This adventure began during Covid... Yep, Covid turned a lot of things upside down, but most of all, it kept us cooped up for a few months and stopped us from traveling for a while—even longer for a die-hard fan of the American West like me.
While borders were closed, I started imagining what an ideal itinerary might look like—one that would string together all the Southwest must-sees in just two weeks, during the best time of year: September and October. When the U.S. announced in September 2021 that borders would reopen in the coming weeks, I regained hope and began scouting flight tickets for a departure in September 2022.
But here’s the thing: tackling solo hikes, each one tougher than the last, right in the heart of the Wilderness, could be a risky—even reckless—endeavor for a father of three. After a quick chat with some virtual friends who are just as passionate about the Southwest as I am, with good physical condition and nearly the same list of must-visit spots, Franck and his brother Sullivan were in! [:)]
In November, we snagged flight tickets from Nice to San Francisco for the modest sum of 400 €, and a few days later, I booked a Toyota Tacoma pickup for 840 € !
It’s not cheap for just 15 days, and a pickup isn’t exactly ideal for luggage, but the prices for full-size 4x4s have become totally outrageous! Due to border closures, rental companies had to offload a lot of these big 4x4s, which tourists love. Then, supply and demand did the rest !
Franck and I spent the winter and spring trying to cram the equivalent of three weeks of hikes into two. But even with physical limits, we had to stay reasonable! Three to four months before departure, we entered the lotteries for different must-see spots: The Subway, Coyote Buttes North (home to the famous Wave), and Coyote Buttes South (CBS).
The Wave is the holy grail for any Southwest enthusiast. Since 2015, we’ve tried our luck with the online and on-site lotteries about ten times, but the spots are unfortunately limited: just 20 per day. A glimmer of hope, though—since early 2022, that number has increased to 64 people allowed per day, with 48 spots awarded via the online lottery.
After all three of us tried our luck for The Wave, on June 1st at exactly 5 PM, I got an email that started with, "Congratulations! You were successful in the Coyote Buttes North (The Wave) September 2022 Permit Lottery at Coyote Buttes North (The Wave)...". At 5:01 PM, I called Franck, whose dream it’s been for over 20 years—ever since the first photos were published in a travel magazine! He didn’t believe me when I told him, and I had to forward the email for him to finally accept the unbelievable: we were going to The Wave and all the incredible spots scattered across the protected area of Coyote Buttes North.
I’ve already been to Coyote Buttes South twice, but there are areas I couldn’t explore in the middle of summer because they were too remote. So, I had no trouble letting my buddies convince me to go back for a third time. Plus, given how hard it is to access, we had no trouble securing a permit online as long as we logged in at exactly 8 PM on the dot!
For The Subway, all three of us struck out. No big deal—we won at CBN and CBS!
Among the sites to visit, there are two that I’m particularly attached to because I know my chances of wanting to see them again are slim. The first is Angel Arch, one of the most legendary arches in the Southwest, due to its remoteness from any trace of civilization. To get there, the recommended hike is Upper Salt Creek, and you’re looking at a 50 km round-trip in an area with no water (in September) and populated by bears.
The second site is the Hopi Salt Trail, in Navajo land, which, after a very tough hike, lets you marvel at the turquoise-blue waters of the Little Colorado before it meets the Colorado River. The Hopi Salt Trail is, like The Wave, the holy grail for any Southwest enthusiast, and the windows of opportunity to see the water in that magical color are very short each year. For this, you have to monitor the Little Colorado’s gauges downstream from Cameron: if the level stays at its lowest for 10 consecutive days—meaning no rain—you can hope for turquoise water. The ideal period rarely exceeds 30 days a year, and it’s usually in June that all the stars align.
But unfortunately, one month before departure, while the flow rate at Cameron looked promising, several storms in September dashed our hopes of doing the Hopi Salt Trail, even at the end of the road trip.
We still had two consolation prizes, though:
After a last-minute cancellation, while keeping an eye out for available spots for The Subway, it turned out that three spots opened up exactly on the day we’d planned to go—so we rushed to grab them!!
Regarding the 4x4 rental, the prices for full-size models dropped by several hundred dollars, and we ended up finding a Chevrolet Tahoe for less than $1000. A steal and a serious boost in comfort, so we could store all our gear and food without worry!
Here’s the initial plan in a perfect world:
D1 The White Domes - Camping
D2 Sunrise at The White Domes - The Subway
D3 Coyote Buttes North
D4 Coyote Buttes South - White Pocket
D5 Wahweap Hoodoos - Sidestep Canyon - Colourful Canyon - White Rocks - Sunset at Yellow Rock
D6 Broken Bow Arch - Reflection Canyon
D7 Coyote Gulch
D8 The Volcano (or The Oasis - Zebra Slot Canyon if the weather’s good) - North Caineville Mesa
D9 The Needles: Squaw Canyon - Lost Canyon combo - Druid Arch - Chesler Park
D10 Upper Salt Creek Day 1 - Camping
D11 Upper Salt Creek Day 2
D12 Hopi-Navajo Territory: Ha Ho No Geh Canyon, Coal Mine Canyon, Bends of the Little Colorado
D13 Grand Canyon: South Kaibab Trail and Bright Angel Trail
D14 Upper East Zion: East Temple Loop, Jughandle Arch, Center of the Universe, and Checkerboard Mesa Summit
And several backup options in case of bad weather, including Spencer Trail, West Cove, and Buffington Pockets.
