–40event s – 4 0a ayear year to to be be exact. exact. We’re We’re a acommunity community surrounded by unspoiled landscapes waiting to be explored – from national parks to hidden gems. We’re comfortable stays, delicious dining experiences, and incredible activities providing fun for the whole family. Plan your trip to the town that the Hollywood studios named, “Little Hollywood,” and experience the magical spirit of the West in Kanab, Utah.

VisitSouthernUtah.com

KANE COUNTY_KANAB_GCJ_2021.indd 1 9/23/20 3:02 AM UTAH PARKS EXTRAVAGANZA KANAB TO ZION NATIONAL PARK TO CEDAR CITY, UTAH 99 miles, 2 hours and 15 minutes ELEVATED EXPERIENCE

While southwest Utah is known for its amazing red-rock landscapes, you'll find a pocket of mountains topped by aspen trees, wildflowers and pine trees. Here are four reasons to stop and stay here. by Tori Peglar

CEDAR BREAKS BRIAN HEAD RESORT KANARRA FALLS NATIONAL MONUMENT AND MORE UTAH SHAKESPEARE Take a chairlift to 11,000 feet at FESTIVAL Not only is this national park Brian Head Resort to get a bird’s This is one of those gorgeous slot site considerably less crowded eye view of Utah’s stunning canyons that has Instagrammers Cedar City, Utah is home to the than its nearby sister national scenery. Just five minutes from racing to get to southern Utah. Utah Shakespeare Festival, parks, it’s also filled with an Cedar Breaks National In fact, it’s become so popular which features professional incredible array of vibrant Monument, Brian Head Resort that as of 2018, you need a permit actors from across the country wildflowers. Get an intimate offers zip lining, disc golf and to enter Kanarra Falls. Only 150 who perform a variety of view of this special place by mountain biking, plus a chance permits are issued to individuals Shakespeare’s plays all summer attending complimentary ranger to explore Utah’s mountainous per day via an online registration long. Founded in 1962 to talks that run from late May terrain. “It’s that higher system, which opens Jan. 1. provide entertainment for the through Labor Day. Watch a elevation experience,” says Only 13 miles south of Cedar thousands of tourists visiting stunning sunset from Point Maria Twitchell, executive City, you’ll discover gorgeous nearby national parks, the Supreme Overlook and then director of Visit Cedar City waterfalls formed by Kanarra festival offers a number of plays stay at the overlook for an Brian Head. “A lot of people Creek as you hike through water in three theaters in Beverley evening ranger talk. Or better travel to the national parks and in the canyon. Afterwards, head Taylor Sorenson Center for the yet, join a ranger-led Star Party see a lot of desert and it gets to Cedar City and order a cocktail Arts at Southern Utah in this International Dark Sky hot. Having a place to cool or glass of wine at IG Winery University. Not sure you want to park during the summer and down is really great both in (the “IG” stands for “Instant commit to an entire play? Stop fall season. Cedar Breaks National Gratification”). Stay at The by the Greenshow, an hour-long, Monument and Brian Head.” Cottages at Shakespeare Lane, free outdoor performance in the The higher you go up a equipped with kitchens, built in Ashton Family Greenshow mountain, the cooler it gets, so 2019. Across from the festival Commons. It’s a light-hearted bring layers for the top of the grounds, you're a short walk show full of dance and song. chairlift. Check the website for away from restaurants and weekend hours of operation. great theater.

Learn more about Cedar City and Brian Head at VisitCedarCity.com.

PHOTO: Kanarra Falls (Depositphotos) 74 . Grand Canyon Edition 2020-21

GCJ2021_RoadTrips_UtahParks_FINAL.indd 74 9/23/20 10:06 AM See it. Experience it. Live it. BryceCanyonCountry.com/GCJ

Our Secret Is Now Yours! ATV Riding, Canyoneering, Fishing, Explore Adventure Hiking, Horseback Riding, Jeep Tours, Zones Mountain Biking, Photography, Rock Climbing, Scenic Drives, Wildlife Viewing The Highlands ~ Capitol Reef ~ East Desert and so much more!

