The Mighty 5: Our Utah National Parks Road Trip

Our family isn't the most traveled family in the world. However, we have been lucky enough to go somewhere new once (or occasionally even twice) for many years. Of all the trips we've enjoyed together, this one to Utah's National Parks - Arches, Canyonlands, Capital Reef, Bryce, and Zion - ranked as one of our very best experiences together ever! 

There are a LOT of words in this post - actually an embarrassingly high number of words and I can't imagine they would all interest you. I suppose once I started writing about it, I just wanted to remember the little things for ourselves. So, if you only scroll through the images - or just read the sections with headings that interest you - no offense taken. Hope you enjoy! 

Our Family

A little about our family, if you're new here. There are 6 of us. I'm Becky Hadeed, host of The Storied Recipe Podcast.

Every trip is spearheaded by John, my husband of 19 years. He loves to travel and has far more energy than the average person. (More on that below.) 

Our oldest son, Jack, is 17. After running up and down canyons daily, through rugged trails, then catching up with us to finish our hikes on this trip, he expressed that he wants to add ultra running to his many hobbies. 

Next comes Marcus, 15, our easy-going, patient kid with a great sense of humor. He enjoys the solitude of nature, endures everything quietly, and is always quick to help the tired youngest kid. 

On the other extreme,  Joshua is 11 and you *never* have to wonder what he's thinking! He complained virtually every time we set out on a hike. However, Joshua is very strong and very fast, and the outdoors fill him with energy. Once we're on the trail, the complaints fade away and Joshua is skipping, jumping off rocks, racing John up hills, and chasing lizards.  

Finally, we have Nicholas, who is 8 and his ability to think positively is one of his very best traits and makes him very tough. Nicholas doesn't like to lag behind his brothers. When he gets tired, he takes breaks, sometimes even just a moment laying prostrate on the ground. Then, next thing you know, he jumps up and runs to catch whoever is in front. Nicholas is developing a rather wicked sense of humor and kept us all laughing on this trip!

Recommendation: Use Earth Trekkers to Plan Your Next Trip!

I don't need to tell you about travel during Covid and the messy, complicated, politicized journey our country has taken through lockdown and travel restrictions. So you'll understand that this trip was planned, canceled, questioned, re-thought, replaced, back on, then back off again. Finally, one afternoon last fall, I just said to John, "We have 2 hours. We're either going to get this spring break trip planned in that time or we're not going at all." He agreed.

With that strict deadline in place, I went to the site of travel experts Earth Trekkers and began looking at itineraries that would work for the limited dates we could carve out of our kid's schedules. We landed on their itinerary for The Mighty 5 in Utah. As I read about the places we'd like to visit, John booked flights, a car, and rooms. We walked out of our office less than 2 hours later with the trip planned - and didn't think about it again for months! 

Earth Trekkers itineraries supply the perfect amount of information. We stayed in more towns than they suggested (somewhere different almost every night) and our trip was slightly shorter than their itinerary. However, we made those choices quickly and easily because the bones of the trip were established from the outset.

As for the day to day events, I downloaded their full printable itinerary from Etsy a few days before leaving and kept it in a notebook in my backpack. For each park, there were enough options that we could always flex to something perfect in the moment, but not so many that I ever felt overwhelmed by choices. 

All in all, we hiked over 50 miles in 6 days. We made a lot of last minute decisions to our schedules. However, we never felt rushed and even Jack, who was studying for 5 AP exams as we traveled, felt the trip was relaxing. Every day held it's own surprises and hidden gems among the majestic sights. We bonded and every relationship in our family matrix was strengthened on this trip. Honestly, all of this was thanks to the carefully researched and clearly written itineraries from Earth Trekkers! Whatever trip you're planning, I'd recommend visiting their site first.

Recommendation: Don't Plan A Trip to the Mighty 5 in Summertime!!

We originally planned to take this trip - well, actually, a much longer trip to include the Mighty 5 - last summer. In the end, we decided to go elsewhere because of reports of overcrowding and extreme heat in the Southwest. 