Day 0 - 09/23
While my buddies are taking a flight from Paris to San Francisco, I leave Nice super early at 6:30 AM, and we’ve planned to meet up in San Francisco with an hour’s difference. Barely has the plane landed on the tarmac at noon, and with my data turned on, I get a text from Franck telling me the flight from Paris is running a good hour late.
So here I am, two hours ahead of Franck and Sullivan at the Thrifty rental agency. There’s a huge crowd waiting, and it’s only after an hour and a half in line that I finally reach the counter. No issues with the vehicle or the insurance policies the agents usually try to push on exhausted travelers after long flights.
However, since Franck isn’t physically present, the agent refuses to add him as a second driver without seeing his license in hand. That’s pretty annoying, considering the number of miles we’ll have to cover during this road trip!
It’s finally at 3 PM that I’m face-to-face with our Tahoe, which will become our faithful companion for the next two weeks!
It still took me 3 hours just to clear customs and pick up an SUV!!
A few minutes later, I stop at the drop-off zone to pick up Franck and Sullivan, who’ve just cleared customs!
Instead of spending several nights in San Francisco like most tourists, we decided to spend our first night in St. George, Utah—about 9.5 hours from the airport! Theoretically, leaving the airport at 2 PM made it seem totally doable.
But we hadn’t accounted for the hour lost in the Thrifty line, the heavy traffic in and around San Francisco that cost us an extra 2 hours, and a detour to an REI store north of Oakland, where I picked up a Bear Canister I’d ordered online before the trip.
What’s a Bear Canister? It’s a simple plastic box with a special lid that makes it completely bear-proof. Without this special container, you can’t get a permit for backpacking in Canyonlands—Needles section! And no permit means no Angel Arch!
Once we got past the traffic, picked up the Bear Canister, and did our shopping at a mega Walmart, we still had to cover the 620 miles to St. George. So we took turns driving to try and arrive as fresh as possible!
On the road, we got a glimpse of Las Vegas by night, which we’ll see again at the end of the trip.
After losing another hour virtually due to the time change, we finally reach our hotel at 6 AM instead of the originally planned 3 AM...
When the front desk guy sees us walk in, he asks if we’re *actually* going to spend the night here!! We naturally answer YES!
Once in the room, we wish each other a good nap, since obviously, there’s no way we’re changing our meticulously planned itinerary that we’ve been preparing for months—we’ve got breakfast scheduled for 8 AM!
And that’s the story of our first travel day, which lasted 30 hours...!
Oh awesome, I’m literally planning the West Coast trip too! I’m settling in and already have my first question—what site did you use to book the Tahoe, and do you recommend it (for 4 people)?
Welcome aboard, Fabienne, Milena, Régis, and Sylvain!
@ Milena
which site did you book the Tahoe through? And do you recommend it (for 4 people)?
I usually go through Autoeurope with the zero-excess option. I got a rate of 980 € a month before departure, when prices were much higher before.
For 4 people, the Tahoe is perfect. The V6 drinks a fair bit, but the comfort and space are great, especially if you're traveling in camping mode.
Its only major downside is the front bumper scraping in some spots, particularly on steep fords, but it handled sandy tracks just fine. That said, I wouldn’t risk it on rough trails with rocky sections that require off-road tires and a shorter wheelbase.
Hey! Cool, there’s gonna be some reading to do... ;)
I don’t quite get the J6 to J7 flow—since the best thing at RC is sunrise...
For Angel Arch, having done both Upper and Lower now, I’d way more recommend Lower Salt Creek starting from Cave Springs, even if there’s a bit less "stuff to see" (ruins, petroglyphs, and arches). In the end, apart from two or three closer arches, all the ones you see from Upper are far away, and unless you’re really into petroglyphs, I think Lower is prettier once you’ve passed Peekaboo. That said, the first sandy section is a pain, true. But the climb back up from Upper is a drag too ;)
I consider myself a "Southwest enthusiast" after nearly a year spent there in total, but the Little Colorado isn’t a must-see for me at all—I’m not tempted in the slightest! [:P]
Hey Yves!
For Reflection Canyon, Franck and I hesitated for a long time. Catching the sunrise there meant sacrificing the next day, since we couldn’t follow up with Coyote Gulch right after. Plus, with the water level so low based on recent reports, we figured our photos wouldn’t compare to the ones just before Covid, like the ones you got.
For Angel Arch, the feedback I read about Lower Salt Creek said there wasn’t much to see along the way. So, why not try the northern route instead...
I’m surprised the Hopi Salt Trail doesn’t tempt you! The rarity of the turquoise water makes this spot even more desirable. It was Oliv2019’s trip report and story that really inspired me... and I’m hoping to make that dream a reality someday while I’m still in good enough shape!
Yeah, I remember Olivier’s story well. But nah... even Havasupai was meh. Besides, I’ve never had any falls or anything in the West, except for The Subway (but that was on my 15th trip).
