Adventures – Southern Utah
Travel into Southern Utah and what you will find will both surprise and astound you. Here you will get scenic views where you can see forever, see the crushed dreams of many a pioneer, painted desert and forested mountains with plenty of wildlife.
Capitol Reef National Park is the most overlooked place to see Utah’s painted desert it is big enough that you can hike off and get lost from the rest of the world. The painted desert here is absolutely beautiful. After a visit to the park you will want to go back to the tiny town of Teasdale and head south towards Boulder. You are now on the road of the Grand Escalante Staircase. The road is narrow but paved and not the hair raising adventure that it used to be.
Before you meet up again with the colorful sandstone you will travel through forest with wild flowers and full of wild life. The views as you come out of the forest are worth the journey. Viewing hundreds of miles of painted desert from your mountain side perch you won’t believe your eyes. Another option is to take I15 straight south and visit Zion’s National Park known throughout the world as one of the most beautiful places on the planet.
When I visit this area the adventurer in me takes me to the backside of Zion’s National Park a place known as Kolob Canyon the forest service recognizes the significance of this area and protects it. When visiting here you do have to stop and gain a permit from the visitor center located at the beginning of the canyon. The advantage is that you will see some of the best of Zion’s. The road is dirt and less traveled with no developed campsites. When you travel here you can hike about and see and feel the power of true wilderness.
Snow Canyon is an area of the painted desert that is little known to most people. National Geographic has written about the canyon and its unique geological formations. You need to hike through this area. Hiking through this area you will discover large underground caverns, lava rock strewn about all over the place. You will wonder what is living in the caverns see the delicate plant life in the area and be filled with wonder.
Travel to Utah and you will discover what the adventure traveler in you is seeking. Always be aware of your surroundings and alert of flash flooding. The smallest of rain storms can cause a flood with all the water running off the sandstone.