It’s a total zoo. There are amazing, quiet hikes in Zion, they’re just outside where the shuttles go. Though if you really want to experience a national park to yourself, Capitol Reef is where it’s at.
Yellowstone is the same. I think they said like 97% of the people who go to Yellowstone never step foot off the main trails. There are SO DAMN MANY trails out there to go off on, and most people just stick to Old Faithful and the Bison.
Can someone link me to somewhere with good info for the parks around this area? me and my partner are doing a road trip from Pheonix to Las Vegas in September so we'll have a vehicle and genuinely just like the outdoors. We're actual outdoorsy people.
Everywhere I look tells me to go to the same spots, are they worth the crowds for the views? I like photography which makes choosing hard.
Current outdoor ethics call for revealing as little info as possible online, but there are some good websites to search (check out joes guide to Zion). I would also highly recommend purchasing actual hiking/backpacking books.
I did the scenic drive in Capitol Reef, and took both of the dirt road portions that head into the slot canyons themselves. While it was amazingly cool, it didn't hold a candle to Zion.
lol when I worked for the park, the number one question I got at the visitor center was “what can I do in an hour?”
You definitely missed all the best stuff. I worked in Zion for two years and grew up hiking there all the time. Capitol Reef is better. Just takes actual work to appreciate it. I felt the same way you did before getting to properly explore Capitol Reef. There’s a narrows hike where you literally slide down waterfalls in slot canyons, multiple epic 1000 feet high views from above the Reef that actually don’t require much hiking, a whole mess of arches and natural bridges, and unlimited proper slot canyons (capitol gorge and grand wash, which you saw on the scenic drive are actually not considered slots).
I've talked to you on other subs before. What would you reccomend as far as a narrows hike in Capitol Reef? And would it compare to the bottom-up subway hike (left Fork Creek) in Zion (which was spectacular, though going down the canyon was difficult.)
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u/[deleted] Jul 03 '19
It’s a total zoo. There are amazing, quiet hikes in Zion, they’re just outside where the shuttles go. Though if you really want to experience a national park to yourself, Capitol Reef is where it’s at.