Seriously, water... (so you can imagine how much I enjoyed Brimhall Bridge ;) )
And I’ve also postponed Neon Canyon countless times... yeah, because there’s water...
And to think I even have my scuba diving certification! !
Staying motionless for more than 15 minutes in freezing water at Golden Cathedral, just to get a perfectly still surface—wow, your passion for photography is *way* stronger than your fear of cold water! !!
And I can’t even imagine crossing that infamous icy pool practically naked to reach Brimhall Bridge
Hi Guillaume,
What a pleasure to discover a new travel journal and to (re)visit these magnificent places by proxy (many are inaccessible to me). Maybe I’ll get around to writing another journal about our return to the West in 2023. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Françoise,
It really makes me happy to hear from you and to share these amazing places I’ve dreamed of visiting—most of them, anyway—or rediscovering in more detail for others...
09/24/2022: Day 1 - White Domes
Our alarms go off at 7:30 AM, after a 1.5-hour nap. Tough, you might say! Not really, because with the time difference, it's already 3:30 PM in France and in our biological clocks.
After a basic, typical US motel breakfast—pastries, waffles, and neon-colored cereals—we leave St. George, a Mormon stronghold, to head to Hildale where the trailhead for our first big hike of the trip is located.
The White Domes are a dream for Franck and me. Featured in the 3rd edition of *Photographing the Southwest Utah* (published around 2015 or 2016), these white sandstone buttes, with an orange base, are especially photogenic. They attract Southwest enthusiasts because they’re off the beaten path, require some effort, and you have to camp overnight to capture the best light, either at sunrise or sunset.
For me, this hike has a little taste of revenge after my failed attempt in February 2019 due to too much snow at the top. There are two ways to access them: Water Canyon, shorter but steeper, and Squirrel Canyon, which adds 2 km to the hike but offers a gentler, more linear climb.
Loaded up like pack mules with 6L of water, tents, sleeping bags, and food for a day and a half, we wisely choose the steeper ascent—Water Canyon!
The hike is easy for the first 2 kilometers. We even run into some local families enjoying the water and coolness at the bottom of the gorges, taking a refreshing dip.
For us, though, the real challenge is just beginning. After backtracking a few dozen meters, we continue to the left of the canyon to start climbing. The ascent is really steep, the packs are heavy, and our calves are burning.
Halfway up, we spot a horse a few meters below us, in a state of decomposition. The poor thing must have slipped during the climb, gotten hurt, and slowly perished.
After what feels like an endless climb, the views are breathtaking.
In the background:
Ahead, a view of the Top Rock plateau in hues we already love!
I had noted to explore this area, called Orange Rock if I remember correctly, but the terrain is pretty intimidating, so we decide to prioritize other spots for this day’s hike.
Around 1 PM, after 3 hours of walking, we reach the White Domes, and the photo frenzy begins!
The sun is at its peak, and the rocks appear almost pure white. The base of the domes sometimes shows off orange or even reddish hues—absolutely stunning! It’s magnificent!
The smooth areas alternate with more undulating rock formations.
We hunt for the best angles to take photos and have a blast like kids.
Enough playing around—it’s time to explore the northern area. Since we’ll be coming back to camp tonight, we only take part of our gear and stash the rest in some bushes. We haven’t seen anyone, but you never know—maybe others will wander here during the day...
Here’s the plateau we’re about to cross:
The terrain is trickier than it looks—it keeps pulling us east instead of heading straight north. At one point, we even wonder if the GPS is acting up...
At the end of the plateau, we’re rewarded with a first-class gift: a stunning view of Zion National Park!!
Hello Guillaume,
I’m also heading into the Tahoe—glad you switched vehicles, it’s way more comfortable than the pickup truck’s ride [;)]
Like Agnès, I’d already followed your adventures on FB, and I’m thrilled to relive your exploits [:)]
"Voyager est un triple plaisir : l'attente, l'éblouissement et le souvenir." Ilka Chase
Okay, enough chit-chat—the sun won’t wait for us to catch the sunset, so we continue our loop toward The Notch. Along the way, we spot some special rocks and shrubs.
After passing through an amphitheater and a few unique hoodoos, we reach The Notch, a narrow passage between two rock walls offering a distant view of the plains. Well, I have to admit I was expecting something a little more impressive...
It’s 5 PM, and we need to get to the Domes without dawdling too much since we want to set up our tents before sunset. Along the way, we pass a spot called Black Rocks—no mystery why it’s named that!
Back at the Domes, we grab our gear and hurry to pitch our tent in one of the few sandy spots. Then, we take advantage of the softer light to admire the White Domes with new hues and deeper contrasts!
We quickly realize the shadows aren’t exactly where we’d want them for the sunset, which makes us even more hopeful for the sunrise!
As the sun races toward the horizon, the three of us soak in these precious moments. After sunset, we can’t bring ourselves to leave. No big deal—we’ll just make dinner by headlamp if we have to!
Without the sun, the Domes aren’t quite so "white" anymore. And with the sunrise still to come, there’s a real reason to camp here and enjoy all the different colors and moods the site offers!
After a delicious Chinese soup—which doesn’t quite make up for the day’s calorie burn—we fall asleep easily at the foot of the massif, in a dreamlike setting!
