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Welcome to my blog/travel guide. Take a look around, you never know what you might find!
Welcome to my blog/travel guide. Take a look around, you never know what you might find!
This extensive 45,000 acres of barren wilderness in New Mexico is just waiting to be explored. There are no trails, or signs, or guides here. The only thing restricting your exploration is a cattle fence and your own ambition.
Make sure you bring an extra memory card for your camera, because nearly every square inch of this park is picture worthy. Two thousand foot tall sandstone bluffs seem irresponsibly tall, yet millions of people make the pilgrimage to climb these cliffs every year. Towering vertical walls feel like the world’s largest tunnel is missing its ceiling. It’s easy to see how some might feel religious in such an incredible natural sanctuary.
The Grand Canyon is known worldwide and is considered one of the 7 wonders of the world, but it was not made a national park until 1919. Despite its remoteness, it is the second most visited National Park in the U.S.
These massive dunes of red-tinted sand are a quite the geologic coincidence. It may not be terribly obvious to people who have spent time around “normal” quartz sand dunes that those in Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park are not the same color, but they are. The pink hued sand here is fairly typical of northern Arizona and Southern Utah, but it is normally not collected into towering dunes.
Some of the greatest views available at a state park can be found at Dead Horse Point. A nearly 360 degree view of the precipitous canyons that make Canyonlands National Park so spectacular, the Colorado River, and the La Sal Mountains can be found at the end of UT-313, roughly forty minutes from Moab, Utah. The magnificent views and peculiar name make this state park a local favorite. You may see Dead Horse Point T-shirts and hoodies in Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. The park got its name form the narrow end of the mesa. Cowboys would herd wild horses toward the cliffs, where they would be cornered between fences and the sheer cliffs. The most docile would be broken and tamed, and for reasons unknown, the rest were left for dead.
Being bifurcated by Interstate 40 (and the old Rt. 66) in eastern Arizona, this is one of the most accessible National Parks in the United States. Fossilized trees from the time of dinosaurs and the Painted Desert unite to form one of the most unique parks in the country.
Between the stark palette of colors and the unusual hoodoos that cover the park, Bryce canyon is one of the most unique landscapes in the United States. The colors of these rocks have even inspired a Utah Jazz jersey. Contrasted against thick pine forests, Bryce canyon in an incredible sight to be seen. Elevation at Bryce Canyon is upwards of 8,000 ft. so temperatures are much cooler than surrounding Utah and it is not uncommon to see snow during much of the year.
Possibly the most recognizable icon of the Southwest. These monoliths have been featured everywhere from the Roadrunner cartoon, to Mario Kart, to Forrest Gump. Although these monuments are synonymous with the American desert, the valley is actually a Tribal Park on the Navajo Nation near the border of Arizona and Utah.
Just outside of Page, Arizona, the Colorado River doubles back on itself to form a horseshoe-shaped bend, upriver from the Grand Canyon. The river is within the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, but the parking lot is technically within the city limits of Page. If you’re recreating around Lake Powell or taking a tour of Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe bend is a quick and easy side trip.
A marvelous maze of canyons stretching across eastern Utah. Second only to the grand canyon, this massive expanse of cliffs was carved by the Green and Colorado Rivers. Three distinct districts (Island in the Sky, Needles, and the Maze) are comprised of spectacular rock formations sculpted by the force of wind and water.
A valley full of unusual rock formations that you can climb on. Hike the scenic trails or freely explore the fairytale-esque hoodoos that give this park its name.
Not many names conjure up such emotion like Death Valley does, although the valley has quite a vibrant history. Only a two hour drive from Las Vegas, this is one of the more accessible National Parks, but is only the 19th most visited. Encompassing more than 5000 square miles, the park is larger than Connecticut and is the largest U.S. National Park outside of Alaska.