In retrospect, it was one of the best decisions we could have made. The average temperature during our travels through the Utah's Mighty 5 National Parks was in the low 60's. I think about 75 was the highest we experienced. Out in the sun on that red, red rock, we commented to one another countless times that we were SO glad we weren't hiking in the 90's or 100's that are common (except in Bryce) for summertime! In fact, we said it so many times it became a joke: "Guess what I'm thankful for right now..."

Stop 1: Arches National Park

We traveled from Baltimore, Maryland to Salt Lake City, Utah on a Tuesday, then drove 4 hours from SLC to Moab. We stayed at the Aarchway Inn, which we absolutely loved! Because of the 3 hour time difference and a 3am wake-up time, it was still early evening after all that travel. The kids were happy to swim in the heated pool, although it was only in the mid-40's. 

Meanwhile, my job was to set my alarm for 5:58pm and be the first on the reservation system to secure tickets into the park the next day! In 2022, Arches National Park piloted a program that requires reserved timed entries into the park. You can register up to three months in advance. 

If you're like us, and not paying attention, there are limited passes available each night at 6pm for the following day. Here's more information and here's the link to register. After I got the tickets, I was curious and checked again periodically throughout the evening. The tickets for a 9am entrance disappeared in under an hour. The others were a little slower. (This was in April - busy, but not peak, season.) 

We slept long and well, ate a delicious breakfast at the Aarchway Inn, and let for Arches. Even with the timed entry tickets, it still took us about 45 minutes to get through the line and entire the park. At the advice of Earth Trekkers, we drove straight to the back of the park for the hike along the Devil's Garden Trail.

Here's where Team Strugglebus (that's us!) showed up. Jack immediately left for a 7 mile loop run that would begin on Primitive Loop, meet the Devil's Garden Trail, and return him to the parking lot. He said he'd find us when he finished. The rest of us set out and within 3 miles of this *extremely* well-marked hike, we got lost! By the time we figured it out, came back to the trail, and met Jack, I figured we'd have to cut our losses and move on to the other hikes we hoped to complete that day. But Jack said the arches along the back of the trail were really worth seeing. I knew I had put a lot of buffer into the day's flexible schedule, so we decided to just go for it. 

In the end, we hiked about twice as long as we had planned to on the Devil's Garden Trail. However, the weather was perfect, every step was beautiful, and we were ready to expend a lot of energy after a long day sitting on airplanes, shuttles, and cars. I'm so, so glad we listened to Jack and made the decision to do the whole trail. 

After that, about 2pm, we made it back to our car and ate some of the sandwiches we had packed, along with some other things, and set off on smaller hikes. Really, they were more like walks - nothing too strenuous or far. We would drive about 10 minutes, then get out and explore more arches for 20 or 30 minutes, following the Earth Trekkers suggestions. There were a couple we saw from the car and declared the view sufficient. Everyone (well, everyone except John) was getting a little tired. We decided to go back to Moab and relax for an hour or so, then come back at sunset and hike to Delicate Arch.

Back at the hotel, we made more sandwiches for the evening, Jack studied for AP exams, the kids did screens, I did a little reading for the next day, and John - well, John went for a run. He said he needed to sweat! (See what I mean about his energy level?!)

Returning to Arches National Park about 6pm, there was no line - and no timed entry was necessary. So if you ever find yourself near Arches with no timed entry passes, just head in after 5 and you'll be there for the most beautiful hours!! (I suspect you can go in before the first entry also - at least worth a try.)

We started the hike to Delicate Arch, which frankly was much harder than I expected!! I culled my photos mercilessly, so I don't have one to share of the wide expanse of open faced rock that went up and up and UP, getting windier all the way. It was cold, but we kept shedding layers!

Finally, we came around the ledge that led us straight to the overlook of Delicate Arch and it was truly, truly beautiful. I almost always disappointed by landmarks I've always seen in pictures (Exhibit A, The Leaning Tower of Pisa), but this - this did not disappoint. 