Final tally: 18 km of hiking, absolute tranquility, and a stunning site that lives up to its reputation. So glad we decided to camp here to experience the changing colors and enjoy the softer light of the late afternoon!
Hey Isabelle,
No surprises there, but to convince you to stay, I can just say that all the photos posted are new. Okay, fine, they're just amateur shots compared to yours, but I'll pick the least bad ones [:P]
I'm taking the train. I'm already interested in your trip to Hildale and the White Dome, which I've never done. It's on my list for a future trip.
For Reflection Canyon, I went there in September and the water level has really risen!... [;)]
Quite an adventure for my hike since I did the round trip in one day because of the very strong winds. I didn't want to stay overnight because I wouldn't have slept much with the weather.
It was a bit rough going back and forth
Carnets de voyage :
Ouest : https://voyageforum.com/discussion/video-time-lapse-road-trip-dans-ouest-usa-novembre-2013-carnet-voyage-d6301659/
Floride : https://voyageforum.com/discussion/retour-voyage-en-floride-21-mai-9-juin-2016-d7536021/
09/25/2022: Day 2 - Sunrise at White Domes - The Subway
After all those hours on the road over two days and all those miles covered, we decide to sleep in and set the alarm for 9 a.m.... Nope, impossible... the alarm’s set for 6 a.m., and we were already awake naturally, afraid of missing the sunrise that promised some beautiful surprises!
At 6:45 a.m., we’re already dragging our slippers around the Domes, waiting for the sun...
The sun finally peeks out at 7:30 a.m.
Sullivan takes the chance to fly his drone from the top of a hill, while Franck and I explore the site in every direction.
Our intuition from the day before was right... The contrasts, colors, and the overall vibe leave us speechless this morning! What an amazing feeling !!
We move through different angles and corners of the site, soaking up every wave of rock.
Contrary to what you might think, the site is pretty spread out and isn’t just limited to the most famous Dome.
Spotting Franck at the top of the highest hill, I decide to head up there too !
And from up there, the view is just wow!! I must have stayed a good quarter of an hour soaking it all in...
As the minutes pass, the stone hues lighten, and they’ll soon match the colors from yesterday’s midday!
The most beautiful part is definitely the central section with its different ripples, and even a bush playing hide-and-seek depending on the angle.
After a solid hour, we gather our things to head back down to civilization—other adventures await us today!
One last glance at this exceptional, unjustly overlooked site. We really made the most of this first visit—certainly not the last...
For the return trip, which is 100% downhill, we don’t dawdle! We even take a more direct route than yesterday and quickly reach the entrance to Water Canyon, which we race down in just a few dozen minutes. A quick refreshing drink stop at the bottom of Water Canyon,
and we’re already back at the car. 8 km of downhill with a few steep sections in just 1h45—we’re not bad at all [:P]...
From Hildale, we head back to civilization and make our way to Zion’s Visitor Center to pick up our permits for Left Fork of North Creek, which we lucked into securing a few days before our departure after a last-minute cancellation!
After a good half-hour wait, we get the usual lecture about risking our lives in hostile terrain, needing warm clothes, and how we could die if we get lost... The goal of all these warnings is to discourage tourists from going in flip-flops, which is far from our case.
After an hour wasted on talk, we head out on Kolob Terrace Road and reach The Subway’s parking lot. Darn, it’s packed, and we even have to park on the side of the road... But a full parking lot won’t cool us down or stop us from discovering our second must-see of the trip !!
This 8 km hike along the river—or even *in* the Left Fork of North Creek—is known for being uninteresting for the first... 7 km. Oh, come on! Walking just for the sake of walking isn’t really our thing, so the final spot better be worth it !
Just a few hundred meters in, we reach the start of a steep canyon we have to descend into. We’re already thinking about the climb back up that’ll make our calves burn...
And there we are on a super well-marked trail (impossible to get lost) that we follow on a slight incline without difficulty—except for the length. The trail alternates between sections right by the river, river crossings, and a few rocky stretches farther from the water that slow us down.
I can confirm the first 6 km are boring unless you’re a fan of river water. The only distraction is all the groups of hikers we pass heading back. They must’ve had nothing else to do today. Our schedule was packed—we had Sunrise at White Domes this morning!
And it’s only after 1h15 that we see our first mini waterfall. Twenty minutes later, we come across another one worth the detour.
Then, as the minutes pass, we slow down because the scenery is stunning!
Even this late in the season, the river with its succession of mini waterfalls is super photogenic and worth the hike on its own. Given how fragile the site is, it makes sense why access to The Subway is limited in terms of visitors!
Then we reach the series of bends that mark the entrance to The Subway. We pass a group, hoping they’re the last.
Then we arrive at the entrance to The Subway—unmistakable!
We discover a multitude of icy pools, and we have to move very carefully because the ground is *super* slippery!
At the very end, we spot hikers descending the canyon doing canyoning. Lucky them!!
We settle for turning around, and then—visual shock! There it is, the famous view of The Subway that we’ve all seen on Windows wallpapers!
It’s gorgeous, but I have to admit the luminous halo of The Subway is prettier in photos than in person. A bit like Antelope Canyon!
