Utah’s National Parks

My family went on a road trip across the U.S. recently, and one of our stops was in Utah, specifically to see their National Parks! I had only been to a few parks before the trip, so I was so excited to see these new places. We went to four out of the five in two days.
In this post, I’ll be ranking all of them based on my experience seeing them.
Can I start by saying how AMAZING our GOD IS??!! These places that He made are incredibly breathtaking.

1) Capital Reef

I’m not going to lie, this was the park I was least excited to see.

First of all, I kept completely forgetting that it existed and continually informed my family that Utah had four parks instead of five. Then, when I would look up the parks ranked online, Capital Reef was always on the bottom.

So how did it become my favorite?

First, do you see those rocks? I had no idea that there were red rocks on Earth (I thought they were Mars exclusive 🤣). And the formations were breathtaking. I’m sure it would have been so fun to hike. We did not end up hiking, however, as we aren’t really fond of hiking.

Second, the TREES! Almost all the trees were huge with striking yellow leaves. We found a picnic area in a clearing with these trees bordering it and a stream just beside, and it was probably the most beautifully peaceful place I’ve ever been to. We ate lunch, raced sticks down the river, and tried to catch leaves as they fell from the trees. It’s probably my favorite place because of the family time we had there.

There were also some really cool picture carvings in the rocks from ancient Native Americans, which was fascinating.

2) Zion

This place was BEAUTIFUL!

Definitely a close second, Zion had the coolest rock formations paired with green trees and crystal-clear streams. The nice thing about Zion was that all the best viewing spots were right along the road, so you can simply drive right through the park without having to hike out to overlooks.

This park felt like a bigger version of Capital Reef, minus the yellow trees. My favorite parts were the streams, the rock tunnels, and the gorgeous views.

3) Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon is the most beautiful park on the list.

“So Cally, why isn’t it number one, or at least number two?” you ask.
It was freezing. So so so cold.
No amount of jackets could save you from the frosty wind. We literally sprinted from the car to the overlook, and back to the car again as soon as we got a picture.

We arrived at the park at around sunset, and it made for the most gorgeous views.

At the entrance of the park, it doesn’t look like much. Then, after about 25 minutes of driving up the mountain, it’s suddenly apparent why so many people love Bryce Canyon. The rocks are incredible.

As we were driving through the lower part of the park, we spotted a single black cow, wandering through a clearing. One. Cow. We named him Bryce. Once out of the park and in a gift shop, my mom found a sticker that said: Bryce Canyon: Heck Of A Place To Lose A Cow. It’s true.

I think I would have enjoyed Bryce Canyon a lot better if it had been warmer. I hate being cold.

4) Arches

This place was incredible.

Probably one of the most famous National Parks, Arches is known for, well, arches! These natural rock formations are crazy cool and undeniably made by an all powerful Creator.

Why is this one so far down the list? Well, we got to the park at exactly sunset, so the beginning of the park was bathed in a fiery glow, but then the rest of it was almost dark, making it extremely difficult to enjoy.
For example, you know the “Delicate Arch”, the most famous arch in the park?
This is what it looked like when we got to the viewing point:

However, I’m sure it’s very impressive in the light.

On the way to the exit of the park, we stopped on the side of the road and looked at the stars. With no light pollution, it’s crazy how many you can see! We even saw a shooting star.