California! Nevada! Utah! Oh! (page 3 of 7)

Hey Michel, Gorgeous photos. Thanks, Michel.

I found this YouTube video about Little Finland that shows the different access points.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUt9Boa6Y8o

Hello The best route is to take the mud wash road because the track is easier in the wash and shorter. Check the weather before committing. The trail through Devil's Throat is longer and tougher.

Hey Fabrice,

Thanks for the info.

Day 14: Sunday, May 26 (Valley of Fire - Zion National Park)Route.



Before leaving "Valley of Fire," I check out two sights: - cabins made of local stone (sandstone) built by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) in the 1930s to shelter travelers passing through - a large petrified log dating back 225 million years (it’s fossilized wood).



Next up: "Candy Cliffs of Yann Flat." After stopping for groceries in Overton, I hit Interstate 15, skirt around "Saint George," and take exit 22 (Leeds). Right after leaving town, I turn left onto "Silver Reef Road." After 1.2 miles, it changes names to "Oak Grove Road." Half a mile later, it turns into a dirt road marked FR032, then FR031 at a junction a bit farther on. In total, I drive 8.8 miles on this very hilly road (no flat stretches), which is no problem in a sedan, and arrive at a small parking lot (trailhead). View of "Signal Peak" on the other side of the road from the trail leading (2.4 easy kms) to "Yann Flat."



A lot of this snow isn’t from winter—it must’ve fallen much more recently.

The first rock I see when arriving gives an idea of what’s to come.



But just a few dozen meters farther, it gets way more spectacular. I’ve got GPS coordinates for the trailhead and three points corresponding to a southwest sector, a central sector, and an eastern sector, but no coordinates for specific rocks. So I explore each sector randomly, starting with the southwest.









This whole southwest area is steep—"Yann Flat" drops down toward "Cottonwood Creek," which is way below. Plus, the wind is crazy strong—you’ve gotta secure anything that might blow away (hats, etc.). There must be a strong elevation effect because the wind was barely noticeable on the approach trail, which was on a plateau. I move on to the central sector, which is also sloped but not as steep as the southwest.



In the distance, the town of Washington and lakes on the "Virgin River" (according to my notes).









Finally, the eastern sector of the site. A (somewhat) general view.



A three-photo approach to twin rocks that might have a name (they could, since they really stand out in this area).







Three others scattered around this part of the site.







Back to the parking lot after a hike of about 3 hours, most of which was spent on the site. I return to Leeds via the same dirt road. I drive a few miles on the Interstate, then turn right toward Toquerville. Route 9 then leads to "Zion National Park." Just before the park entrance, the town of Springdale—which is really just a small town—lives entirely off tourism. You can see and feel it everywhere. If you removed everything tied to welcoming park visitors, the place would disappear from the map. I haven’t seen anything like it before this trip, and I won’t again later—and that’s fine by me. I much prefer when tourism builds on an existing town or village rather than creating something artificial. When I arrive at the park’s toll booth, I’m directed to the nearby "Watchman Campground," where I’ve reserved a spot for 2 nights (booked back in December 2018).

Hey there,

Yep, we're following along!!

Yep, we're following along!

Same here, I really appreciate Michel's travel journal.

Thanks everyone. When I write "to be continued," it means I haven't finished writing up the day yet. That means I'll edit this post once or several times before moving on to the next one.

Day 15: Monday, May 27 (Zion National Park) A little photo recap of "Watchman Campground" last night when we arrived.



It’s well located just steps from the "Visitor Center", in the lower part of the canyon at the foot of a rock formation that’s probably called (if I’m not mistaken) "Tower of the Virgin." The sky clouded over in the second half of the afternoon, but the weather was still pleasant. That didn’t last long—it started raining a few hours after nightfall and kept going until morning, with only a few breaks. I get up when the rain stops; the temperature is 10°C, and it dropped to 6°C overnight. A stop at the "Visitor Center" tells me more rain is expected today. I decide against planning a long hike and instead try to do the shorter walks at the bottom of the canyon, taking shelter when needed.



The color and flow of the "Virgin River" leave no doubt about last night’s rain. The "Visitor Center" says the water temperature is 4°C. I start by following the "Pa’rus Trail" along the river.



I reach the museum, check it out, and when I come back outside, it’s raining again. I take the shuttle that runs along the road at the bottom of the canyon (vehicles are banned) to the "Court of the Patriarchs" stop.



These three rock formations are named after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The rain stops, so I take the shuttle to the next stop, "Zion Lodge." I want to do the "The Grotto" hike between the "Zion Lodge" and "The Grotto" stops, but the trail is too muddy for my taste—and especially for my shoes. So I take the shuttle all the way to "The Grotto" stop. The canyon walls in the "Zion Lodge–The Grotto" section.







