Thursday, October 30, 2014

Kodachrome Basin SP, UT - 10/30/14

Thursday – October 30, 2014
Kodachrome Basin State Park
Connorville, Utah

We departed the Escalante Petrified Forest State Park Campground at 10:05 a.m. We arrived at the Kodachrome Basin State Park Campground at 11:15 a.m. This campground is located 25 miles east of Bryce Canyon National Park and will be our home base for the next two days.

During our auto tour of Bryce Canyon National Park yesterday, we had discovered an interesting hiking trail we thought we would enjoy. We decided we would do that hike today. We started our descent into the canyon at Sunset Point at 2:00 p.m. The beginning of the trail is a series of steep switchbacks, descending 1177 feet deep into the canyon floor.

Our hike took us through spruce-fir forests to cliffs with bristlecone pines and expansive vistas. It was an amazing experience to see the rock formations (known as "hoodoos") up close. Bryce Canyon is world famous for its concentrations of hoodoos, odd-shaped pinnacles and spires formed primarily due to freezing and thawing cycles within fractures in the rock.

We completed our 4.5-mile hike, exiting at Sunrise Point, at 4:15 p.m. We knew the ascent hike out of the canyon would be a strenuous one… and it was! Steep switchbacks, ascending the 1177 feet from the canyon floor, made for slow-going, with frequent "scenic" (like, catch your breath) breaks.

After completing "high-fives" with one another for completing another successful hike, we departed Bryce Canyon for our return to Kodachrome Basin State Park.

Camping Fee: $28.00 for water, electric and sewer hookup service.
Camping Site: 24

Total miles traveled today: 42

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Bryce Canyon NP, UT - 10/29/14

Wednesday – October 29, 2014
Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce, Utah

Another cool morning greeted us, here at the Escalante Petrified Forest State Park Campground in Escalante, Utah. The temperature was in the low forties with the forecast to be in the lower sixties today. A perfect day for a road trip to Bryce Canyon National Park.

Bryce Canyon National Park is located 49 miles east of Escalante on Scenic Byway 12. Steep 8% grades, and 25 mph curves dominate some segments of the route to the park.

There are 14 viewpoints along Bryce Canyon’s 18-mile road (one-way distance). We took the auto tour today and visited 9 of the most popular viewpoints.

View Points Visited:

1. Sunset Point

2. Inspiration Point

3. Swamp Canyon


A raven joined us for a close-up photo op!

4. Farview Point

5. Natural Bridge

6. Agua Canyon

7. Ponderosa Canyon

8. Rainbow Point


Enjoying a picnic lunch at 9,115 feet!

9. Yovimpa Point

Bryce Canyon is world famous for its concentrations of stunningly bizarre and highly colorful eroded rock formations that include pillars, fins, spires, mazes, and Pink Cliff columns, called hoodoos. These rock formations are formed primarily due to freezing and thawing cycles within fractures in the rock. Uplifting of Utah’s High Plateaus contributed to formation of the Grand Staircase, with Bryce Canyon at the top.

Tomorrow another adventure begins.