Our Trip Out West: Utah, Arizona, and Nevada

A trip out west for spring break has made it official – I now have been bitten by the travel bug.  I traveled with a group of 13, family and friends, to visit Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. We went in early April and it was the absolute best trip.  Our ages ranged from 10 to 48 and without a doubt, we all had a blast.  We talk about this trip so much, that I thought I would share the details.  I hope this will encourage you to hit the road and explore this beautiful country of ours.

Getting There

Las Vegas, Nevada

We are all from South Carolina and booked a late flight out of the Charlotte, NC (CLT) airport to Las Vegas, Nevada.  Since we arrived in the early hours of the morning, with a two-hour time difference, we were beat and went straight to bed. We booked hotel rooms in downtown Vegas for two nights since we were arriving so late.

Because of our late arrival, the first day was more or less a recovery day. Sleep in to catch up on our rest and then decide what to do. There were three families traveling together, and after a quick walk downtown to grab some breakfast and take a few photos, we all went in somehwat different directions.

One stayed in Vegas touring around downtown and shopping.  The second went to the Grand Canyon and did a little shopping. And my family (me, my sister, and her family) first stopped by the Hoover Dam. Afterwards we met up with the second family at the West Rim of the Grand Canyon, taking a scenic drive through some small towns to get there.

The Hoover Dam & The Grand Canyon

We were packing in a fair amount on this ‘recovery’ day so chose to do a quick stop first by the Hoover Dam. We parked in the Bridge Overlook parking lot and then quickly hiked up a few hills to the Memorial Bridge Walkway.  This gives you an overview of the dam so beware if you’re scared of heights or ledges.  Although the water levels of Lake Mead were at record lows, it was still a sight to behold.  We then did a quick drive around the dam traveling from Nevada into Arizona.

Our next stop was to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon, a two-hour drive from the Hoover Dam.  After parking we entered a gift shop where we purchased tickets for the shuttle.  After a short wait, we rode out to the Grand Canyon West and the views were breathtaking. 

A quick word of caution – the West Rim and specifically the Guano Point area doesn’t have guard rails. It’s also a little more rugged than other areas of the Grand Canyon (or so I’m told). So, be careful, especially with small children.  Also, there is a Glass Skywalk option that we skipped that looked like a neat option.

If we had more time, we probably would have tried to visit the North or South Rims. Regardless, we enjoyed the magnificent views we got to see on the west side of the park.

After a long ride back to Vegas, we joined up with the rest of our group downtown. We got to see the fountain show at the Bellagio and then were off for a good night’s rest. 

Home Base: Utah

The next morning my family made a quick stop by ‘Old Vegas’. Someone recommend it and of course, I love all things vintage so I thought why not. Truth be told, it was a little underwhelming.  While I did enjoy some of the nostalgic areas, I’m not sure we would make the detour if I had to do it again. 

From there we headed to Utah which is where our home base was for the rest of the trip. With a group of 13, we rented a large house in Toquerville that was centrally located to the where we were visiting.  We aren’t quite sure how we got such a good rate on this house because it was not only large enough for our group but also had spectacular views. 

Once we got settled, we headed to the grocery store and then after dinner called it a night.  The next day we got up before the crack of dawn to head to Zion National Park for the day.

Zion National Park

Day One: Zion National Park, Angels Landing, and Grafton Ghost Town

Our first big destination was Zion National Park and the guys made a good call by suggesting we get up before the sun came up. So we bundled up, packed our lunches, and were off bright and early.

It was about a 40-minute drive from our house and since the park gets crowded pretty quickly, we wanted to get there as early as possible.  We parked our cars in the designated parking lots and then rode the shuttle to each stop.  Since we were only there for one day, we chose to shuttle first to the Riverside Walk and enjoyed a pretty walk alongside the river.

At the end of the Riverside Walk is the beginning of the trail to The Narrows. It was chilly so we didn’t wade through the waters to continue onto The Narrows but if you have more time and it’s not cold, I definitely would recommend. We then shuttled to the Grotto Trail which is a leisurely trail between the Grotto Picnic Area and Zion Lodge.  

The Grotto Trail leads to the West Rim trail which is a pretty strenuous hike, ascending 1,000 feet.  It has a series of steep switchbacks including Walter’s Wiggles that lead to Scouts Landing and it took us about 45 minutes to get there.

At Scouts Landing, the majority of the group rested and two of the guys and I continued on to Angels Landing.

Angels Landing

Angels Landing is not for the faint of heart and I’m still to this day asking myself why I thought I could hike this with my fear of ledges.  It is a 1,488-foot tall rock formation in Zion National Park and when they describe this trail as steep, they are not joking. A renowned trail cut into solid rock in 1926 leads to the top of Angels Landing and provides panoramic views of Zion Canyon but holy moly, it’s a narrow path.

A reservation is required to hike this trail but luckily two of us got in and so off we went.  You start at the trailhead just past Scout Lookout and work your way around the edge of several rocks before getting to the middle where the path gets tight and the drop-off steep.

So I’ll just say it. I couldn’t have stayed closer to the edge if I had tried. This picture my brother-in-law took of me still cracks me up and that nervous looking smile on my face is sheer delirium.

