Utah was always in the back of my mind as a possible road trip destination ever since I saw the incredible film 127 Hours. When I stumbled upon this blog post on Go Explore Nature and saw the other-worldly pictures of hoodoos and arches carved out of red rock, I knew that I had to go. And thus began Honeymoon #3: 7 days, 10 hikes and 1300 miles of driving. It was--in Brad's words--"Utah-some". Check out the video above for highlights from our trip.
After driving for 7 hours from L.A., we spent the night in Zion and then drove another 3.5 hours to the little town of Escalante. The next day we rented an overpriced jeep, drove about an hour down the unpaved Hole in the Rock Road, and explored Spooky Gulch, Peekaboo Gulch, and Devil's Garden. The experience was magical. I miss Utah already.
I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking...
A high clearance vehicle is recommended to get to the Dry Fork trailhead,
where Spooky and Peekaboo are located
Hiking down to the slot canyons
At the Peekaboo entrance. To get in, you have to climb the 25 foot wall.
Then you have to cross a pool of muddy water. I took off my shoes,
but Brad did it with shoes and didn't get his feet wet. Magic!
There are some tough spots where I had to get a boost from Brad.
There is supposedly a "trail" connecting Peekaboo and Spooky, but we lost it and ended up just going back the way we came (which is recommended by the park service)
Spooky Gulch
Spooky Gulch is much narrower, but easier to do than Peekaboo.
Good thing Brad's skinny!
When you're walking from the entrance of Peekaboo to the entrance of Spooky, you will see this sand dune on your left. Turn left here and keep walking until you see the entrance to Spooky on your right.
The end of Spooky where we turned back.
There's not much of a trail here, so follow the rocks
Devil's Garden. Doesn't this look like a rabbit?
Devil's Garden is an easy walk for all ages. It's not so much a hike as it is a playground full of rocks that you can climb and run around. I love this place.
Read about more Utah adventures at #168: Road Trip to Bryce Canyon, Utah and #167: Road Trip to Zion, Utah
I'm enjoying your blog and getting excited about trying some new hiking trails - I'm still a novice though. Utah seems amazing--Great pics and I loved your video!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment, Jenn!! Let me know what hikes you end up going on. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this! I am very lucky to have stumbled across your Blog, wish I'd done it earlier! I am visiting the States for 3 months and spending time in LA - and now doing a road trip to Utah, thanks to your blog. I have received lots of tips and inspiration from you, thank you for sharing your adventures with the world :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Victoria! Your comment made my day :) Have a great time in Utah!
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