The arch is sort of down in a basin and there are incredible views of it all around the rim of the basin. The kids were hungry and cold and mostly huddled up against the ridge, eating all the food we packed (understandable). I wasn't hungry and was loving the wind and climbing around for more incredible views of this beautiful arch. Eventually, Joshua and John went down to explore, giving me the opportunity to show you the scale of the arch - it was much bigger than I expected. You can see John and Joshua are so tiny compared to it!

Not long afterwards, we began our way down to the parking lot. Joshua and Nicholas ran almost the whole way (1.5 miles) and John and I and the older boys had one of those conversations I enjoy and treasure so much. 

The perfect day - and the next was even better!

Utah National Parks Stop 2:

Canyonlands National Park

If you asked me to pick my favorite day on our tour of the Utah National Parks, it would be this day. Like Arches National Park, Canyonlands is very close to Moab. However, it's far less visited, which means we had no pressure on when to arrive and zero expectations on what we would see or do. We slept until we woke up, ate breakfast, made sandwiches, quickly packed up, and drove the short trip to Canyonlands. 

I'll just say - this park is aptly named. As we drove deep into the park toward our first hike we saw... canyons. Massive, deep, desolate canyons. 

I can't call this park beautiful, exactly, but it is awesome. Like standing under the stars on a cloudless night, this type of nature makes me feel small, calm, and connected to God and eternity.

I don't like to experience nature among huge crowds. That's one reason why I can admit that Bryce and Zion are more beautiful than Canyonlands, but I can't say I enjoyed our days there as much as I enjoyed the remote Canyonlands. The views were powerful and desolate and we enjoyed them almost by ourselves.

It probably won't look like much on the screen, but this photo above is my favorite from the whole trip. I'm printing it 4' x 3' and placing it above my fireplace. I love the tiny figures on wide swath of rock, the canyons in the top left corner, and mostly the memories. 

This was an easy, relaxed hike we took together in the afternoons. There were views all around and we were completely unhurried. The older kids were mocking me (lovingly, of course), arguing with John (lovingly, of course), Joshua was being super affectionate, and we took as long as we wanted to lay on rocks, look deep into magnificent canyons, and scramble around on the rocks.

Afterwards we drove to a tiny town with just one road, Green River, Utah. We ate the best dinner of the trip at Tamarisk Restaurant, listened to a Maundy Thursday service, and went to bed. 

Utah National Parks Stop 3:

Goblin Valley State Park
Little Wild Horse Canyon
Capital Reef National Park

I've already devoted an entire section to the praises of Earth Trekkers, but I have to mentioned them again here. This is the day their expertise helped the most. If it weren't for their advice, I never would have bothered to stop by two lowly State Parks on a trip to some of the most famous National Parks in the world! But I am so so glad we did! In fact, the second stop of the day, at Little Wild Horse Canyon, was Joshua, Marcus, and Nicholas's favorite hike of the entire trip!!

Our first stop, however, was almost as fun! Goblin Valley State Park is the definition of a hidden gem. It's off the beaten path, like nothing I've ever seen before, and best of all, we had it almost entirely to ourselves! This is nothing more than a basin surrounded by walls of rock that looked like a citadel. There were tiny caves and turrets in the walls and the little kids could have spent hours exploring those. The walls enclosed thousands of small goblin-shaped rock figures called Hoodoos - a name as fun as the park!

We spent such a carefree, relaxed morning trying to climb on top of these goblins and exploring the little caves and turrets in the walls. 

Afterwards, we drove just 10 or 15 minutes to Little Wild Horse Canyon and set off on a hike to our first slot canyon ever. 

Honestly, I wasn't really in the mood for a hike, it didn't seem like we were heading anywhere interesting, and the terrain was very gravely and slippery. I wasn't feeling it. 

Right before we entered the slot (it just looked like we were walking towards a huge rock), a pair of women stopped and waited for me. They asked if I needed some girl talk - said I must get tired of traveling with 5 boys!! Such a funny and lovely interaction and maybe I was even tempted 😉 In the end, this was a truly spectacular hike and I'm so glad I got to experience it with my own 5 special guys! 

The curved walls of the slot were just beautiful. So soft it almost looked like fabric billowing in the most soft, perfect waves.  