But we’re not going to complain—we shoot this exceptional spot as it deserves! Franck even risks a skinny-dip in an icy pool that’s barely 10°C! I’ll avoid censorship and won’t post the photos...
It’s time to head back because, without realizing it, we’ve already covered 16 km, and we still have 8 km to go to reach the car.
For the return trip, we decide to skip the trail with its slightly steep sections and go straight through the river. In math, we’ve always been taught that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, so we stuff everything from our pockets into our backpacks, and when the sides get too tricky, we make quick progress in the river. The water’s cold, reaching up to our waists at most, but it’s refreshing, especially since we’re still moving at an average of 5 km/h. We pass quite a few people we’d seen on the way in, and on the super steep climb, it’s even worse—we leave them in the dust. Thanks to Sullivan’s military pace at the front, it only takes us 1h30 to cover those 8 km, including the river sections and the steep climb out of the canyon.
To avoid any risks for tomorrow—the *big* day we’ve been waiting for—we take House Rock Valley Road to sleep at Stateline Campground, a primitive campsite near Coyote Buttes North. After a freezing shower that only I dared to take, and a dinner of carbs, it’s lights out to be in top shape tomorrow...
Day’s recap: 24 km on the odometer and two major sites visited, with a clear preference for the sunrise at White Domes—unforgettable. The Subway is truly amazing, a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but I wouldn’t go back.
Great day!
You or one of your buddies wouldn’t happen to have logged a hike on Strava, would you? There are segments...
Though it’s not 8 km—I’ve got 13.95 km for the round trip to Subway, with an Epix 2, using multiband.
If you don’t have multiband, the GPS chip in deep canyons can create wonky points that add distance...
(One of the reasons I switched from the 66i to the 67i for hiking GPS—way more accurate in deep canyons.)
Took me 1h47 from the bottom of Subway back to the car, too ;) and funnily enough, almost the exact same time (within 2 minutes) from White Domes to the car...
Sullivan was recording everything on his GPS watch—a Suunto, if I remember correctly. Maybe he was also logging it on Strava. Often, there was a difference between what he measured and the theoretical data from Basecamp that I’d noted in my prep. So your data confirms it.
I also had my Garmin GPS, but I didn’t keep it on all the time, so no way to compare.
give me his name on Messenger, I’ll check if he has a Strava account.
You don’t "register" on Strava, even if it’s possible with a mobile. You link your Strava account to your Garmin or Suunto account, for example, and it transfers "automatically".
Yesterday after reading your trip report, I followed a Guillaume H... on Strava, but it wasn’t you lol...
Yeah, at least those two hikes.
After reading about your semi-marathon convict adventures, I’m rereading them here with pleasure. Okay, you’re a bit on the extreme side, though. Kudos to you! 🤐😱
"Je suis africain, non pas parce que je suis né en Afrique, mais parce que l'Afrique est née en moi." Kwame Nkrumah.
"J'ai appris que le courage n'est pas l'absence de peur, mais la capacité de la vaincre." Nelson Mandela
It's not just that which creates differences between a theoretical track and reality. Often, there are far fewer points on the theoretical track, so the total distance is a tad shorter.
When you're hiking and taking photos, you often stray to one side or the other.
Even though we hiked a lot of kilometers each day, we never felt like we were rushing or skipping the sights.
When you're "active" from 7 AM to 7 PM, you can fit a lot into 12 hours—and plenty of hikes too...
These two sites are amazing
Quick question: was it water that eroded "The Subway" into that tunnel shape? Because it looks like gas tubes in volcanic rock.
"Voyager est un triple plaisir : l'attente, l'éblouissement et le souvenir." Ilka Chase
I’ve just jumped in too. So happy to see familiar names and be able to chat again!
I’m only at the beginning of my read: you guys started with a bang (we’d never have kept up with a 9-hour drive right after the flight ) and those stunning White Domes! Thanks to your photos, I’m discovering the northern area we hadn’t explored—what a gorgeous view of the Zion massif!
Alright, off to read the rest! And thanks for writing it all up.
What a joy to see everyone reuniting here on VF. For a comeback, this is quite the surprise. A trip that dreams are made of. A travel journal whose title alone is mouthwatering. It’s off to a great start
Ouest américain : road-trip multigénérationnel : https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=7117430;#7117430 - tête-à-tête mère-fils, avril 2017 https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=8104174;#8104174 - De Yellowstone à Disneyworld juillet 2018 https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=9104079;a=9104079
Hi Fanny,
You can see that your message about reopening the forum worked on me... You’ll have to be a little patient for this summer’s Iceland travel journal [:)]
Strangely, I’m enjoying writing this journal more than the upcoming Iceland one... It still gives me chills and so much nostalgia!
I’m also joining in to follow this trip, which looks like it’s going to be amazing! [:)]
Apart from The Needles, I haven’t had the chance to explore the other sites yet.
I’m also happy to see familiar member names and get to chat with everyone!
Hi Carmen,
So happy to reconnect with you , especially since we’d lost touch and hadn’t stayed in contact on social media for these past 4 years.
I saw you’d reacted to another post and was about to reply...
Have a great evening
Beautiful entry into the US!
A 2/2 so far. (By the way, I follow an Alsatian hiker on Insta who crossed Utah, and it’s tempting me...)