It’s around noon, the sky is getting overcast (last photo), and it starts drizzling again. I head back to the campground (by shuttle) and stay there until about 3 PM (heavy rain). When the rain lets up, I take the shuttle to the last stop in the canyon, "Temple of Sinawava." A round-trip walk (about 2 km) called "Riverside Walk" leads deeper into the canyon. The trail is paved in some sections and gloriously muddy in others. The rain stops shortly after I start the hike. The canyon narrows between two nearly continuous vertical cliffs.







After finishing the hike, I start the shuttle ride back. The first stop on the way is "Big Bend," where I’m at the bottom of the valley, closest to the endpoint of the park’s signature hike, "Angel’s Landing Trail" (way up there). In the foreground, I photographed the ridge that loops around the "Virgin River."





"Angel’s Landing" is on that ridge, just out of frame to the right, where the ridge rises much higher above the valley floor. The next shuttle stop is "Weeping Rock." A short path leads up to a recess in the cliff. Water trickling down the rocks above drips or cascades in tiny waterfalls outside the railing.



Two shuttle stops later, I’m at "Zion Lodge" and witness a little miracle: the sky clears up fast. I do the "Lower Emerald Pool" hike under the sun. It’s a short round-trip walk that leads to a waterfall you can walk behind (the other hikes in this area—"Upper Emerald Pool" and "Kayenta Trail"—are closed).









Back at the campground. The disappointment at the end of the day messed with my end-of-day photo notes—they’re pretty sparse and sometimes not detailed enough for me to be sure what I photographed.

At Yant Flat, it's too bad you didn't have an app like maps.me that would've let you make it all the way to The Turtle, which was just 1 mile from where you turned back. Such a bummer, Zion in the rain... 😕 Did you sleep in a tent or in the car at Zion (is that allowed in the parks?)? Thanks

I found this site that’s super helpful😏

If you think Zion looks a little gloomy under some mist, I can’t even imagine your face seeing Bryce Canyon under snow!!!😏

Hi Guillaume, Yeah, I didn’t have that app either. I’m not always consistent with my prep—sometimes I’m thorough, other times not so much. At Watchman Campground, the site I reserved was in the "Walk-in tent sites" section (car parked 30 or 40 meters away). I had no trouble setting up the tent when I arrived (it wasn’t raining), so I slept in it. The ground was pretty absorbent, so it didn’t get wet. I’m not sure if sleeping in your car is officially allowed... some people did it that night. You can’t enter the campground without a reservation. But if you *do* have a site and don’t set up your tent for some reason (rain, early departure, etc.) and sleep in your car instead, I doubt anyone would say anything.

Day 16: Tuesday, May 28 (Zion National Park - Panaca )Route.



I planned to hike the "White Domes" above Hildale. If it wasn’t raining when I woke up, it had rained part of the night, and the forecast was bad for the day. I decided to check it out anyway; the rain started again before I left, but it stopped on the way down to "La Verkin." I took Route 59 toward Arizona—it climbs to leave the "Virgin River" valley and reach a plateau. Once on the plateau, I saw showers in the distance ahead. When I arrived in Hildale (it had started raining again), I followed the directions I had: "Utah Avenue," then "Water Canyon Road."

I headed down that trail—it was very muddy (hard to walk on), the hike was long (about 8 hours), and I’d have to cross "Squirrel Creek" early in the hike (was it even possible?). With the rain, I reluctantly gave up before reaching the "Squirrel Canyon Trail" parking lot.

So, I improvised for the day. I went back toward "La Verkin" on Route 59, and the rain stopped. Just before descending into "La Verkin," I got a view of the mountains north of the "Virgin River."



In "La Verkin," there’s a small municipal park near the confluence of the "Virgin River" and "La Verkin Creek" called "Confluence Park." I checked it out, but the spot wasn’t interesting (no great view of the confluence).

Since I was improvising, I decided to visit the northwest part of "Zion NP," called "Kolob Canyons." I stopped at the "Visitor Center," took the "Kolob Canyons Road" (a dead-end road), and drove all the way to "Kolob Canyons Viewpoint." This part of the park is at a higher elevation, so it was pretty chilly.

The "Timber Creel Overlook Trail" follows a ridge to a viewpoint (the trail was muddy but doable—logs and drier edges helped). Along the last stretch of the road and the entire trail, I enjoyed views of "Zion NP" to the east. There was an overview of the area with a narrow canyon in the center (this type of canyon is called a "finger canyon").



The main wall of the formation above.



Another section with a spire (the first rock in the photo).



Here it is from another angle (it’s not vertical).



Another area of "Kolob Canyons."



A unique feature in "Zion NP": water and wind carried particles (dirt or other materials) into a completely mineral area. Vegetation took root, and over millennia, a "hanging garden" formed in an unlikely spot. I only saw this one, but apparently, there are others in the park.



On the way back, I stopped several times near where the road crosses "South Fork Taylor Creek"—another "finger canyon."