Once we got about half way across, I saw the rest of the trail (below) which looked like I would have to crawl up this slim conglomeration of rocks, with no ropes or rails. It was in this moment that I tossed my pride aside and chose life over death. Okay I’m exaggerating because plenty of people keep going; I just decided I had accomplished enough.

After a few pictures, the guys decided they would head back with me so we joined the rest of the group at Scout Lookout and made our way back down to the Grotto Picnic Area.  By this time, the crowds had arrived so we ate our picnic lunches, hit the gift shops, and then decided to head back to the house.

If you love to hike, there are plenty of other trails to take but with our large group, we were pretty content with all that we got to see. 

Grafton Ghost Town

On the way home we did a quick stop by the Grafton Ghost Town. I’m a sucker for all things historic and since Grafton was first settled in 1862, I asked the rest of the group if they would mind stopping by. They kindly obliged.

We got the chance to explore some of the historic properties that still remain to this day. And as a neat surprise, we found a tombstone with the birth location listed as South Carolina, our home state.

Kanab

Day Two: Expedition Kanab and Moqui Caverns

During our research for this trip, I ran across pictures of Peekaboo Slot & Great Chamber Loop that you can visit by way of a half day UTV tour.  So naturally I asked the rest of the group about adding this adventure to our trip.  We found Expedition Kanab which we loved and were the perfect hosts for our back country tour.  Some may consider it a little pricey but we felt like it was 100% worth it.  Plus, if you divide the number of people in the UTV by the price, it’s not too bad. After checking in with them in town, we had a little time to kill so stopped by the Moqui Caverns which was a neat stop if you have some extra time.

We then headed over to meet our guide at the Rendezvous Point. We rented four UTVs between the 13 of us, plus the tour guide. They have different number of riders for the UTVs so we were able to switch out drivers so that most everyone had the chance to drive.

Peekaboo Slot

We first drove out to the Peekaboo Slot which was, in a word, cool.  Peek-A-Boo, also commonly known as Red Canyon, is an easy, short hike into one of the most beautiful slot canyons in the area. Our guide was great and offered a lot of interesting tidbits and took several unique pictures for us too.

Great Chamber Loop

After touring, climbing, and pictures at the Peekaboo Slot, we then drove out to the Great Chamber Loop.  And it was incredible.  I’ve never seen anything quite like it. It’s located at Cutler Point and it’s unspoiled views are magical. While we rode the UTVs provided by Expedition Kanab, you can drive your own four wheel drive with a little planning. Here’s a great post if you’re looking to explore it on your own.

To wrap up we drove to the sand dunes where we were given boards to ride down.  Let’s just say some were more successful than others meaning I tumbled my way down.  Overall, this trip was more than worth the cost and every single one of us said this was the best part of the entire trip.

Bryce National Park

Day Three: Bryce Canyon and the Navajo Loop Trail

The next day took us to Bryce Canyon National Park.  It was about 2 hours and 15 minutes from our house so we first stopped by the visitor’s center for a restroom break and then headed out.  This park is set up like many national parks where you can drive along the main road and pull off for lookouts.  Since it was pretty crowded, we headed to the end of the parkway to Rainbow Point first and then worked our way backwards.  We had also packed our lunch so made lunch in the parking lot a thing.

The Navaho Loop Trail

While we were able to see a lot of neat formations from the road, we decided to get out at Sunrise Point to walk the Navajo Loop Trail.  On this trail we walked down the Wall Street switchbacks which are one of the more iconic landmarks.   Like most switchbacks, they can be hard for anyone who has a fear of ledges or heights, but once you get to the bottom I think it’s worth it.  Of course, what goes down must then go back up which is where our group split up. 

Most of the group headed back up but four of us continued on. We hiked the Queen’s Garden Trail and ended up at Sunset Point.  It added a little over an hour to our trek which mean the others had to wait around for us which we appreciated.  For those of us that hiked it, it was pretty despite holding everyone else on our behalf. 

Wrapping Up

Our Lazy Day

On our last full day, we were pretty tired so slept in and then headed out in three different directions.  Two groups went shopping along the way and in the downtown of nearby St. George.  I convinced my group to stop by the Silver Reef Ghost Town and Museum. Of course I had to thank them profusely for the stop.  It was a neat little stop but the others didn’t miss much. 

We all ended up in St. George where I found some historic homes and then caught up with my family for lunch. 

Afterwards we all stopped by the Dino Cliffs Trailhead for a few of our science enthusiasts to check out the fossils.  Once back at the house, we enjoyed a low-key evening and packed up to head out late the next morning.

Heading Home

Our flight wasn’t until late that night so we took our time heading out. We traveled back to Las Vegas and made it a point to stop by the iconic Las Vegas sign for a group picture. From there, we ate a late lunch and visited a few stores before heading to the airport to fly out late.

As I mentioned in the beginning, we had a wide range of ages and three different families traveling together. And yet, we all said it was one of the best trips we’ve ever taken.  If you’re looking for a family friendly trip out west, this is a great one to try out!