The colors of the White Domes at sunrise—unbelievable. It’s so stunning I don’t think you’d ever want to look away... And—wow, I’m adding this hike in Zion to my favorites (though I’ll have to see if there’s water in July; I’ll check just before, and I need to snag a ticket...).
For The Subway, no need to worry about water—it’s there year-round. That said, during the peak of the rainy season, it might not be as clear as it is in September. Either way, the site is worth all the effort!
I’ve already seen photos of The Subway in May—way too much water. That alone makes the hike tough, but the photos are also *way* less impressive!
Plus, the light doesn’t reflect the same way at the canyon entrance.
On the other hand, the summer ascent at the end must be something else ;)
So excited to dive back into reading travel journals!
I’m gonna spend hours on this
It’s so great to see everyone coming back little by little!
Feels like I’m getting younger by a few years :-)
Ready for what’s next (even though I’d been following along on FB)
Hi Vinciane!
Welcome, even if you won’t learn much that’s new [;)]. I forgot to tell you I’d started writing. You’ll just see different photos since the ones on FB are Franck’s...
Here we are—the big day has finally arrived. A day Franck has been waiting for over 20 years, and one I’ve been waiting for more than 7, ever since that fateful day when we turned down three spots in the Kanab lottery, even though we needed five to share this moment as a family.
And Sullivan? He doesn’t even know exactly what we’re about to discover. Lucky guy—he’s in for a *massive* visual slap in the face!
This famous day is dedicated to The Wave. But "The Wave" isn’t *just* The Wave...
Most visitors, obsessed with this one site and lazy in their prep, don’t even realize all the hidden gems scattered around the permit zone, called Coyote Buttes North. These folks, who didn’t bother researching, "waste" their permit by limiting themselves to two or three overhyped spots. What a shame for the passionate ones who’ve waited years for their permit, in vain...
As for us—little hardworking enthusiasts—we’ve mapped out all the points of interest around here, and there are at least ten exceptional sites that are worth the detour *each*. That’s already too much for one day, especially since we’re going to take our time savoring every spot [;)].
All three of us are grinning ear to ear as we start this hike. There are already a few cars at the trailhead when we arrive around 7:30.
Before we left, Philippe, aka Sedonax, told me there was no point in arriving too early at The Wave because the best time to enjoy the spot was noon. So we know we’ve got all the time in the world to get there and make a few little detours to see other things along the way.
The first site we’re going to try to see is still a well-kept secret, and I promised not to reveal its name or location. I said *try* because a few months before the trip, I learned that the bush that made access easy had been uprooted—by Sedonax, of all people. Now, you need a telescopic ladder to descend safely. From the upper part of the site, I manage to get a few photos where you can *just* make out the spot, but that’s it. Not everyone has a telescopic ladder stored in a plastic bin at their rental place, right, Yves [;)]...
So we calmly head back to the main trail, already crossing insane landscapes with all these buttes characteristic of the Coyote Buttes North and South areas.
Plateau Rock
Along the way, we take a slight detour of about a hundred meters to visit The Hooters (N37.00546° W112.00933°), a beautiful amphitheater we walk around. Franck circles the whole thing, following the striations to get as close as possible to the teepees.
We continue toward the main area. To our right, a stunning yellowish massif would be worth exploring. Then we take a small detour to the Rock Fins, a palette of rocky tongues tilting downward, as if suspended. In the distance, we spot two groups of hikers who followed the official trail and must’ve walked right past without even realizing what they were missing [:/].
The Rock Fins (N37.00034° W112.00553°)
Next up: the Ginger Rocks, a group of hoodoos with unique purplish hues (N36.99744° W112.00544°).
Climbing the slope of these hoodoos isn’t easy, even with the grip of our Speedcross!
After another fifteen minutes of walking and a final short climb of a few dozen meters, it’s nearly noon, and we arrive at one of the two possible entrances to The Wave.
The recent rains have formed a huge pool in front of the entrance, offering super photogenic reflections. We’re over the moon, spending a good twenty minutes snapping as many photos as possible.
While we’re taking photos, an older gentleman—probably close to 70—arrives, dressed like a ranger. He’s definitely not the type to chase after us if we’d come without a permit and decided to run away.
We start chatting, and seeing how passionate we seemed, he asked if I knew the site Waveinfo. To that, I replied: "Are you William Belvin?!". Huge surprise !! Bill figured I knew his site well and wasn’t a little proud!
Still, he diligently checked our permits... !!
Once our permits were verified, we decided to go around the butte and take a corridor leading to The Wave. Beautiful patterns decorate this passage,
Then comes the visual orgasm as we step into the heart of the wave . We capture the most famous shot
It’s noon, the perfect time, and despite potentially 60 other people being there, we’re almost alone!
Only one group is still around, and two other visible groups are already positioned higher up. Everyone must have rushed to the wave early this morning, and we’re the last ones here, savoring these precious moments!
Bill still being in the area, I take the opportunity to get a photo with him... [:)]
Our stomachs growling with hunger, we have a picnic on the spot with a 5-star view.
Then, we decide to climb to the top of Top Rock for a bird’s-eye view of The Wave.