WAYNE COUNTY OFFICE OF TOURISM ~ CAPITOLREEF.ORG

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PARTIALS_GCJ_2021.indd 75 9/23/20 3:47 PM UTAH PARKS EXTRAVAGANZA CEDAR CITY, UTAH, TO BOULDER, UTAH 162 miles, 3 hours Closest Lodging to Bryce

Reuben Syrett was a cowboy. LOSE THE CROWDS When he bought a ranch near what is now Bryce Canyon National Park, he had no plans of becoming a conservationist Discover the solitude you ve been searching for just east of Bryce Canyon and hotelier, but when he first set eyes on the inspiring orange National Park in towns like Boulder and Escalante, Utah. and pink hoodoos of Bryce By Mikaela Ruland Canyon, he was moved. In 1916, Syrett, who went by the nickname “Ruby,” opened what hen you drive through the A er a day spent exploring, head to the town of is now Ruby’s Inn in Bryce charming towns of Escalante and Boulder for dinner.  e Burr Trail Grill o ers Canyon City, Utah. He invited Boulder, Utah, and see the majesty burgers, sandwiches and more with a focus on friends and family to experience Wof Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, locally sourced ingredients. Don t miss Owens the area’s beauty. Syrett wrote to Congress, petitioning the you ll be amazed that most national park visitors personal favorite, the fried green tomatoes served government to protect Bryce never make it to this hidden gem. with chili jam and chipotle aioli. Canyon from development. His efforts, in part, influenced the Start with a drive down Hole in the Rock Road, a  e drive between Boulder and Escalante itself government to turn Bryce Canyon into a national park. 62-mile dirt road through Grand-Staircase that s is worth the visit to these two o -the-beaten- What started as a 20-room accessible to higher clearance two-wheel drive path towns. You ll cross over Hell s Backbone lodge is now three hotels, vehicles in dry conditions. Access is just southeast of Bridge, an engineering marvel with 1,500-foot multiple restaurants, a general Escalante on Hwy. 12. Along the way you ll  nd great drops on either side. store and more than 300 campsites less than a mile from opportunities for hiking, camping and exploring slot the park entrance. canyons like the popular Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Looking for more ways to experience solitude The complex is still owned and Gulch canyons. Make sure to stop at Devil s Garden, Bryce Canyon National Park is an International managed by the Syrett family 12 miles from Hwy. 12, to see incredible rock Dark Sky Park, which means the stars are four generations later. formations like Metate Arch. If you re not familiar incredible in the entire area. Be sure to fuel up at Experience the hotel’s cowboy with the area, the best way to explore is with a Wanderlust Cowgirl Co ee in Panguitch before roots today by taking a horseback tour along the professional guide. Utah Canyon Outdoors will take heading out, so you can stay up late to catch a canyon rim or attending the you hiking in stunning, remote spots where you ll glimpse of the Milky Way. Ebenezer's Barn and Grill really get a sense of the vastness of the Utah desert. Country Music Dinner show Learn more at BryceCanyonCountry.com/GCJ. held nightly April 20 - Oct. 20. It s such a peaceful area, says Gar eld County s Find Ruby’s Inn at 26 S. Main; executive director Falyn Owens.  ere s no cell RubysInn.com/GCJ. service, so it s a really great escape.

PHOTOS: Bryce Canyon (Adobe Stock), Reuben Syrett archive image (Courtesy Relic Advertising) Relic (Courtesy image archive Syrett Reuben Stock), (Adobe Canyon Bryce PHOTOS: (Depositphotos) Park National Reef Capitol at Sunset PHOTO:

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GCJ2021_RoadTrips_UtahParks_FINAL.indd 76 9/23/20 10:06 AM UTAH PARKS EXTRAVAGANZA BOULDER TO TORREY, UTAH 37 miles, 55 minutes REMOTE BEAUTY

Take in Utah’s stunning color palette in and around Capitol Reef National Park. By Mikaela Ruland

apitol Reef National Park greets visitors with stunning For more breathtaking views, drive Scenic Byway 12, rated one of the monoliths rising from the desert floor, sheer cliffs and top 10 most scenic drives by National Geographic, from Capitol Reef colorful sandstone. And best yet? Fewer crowds than many to Bryce Canyon National Park. Cof Utah’s other national parks. Get a jumpstart on your day exploring the park at Dark Sky Coffee in Torrey, Utah, which has a drive-thru so “It should really be its own national park,” Durfey. says. “You can see you can hit the road faster. forever.”