We were hot, dusty, and hungry after we left the canyon, but there was nowhere to eat nearby. So, we grabbed as many snacks as we wanted from the trunk, ate our sandwiches, and set out on a couple hour drive to Capital Reef National Park. When we got there, we ate a late lunch or early dinner - best burger I had in months!! 

Afterwards, the younger kids were showing signs of wearing down from some long, active days. Marcus wasn't worn down, exactly, but he was a little bored of hiking. All in all, none of them were interested in going for another hike and John and I had no desire to force them. So we left with Jack for a drive through the park and a short hike. This was one of the most precious times on the trip - how long had it been since John and I were alone together with our first-born? We had such a wonderful time together discussing politics, Jack's future dreams, family history, and the things we are grateful for. After our hike, we drove to a sunset point and savored the moment and the view. 

 

Utah National Parks Stop 4:

Bryce National Park

A set of photos is missing from this stop! I'm the photographer and I wasn't there for the first excursion into Bryce. Why? 

Because the first excursion was via ATV and I didn't want to be part of that experience. Rather, I felt my husband and sons would have a lot more fun if I wasn't part of that experience 😉

We left Capital Reef after sunrise and easily arrived in Bryce by mid-morning. It was cold (mid-40s) and very windy, and I wasn't at all sorry to sit in the van and work on editing Omayah's episode while everyone else risked life and limb on the ATVs! They had a great time for those two hours and, for the next two hours, discussed who was the fastest and the wildest driver - which is exactly the point of ATVing.

Afterwards, we got BBQ in town and drove around to the main entrance into Bryce. It was really a beautiful drive and got me extra excited for my first glimpse of Bryce. This was the stop I had been most eagerly anticipating all along... and I was not disappointed at all!

By the time we got settled in our hotel and gave the kids a few minutes to unwind, the sun was beginning to set and storm clouds were approaching. We decided we didn't have time to hike, but I really wanted to see Bryce!! So we piled into the van, drove to the very back of the park, and stopped at every single viewpoint on the way back down.

I think this drive was one of my best memories of the trip. It was SO windy and, unfortunately, after the first stop, the storm clouds weren't letting through any of the magical light we saw on the first stop. But it was one of those moments where everyone was feeling a little giddy and we just couldn't stop laughing as the wind blew us about - and at one point, it even snowed a little bit!

Then, right there at the end of the evening, I had such a memorable experience. We got to the final stop, which looked over the classic Bryce viewpoint. I felt completely electrified by the wind and cold and flurries and ran to the end of the boardwalk by myself. Everyone else was too cold and bored with the views, so no one followed me. And while I was out there by myself, looking over this incredible canyon of spires to my left and right, the wind picked up. There were snowflakes swirling all around me and a gust blew my hat right off my head. It was... terrifying. 

I wasn't afraid for myself physcially; I didn't think I was going to fall over the edge or anything like that. There was something about it that felt so supernatural. So many cultures have stories about spirits being carried in the winds. As the winds swept around and around the spires, I felt alone and not alone all at the same time. I'll really never forget that moment there in Bryce! It's something an image could never capture - but this image will always remind me of the moment. 

The next morning was Easter morning. The storm clouds had cleared away and it was still, sunny, and peaceful. After eating an amazing breakfast at The Ruby Inn (which you get for free, even if you stay at their much cheaper accomodations) and celebrating Easter together, we left for a hike. Actually, this was a combination of hikes, as recommended by Earth Trekkers. We descended deep down into the canyon, wound our way through some of the spires, and came back out via a super steep series of switchbacks.

Nicholas and Marcus split off and spent their time playing an imagination game invented (and perfected) by their cousin Caleb (no one is as good as him at "Brain Games").

Meanwhile, Jack ran about 12 miles on some of the steepest trails. When we met at the rim for lunch, he was hot, but very happy 🙂

By that point, the park was full of people. There were obviously a lot more hikes to choose from, but we didn't feel they were going to show us much we hadn't seen. We decided to gamble with another slot canyon hike in a nearby Willis Creek State Park.

Even though I got a great picture of all the boys there, it really was a pretty ho-hum hike. We buzzed through it, piled back into the car, and settled into the final chapters of our A Wrinkle In Time audiobook, intent to get to Zion National Park in time for a sunset hike. 