On the way, we linger in an area with some really cool mushroom-shaped rocks.
The climb is steep but quick, and from up there, the panoramic view is stunning!
A bird’s-eye view of the heart of the wave, with Bill Belvin having fun taking photos—even though he must’ve been here at least 100 times by now !
The next stop is The Alcove. Along the way, the rocks are unique with freckle-like spots, then a new arch or window, this time much larger.
The Alcove is actually a double alcove with a sand dune in the middle. Franck and I had hesitated about including The Great Chamber in our itinerary but ultimately decided against it since I’d already been there with family last July.
No regrets for Franck in the end, as the yellowish and pinkish hues of one of the alcoves are gorgeous. Another spot that’s worth the visit on its own and would be overcrowded if it weren’t for the permit requirement!!
With a good setup, you can get a great view of the alcove.
Here’s a view of the second alcove, less deep than the first, but the visual effect is excellent, with a real Great Chamber vibe!
Next, we continue toward Melody Arch (N36.99104° W112.00555°).
Besides this very unique arch located in a cave, the spot offers a window view of the North Teepees. We risk climbing onto the window ledge but don’t linger, as the wind is strong, and a fall on the wrong side would be fatal...
Time’s flying today—it’s already 3:30 PM, and we need to pick up the pace to see Hamburger Rock (N36.98954° W112.00195°).
Moving by feel with only the GPS point for this famous rock, we eventually reach it via a higher plateau. Unfortunately, there’s no way down from this plateau to face Hamburger Rock without taking a huge detour.
Since it’s 4 PM and we *have* to be at Second Wave for sunset, we decide to settle for this viewpoint and turn back.
More unique rock formations...
Second Wave comes into view quickly, but we have to descend the entire rock formation, which means we’re "forced" to pass through the Wave again.
definitely 1- the luck of being drawn by lot! and 2- the visual punch!
Is it like that throughout the whole travel journal???? I can tell I’ll be hitting refresh every hour [:P]
The sun is at its peak, and the rocks appear almost pure white. The base of the domes sometimes shows off orange or even reddish hues—absolutely stunning! It’s magnificent!
The smooth areas alternate with more undulating rock formations.
The terrain is trickier than it looks—it keeps pulling us east instead of heading straight north. At one point, we even wonder if the GPS is acting up...
Back at the Domes, we grab our gear and hurry to pitch our tent in one of the few sandy spots. Then, we take advantage of the softer light to admire the White Domes with new hues and deeper contrasts!
Without the sun, the Domes aren’t quite so "white" anymore. And with the sunrise still to come, there’s a real reason to camp here and enjoy all the different colors and moods the site offers!
The sun finally peeks out at 7:30 a.m.
Sullivan takes the chance to fly his drone from the top of a hill, while Franck and I explore the site in every direction.
Our intuition from the day before was right... The contrasts, colors, and the overall vibe leave us speechless this morning! What an amazing feeling !!
We move through different angles and corners of the site, soaking up every wave of rock.
Contrary to what you might think, the site is pretty spread out and isn’t just limited to the most famous Dome.
Spotting Franck at the top of the highest hill, I decide to head up there too !
As the minutes pass, the stone hues lighten, and they’ll soon match the colors from yesterday’s midday!
The most beautiful part is definitely the central section with its different ripples, and even a bush playing hide-and-seek depending on the angle.
After a solid hour, we gather our things to head back down to civilization—other adventures await us today!
One last glance at this exceptional, unjustly overlooked site. We really made the most of this first visit—certainly not the last...
For the return trip, which is 100% downhill, we don’t dawdle! We even take a more direct route than yesterday and quickly reach the entrance to Water Canyon, which we race down in just a few dozen minutes. A quick refreshing drink stop at the bottom of Water Canyon,
and we’re already back at the car. 8 km of downhill with a few steep sections in just 1h45—we’re not bad at all [:P]...
From Hildale, we head back to civilization and make our way to Zion’s Visitor Center to pick up our permits for Left Fork of North Creek, which we lucked into securing a few days before our departure after a last-minute cancellation!
After a good half-hour wait, we get the usual lecture about risking our lives in hostile terrain, needing warm clothes, and how we could die if we get lost... The goal of all these warnings is to discourage tourists from going in flip-flops, which is far from our case.
After an hour wasted on talk, we head out on Kolob Terrace Road and reach The Subway’s parking lot. Darn, it’s packed, and we even have to park on the side of the road... But a full parking lot won’t cool us down or stop us from discovering our second must-see of the trip !!
This 8 km hike along the river—or even *in* the Left Fork of North Creek—is known for being uninteresting for the first... 7 km. Oh, come on! Walking just for the sake of walking isn’t really our thing, so the final spot better be worth it !
Just a few hundred meters in, we reach the start of a steep canyon we have to descend into. We’re already thinking about the climb back up that’ll make our calves burn...
And there we are on a super well-marked trail (impossible to get lost) that we follow on a slight incline without difficulty—except for the length. The trail alternates between sections right by the river, river crossings, and a few rocky stretches farther from the water that slow us down.
I can confirm the first 6 km are boring unless you’re a fan of river water. The only distraction is all the groups of hikers we pass heading back. They must’ve had nothing else to do today. Our schedule was packed—we had Sunrise at White Domes this morning!