While there’s so much to see and do in Capitol Reef, locals suggest At the end of the day, treat yourself to dinner at The Hunt & Gather in planning an entire day to drive the Cathedral Valley Loop. This remote Torrey, serving dishes so beautifully plated, they’ll compete with the part of the park promises solitude and will wow you with its stunning national parks for your favorite views of the trip. Or, for a more casual formations. High-clearance vehicles are required. Not traveling in an meal, head to Slacker's Burger Joint, a 1950s-style restaurant serving adventure rig? Rent a Jeep from a local outfitter. mouthwatering burgers and ice cream.

Capitol Reef is just the beginning of what this scenic part of Utah You’ll find accommodations to fit every taste in the area from Cowboy has to offer. Homestead Cabins to the beautiful Cougar Ridge Resort, a favorite of Hollywood stars. “Our landscape is so diverse here,” says Capitol Reef Country director Nycole Durfey. “We have grays and purples that look like Mars, the Visit CapitolReef.org to learn more. reds of Capitol Reef and beautiful green forests.”

PHOTOS: Bryce Canyon (Adobe Stock), Reuben Syrett archive image (Courtesy Relic Advertising) Relic (Courtesy image archive Syrett Reuben Stock), (Adobe Canyon Bryce PHOTOS: (Depositphotos) Park National Reef Capitol at Sunset PHOTO:

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GCJ2021_RoadTrips_UtahParks_FINAL.indd 77 9/23/20 10:06 AM UTAH PARKS EXTRAVAGANZA TORREY, UTAH, TO GREAT BASIN NATIONAL PARK IN NEVADA 235 miles, 4 hours and 30 minutes

SILVER STATE STOP

In the Great Basin National Heritage Area, you’ll find Nevada’s only national park and surprising history. By Tori Peglar and Mikaela Ruland

ust over the Utah border, visit Nevada’s Go into the earth on a guided ranger tour of To learn about a darker part of Nevada’s past, only national park, Great Basin, where Lehman Caves. Choose between the Lodge visit the Topaz Museum in Delta, educating you can explore the inside of the Earth Room tour, which covers .4 miles, is 60 visitors about the internment camp where Jand the top of a 13,000-foot peak on the minutes long and is ideal for young children more than 8,000 Japanese Americans were same day. and families. Or sign up for the Grand imprisoned during World War II. Discover Palace Tour that covers .6 miles, lasts 90 the stories of those who lived at Topaz at the Start by seeing some of the oldest trees in the minutes and is for ages 5 and over (except museum before visiting the camp site, which world on the 2.8-mile roundtrip Bristlecone November through February). Buy your is approximately five miles away. Pine Trail. One of these hardy trees, tickets in advance at recreation.gov to nicknamed the Prometheus Tree, was cut guarantee your spot. At the end of a day, check in to the Stargazer down by geographer Donald Currey in 1964. Inn in Baker and dine at Kerouac’s (yes, like It had 4,862 tree growth rings, indicating the Then head to the Nevada Northern Railway Jack). The menu is a homage to American tree was nearly 5,000 years old. You can count Museum in Ely, a National Historic life on the road, which makes the inventive its rings today in the visitor center. If you Landmark where you can ride on trains pizzas and burgers the perfect road-trip fuel. walk further down the trail, you can spot the pulled by century-old engines. Check the site only glacier in Nevada at the base of Wheeler nnry.com for the schedule of themed trains. Learn more at GreatBasinHeritage.org. Peak, a 13,000-foot mountain.

PHOTO: Great Basin National Park (Depositphotos) Park National Basin Great PHOTO:

78 . Grand Canyon Edition 2020-21

GCJ2021_RoadTrips_UtahParks_FINAL.indd 78 9/24/20 9:30 AM REMOTE. RUGGED. REAL.

Straddling the Nevada-Utah border, GREAT BASIN NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA offers unique opportunities for recreation and reflection, with wide-open spaces perfectly suited to “socially-distanced” adventures. Soak in star-filled night skies; stroll through groves of Earth’s oldest trees; hunt for fossils; and explore miles of crowd-free hiking trails and 4WD roads. Leave behind the constant buzz of modern life to discover a landscape much like it was a century ago.

GREATBASINHERITAGE . ORG

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