(Spoiler alert: We made it and it was spectacular!) 

Utah National Parks Stop 5:
Zion National Park

Our 24 hours in Zion was dictated by news we received on the way there - Jack got lottery tickets to hike Angel's Landing! The best chance of getting tickets to hike Angel's Landing is to apply months in advance, but of course - that's not how #teamstrugglebus rolls 😉

So the day before, John and Jack both entered the lottery for two tickets. John was denied and Jack was successful. The tickets are timed (the system was implemented because the number of people on such a narrow, steep, and treacherous path had become increasingly dangerous). Jack and John's tickets said they had to arrive at the trailhead by 9am. 

(Possible tip: As you'll read, they were two of the first on the trailhead the next morning. John said they weren't checking entrance tickets at that hour, so if you are unsuccessful in all the lottery attempts, it may be worth getting to the trailhead within an hour of sunrise and hoping rangers aren't there to check.)

Anyhow, we got this news on our drive from Bryce to Zion and they were both so excited! 

Meanwhile, the main focus for me was getting to Zion in time to cram in a sunset hike. We knew it would be close. We also knew we had to pick a trailhead off the main road in Zion, which is only accessible by shuttle bus. We definitely didn't have time to get to a parking lot served by the shuttle bus. Earth Trekkers to the rescue again! 

I used their post 11 Things To Do in Zion if You Don't Have A Shuttle Ticket to identify the obvious pick - a super easy, fun, beautiful 1 mile trail to Canyon Overlook. We were all *so* hungry when we started this hike, but sunset at the top was so exhilarating, the hunger pangs went away and we just enjoyed a peaceful, beautiful hour together. 

Ha! That's a lie. I enjoyed a peaceful, beautiful hour and my kids were very patient but also very annoyed 😉

We arrived at our hotel in the dark and began to plan for the next morning, when John and Jack were to hike Angel's Landing. The main plan was: Go to bed right away. Meet exactly at 7am for the amazing breakfast offered by our accomodations. Eat in 15 minutes, cross our fingers, and hope we'd find a good spot in the Visitor's Center and make it on an early shuttle. (You can't drive to the Angel's Landing Trailhead.) Oh! - and I found a nice hike for the rest of us that left from the same trailhead.

But sometime in the middle of the night, John and especially I, got anxious about the plan. Everything I read seemed to agreed that the very best way to mitigate the dangers on the hike to and from Angel's Landing was to be around as few people as possible. And everything also confirmed that the parking lot and shuttle would fill up very, very quickly. If we got behind, John and Jack's chance to be at the trailhead by 9am - and their tickets to hike Angel's Landing - could be compromised. 

So John and I agreed it would be best to skip the hot breakfast and get an even earlier start. We still had plenty of protein bars, dried fruit, nuts, etc; - no one was going to go hungry. Nevertheless, the kids (one in particular) did *not* appreciate the wisdom in our decision. They *really* wanted that hot breakfast 😉

I'm only telling you this because it set up the perfect ending to our trip to the Utah Mighty 5.....

I enjoyed a calm, cool, peaceful hike with Marcus, Joshua, and Nicholas. The Emerald Pools trail was underwhelming, if I'm being honest, but our time together was very sweet and it was special to be on such a popular trail with almost no one around - and to watch the sun rise on the peaks around us. 

John and Jack came back from their hike up Angel's Landing on a high. They were thrilled and I was so thrilled they had such a special experience together.

And then - redemption for my decision! We went to Meme's Cafe for brunch and it was one of the most memorable meals of my life! We ate everything we wanted - crepes with berries, crepes with nutella, crepes with bananas, honey, and cream. We had omelettes with all the fillings, delicious hot potatoes, and lots of refills of hot black coffee. We leisurely enjoyed our meal in the sun and perfect springtime temperatures and reminisced about our favorite parts from the trip. Although we had another drive and a couple flights (and we'll skip the hours walking around Las Vegas, which was horribly depressing), I'll always keep that memory as the perfect ending to the perfect trip!!! 

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