Utah: Hiking the Mighty Five

My boyfriend and I spent our last trip together hiking more than 70 miles across Utah’s national parks.

August 29, 2021

I didn’t want to write about this trip.

I found myself putting off the task more so than usual and it wasn’t until I broke down over a glass of wine while sorting through trip photos in front of Gilmore Girls that I realized why: This is my closure. My sitting down and acknowledging the end of our 5-year relationship. A final trip with the man I’d gone on so many with.

It was an odd feeling, I’ll admit. Starting the trip knowing it would be the last one we do together. But I tried not to dwell on that for too long—especially when 70 miles of Utah’s gorgeous scenes awaited us.

Zion

Zion was the most crowded but arguably the most beautiful of Utah’s national parks.

We spent 2.5 days in Zion, which felt like the perfect amount of time. It gave us a day to hike Angels Landing, a day in the Narrows, and time for a few other sights.

Our tiny home in Leeds, about 40 minutes from the park

The Court of the Patriarchs

I guess they’re lucky?

Angels Landing

By far the most nerve-wrecking hike I’ve ever done, Angels Landing took us 4.5 miles and 1,600 feet up above the canyons of Zion.

The trail starts with a gradual incline that gets significantly steeper about a third of the way up. Roughly halfway up, the trail up the mountain narrows—to a knee-wobbling foot and a half in some places—so much that I couldn’t confidently take my next step without white-knuckling the chains.

Pro tip: Wear biking or other gloves to prevent your hands from chafing on the chains.

The trail opposite of Angels Landing brings you to a more remote area that’s worth a wander.

Emerald Pools

After Angels Landing, we opted for an easier stroll to the Lower Emerald Pools, which brought us behind a little waterfall and gave us a nice view of the pools.

The Narrows

I’m not sure how far you can hike into the Narrows, but we trekked at least 4.5 miles down the murky (and, at that time in early June, toxic algae-infested) waters below the steep canyon walls. The water got a bit deep for my comfort—up to the chest in some places—but was refreshing in the heat of the midday.

Pro tip: Wear sturdy shoes that cover your entire foot. I wore Tevas that got the job done, but suffered several stubbed toes and rolled ankles walking blind in the rocky river bed.

Riverside Walk

We enjoyed a morning stroll along the path that flaunted some incredible views in the canyon.

Trail: Riverside Walk (2.2 miles)

Kolob Canyons

On our last day in Zion, we ventured to the less busy Zion Wilderness between Kolob Canyons.

Trail: Taylor Creek (5.3 miles)

Zion set us off with one unforgettable sunrise.

Bryce Canyon

Possibly my favorite of the national parks we visited, Bryce Canyon was larger and so felt much less crowded than Zion.

We spent 2 days at Bryce Canyon, which was plenty of time to hike more than 20 miles through the unbelievably orange hoodoos that towered over the trails.

Trails:

Swamp Canyon Loop (4.5 miles)
Fairyland Loop (8.7 miles)
Navajo and Queen’s Garden Loops (3 miles)
Peek-a-boo Trail (6.2 miles)

Our Airbnb on a private orchard in the Escalante (an hour from Bryce Canyon).

Capitol Reef

Capitol Reef was the smallest of the parks we visited, but still worth the trip. We only spent a couple of hours there—enough for a drive down the main drag and a quick hike to some pools—before our eagerness to get to Moab had us back on the road.

Trail: Capitol Gorge (2.3 miles)

Arches

We only spent a day in Arches, but that gave us enough time to see the arch.

Trail: Delicate Arch (3.2 miles)

And some pretty cool other arches.

Trails:

The Windows (1.2 miles)
Devil’s Garden Primitive Trail (6 miles)

Moab was about 30 minutes from Arches and Canyonlands, so we booked a glamping experience in one of the RV parks just outside of the city.

Canyonlands

Canyonlands was, in my opinion, the most underrated of the parks. I hadn’t heard much about it, but was blown away by the scenery.

Mesa Arch

We started the morning with sunrise at the Mesa Arch, which, to this day, topped any other sunrise I've ever seen.

Trail: Mesa Arch (.75 mile)

Grand View & White Rim

After the sun rose, we took the main drive to a couple other trails on the Island in the Sky mesa to overlook canyons that stretch to meet horizon. We tried to do the Gooseberry Canyon hike that (supposedly) descends to the base of the mesa, but couldn’t find the trailhead.

If I ever go back, I’ll definitely check out the White Rim Road that loops around the canyons below the mesa.

Trails:

Grand View Point (2 miles)
White Rim Overlook (2 miles)

I’m glad we did this trip.

Not everything was perfect. We disagreed. We got annoyed. We had bouts of strained silence.

I think the gravity of this being our last trip weighed on us both, but it’s hard not to appreciate the time you’re spending together when you’re experiencing such affecting places.

It’s hard not to get excited about what comes next.

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