And it’s only after 1h15 that we see our first mini waterfall. Twenty minutes later, we come across another one worth the detour.
Then, as the minutes pass, we slow down because the scenery is stunning!
Even this late in the season, the river with its succession of mini waterfalls is super photogenic and worth the hike on its own. Given how fragile the site is, it makes sense why access to The Subway is limited in terms of visitors!
Then we reach the series of bends that mark the entrance to The Subway. We pass a group, hoping they’re the last.
Then we arrive at the entrance to The Subway—unmistakable!
We discover a multitude of icy pools, and we have to move very carefully because the ground is *super* slippery!
At the very end, we spot hikers descending the canyon doing canyoning. Lucky them!!
We settle for turning around, and then—visual shock! There it is, the famous view of The Subway that we’ve all seen on Windows wallpapers!
It’s gorgeous, but I have to admit the luminous halo of The Subway is prettier in photos than in person. A bit like Antelope Canyon!
But we’re not going to complain—we shoot this exceptional spot as it deserves! Franck even risks a skinny-dip in an icy pool that’s barely 10°C! I’ll avoid censorship and won’t post the photos...
It’s time to head back because, without realizing it, we’ve already covered 16 km, and we still have 8 km to go to reach the car.
For the return trip, we decide to skip the trail with its slightly steep sections and go straight through the river. In math, we’ve always been taught that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, so we stuff everything from our pockets into our backpacks, and when the sides get too tricky, we make quick progress in the river. The water’s cold, reaching up to our waists at most, but it’s refreshing, especially since we’re still moving at an average of 5 km/h. We pass quite a few people we’d seen on the way in, and on the super steep climb, it’s even worse—we leave them in the dust. Thanks to Sullivan’s military pace at the front, it only takes us 1h30 to cover those 8 km, including the river sections and the steep climb out of the canyon.
Along the way, we take a slight detour of about a hundred meters to visit The Hooters (N37.00546° W112.00933°), a beautiful amphitheater we walk around. Franck circles the whole thing, following the striations to get as close as possible to the teepees.
Next up: the Ginger Rocks, a group of hoodoos with unique purplish hues (N36.99744° W112.00544°).
Climbing the slope of these hoodoos isn’t easy, even with the grip of our Speedcross!
After another fifteen minutes of walking and a final short climb of a few dozen meters, it’s nearly noon, and we arrive at one of the two possible entrances to The Wave.
The recent rains have formed a huge pool in front of the entrance, offering super photogenic reflections. We’re over the moon, spending a good twenty minutes snapping as many photos as possible. 
While we’re taking photos, an older gentleman—probably close to 70—arrives, dressed like a ranger. He’s definitely not the type to chase after us if we’d come without a permit and decided to run away.
We start chatting, and seeing how passionate we seemed, he asked if I knew the site Waveinfo. To that, I replied: "Are you William Belvin?!". Huge surprise !! Bill figured I knew his site well and wasn’t a little proud!
Still, he diligently checked our permits... !!
Once our permits were verified, we decided to go around the butte and take a corridor leading to The Wave. Beautiful patterns decorate this passage,
[....]
It’s noon, the perfect time, and despite potentially 60 other people being there, we’re almost alone!
Only one group is still around, and two other visible groups are already positioned higher up. Everyone must have rushed to the wave early this morning, and we’re the last ones here, savoring these precious moments!
Bill still being in the area, I take the opportunity to get a photo with him... [:)]
Our stomachs growling with hunger, we have a picnic on the spot with a 5-star view.
Then, we decide to climb to the top of Top Rock for a bird’s-eye view of The Wave.
On the way, we linger in an area with some really cool mushroom-shaped rocks.
The climb is steep but quick, and from up there, the panoramic view is stunning!
A bird’s-eye view of the heart of the wave, with Bill Belvin having fun taking photos—even though he must’ve been here at least 100 times by now !
The next stop is The Alcove. Along the way, the rocks are unique with freckle-like spots, then a new arch or window, this time much larger.
The Alcove is actually a double alcove with a sand dune in the middle. Franck and I had hesitated about including The Great Chamber in our itinerary but ultimately decided against it since I’d already been there with family last July.
No regrets for Franck in the end, as the yellowish and pinkish hues of one of the alcoves are gorgeous. Another spot that’s worth the visit on its own and would be overcrowded if it weren’t for the permit requirement!!
[....]
Here’s a view of the second alcove, less deep than the first, but the visual effect is excellent, with a real Great Chamber vibe!
Next, we continue toward Melody Arch (N36.99104° W112.00555°).
Time’s flying today—it’s already 3:30 PM, and we need to pick up the pace to see Hamburger Rock (N36.98954° W112.00195°).
Moving by feel with only the GPS point for this famous rock, we eventually reach it via a higher plateau. Unfortunately, there’s no way down from this plateau to face Hamburger Rock without taking a huge detour.
Since it’s 4 PM and we *have* to be at Second Wave for sunset, we decide to settle for this viewpoint and turn back.
More unique rock formations...
Second Wave comes into view quickly, but we have to descend the entire rock formation, which means we’re "forced" to pass through the Wave again.
[....]