The sky cleared, and a little farther down the road, I set off on the "Taylor Creek Trail (middle fork)" hike, knowing I’d only have time for part of it. The trail descends near the creek and follows it upstream, with many stream crossings. Normally, it’s probably just a trickle of water, but today, I had to hop from rock to rock to cross. The trail was nice, and you could tell it would lead into a canyon—another "finger canyon," according to the info.





I didn’t go all the way to the canyon section and turned back at "Larson Cabin." The sky clouded over again.



I got back in the car and left the park a few minutes later. I took Interstate 15 toward "Cedar City" and, before reaching the city, saw a downpour hit the "Kolob Canyons" area behind me.

All that was left was to head to Panaca (Route 56 in Utah, then Route 319 in Nevada). The whole drive had HEAVY showers—sometimes to the right, sometimes to the left, sometimes right overhead... a lot of rain. Between Panaca and the intersection with US 93 (about 2 flat km), the cattle in the fields were wading through what was basically one giant puddle.

The campsites at "Cathedral Gorge State Park" (4 km from Panaca) were pretty well placed and/or designed (except the ones near the entrance, which were unusable). I found a spot where I could pitch my tent in decent conditions, maybe because there were very few other campers (it had stopped raining by the end of the day).

Day 17: Wednesday, May 29 (Cathedral Gorge State Park - Lincoln County: Pioche area)Route.



The "Visitor Center" is at the park entrance, and I get the impression the hostess is really bored waiting for hypothetical visitors. We chat, and she explains the documentation she gave me about the park and the region (Lincoln County). A beautiful day is ahead; I head back into the park, skip a spot I’ll check out later, and park in the area that gave the park its name: "Cathedral Caves." The park’s geological history (which I can’t fully explain) involves volcanoes, earthquakes, water with a lake that experienced level changes, and erosion.









Walking on the sand (I think it’s sand), I enter very narrow mini-canyons that sometimes end in caves. The temperature in these canyons is always noticeably cooler than "outside."





From the parking lot, a hike of just over 3 km round trip, the "Miller Point Trail," starts. In a different landscape, the trail, equipped with stairs to protect the terrain, climbs up to a plateau at "Miller Point" (with a kiosk and viewpoint).







From "Miller Point," I overlook the landscape through which the trail is carved.



By adjusting the framing of the photos (excluding external elements like the sky or ground), you get a view that removes the sense of scale and feels more abstract.









On my way back to the park entrance, I stop at the spot I’d skipped earlier: "Moon Caves."







I find the same type of canyons as in "Cathedral Caves."



Leaving the park, I head north (US-93). Another entrance, 3 or 4 km further, leads to "Miller Point" via the plateau. It also provides access to a short hike, the "Eagle Point Trail," offering a panoramic view of the park.



On the left, the "Cathedral Caves" parking lot; on the right, the campground (trees). End of the visit to Cathedral Gorge State Park, a Nevada state park.

Hey Michel,

Your amazing photos of Cathedral Gorge are making me even more excited to visit this place. Some parts of the park remind me of the rock formations I saw in Valle de la Luna, in San Pedro de Atacama. So cool!! Why go from Yant Flat to Zion and then backtrack to Cathedral Gorge? Was that because of the weather?

Thanks for this follow-up.

Hello

Great memories of Cathedral Gorge State Park where crowds aren’t around. But really disappointed by the lodging and dining options in that area.

It’s clear you don’t just stumble upon this park—it’s off the beaten path and pretty far from other parks.

Michel, your photos of Cathedral Gorge are gorgeous! The fact that this park is so under-visited gives it extra appeal. So, if it also looks like Chile, it’s the jackpot! 😲😇...!!

Hi Gilles,

Great memories of Cathedral Gorge State Park where crowds aren’t around.

That’s good—it’s exactly what we’re looking for! !😉

But really disappointed with the lodging and dining options in that area

I’ll make a note about the lack of dining options (we’ll probably stuff ourselves before or after in St. George, so it should be fine !😄). As for lodging, it’ll be one of our camping nights on the next trip, so I hope the weather’s nice!

Thanks, Michel, for the rest of your story! !

I’m noting the lack of dining options (we’ll probably stuff ourselves before or after in St. George, so it should be okay! !😄).

And where do you plan to stuff yourselves... 😛?

And where do you plan to stuff your face... 😛?

Somewhere we don’t know yet, but I’ve only read good things about it! I’m sure you’ve got a little idea 😛

Good evening Diamina, Peggy, Gilles, and Guillaume, actually, I had included this park and the Pioche area in my plans (I’d heard about the park, including from one of Gilles’ travel journals, I think). The route doesn’t depend on the weather but on the fact that Zion NP was the easternmost point of my trip. Now, I’m crossing Nevada toward the northwest, heading to the Carson City–Lake Tahoe area. The park was kind of on my way, and the route was also planned to pass near it.