First off, I love how large the parking lot is. It's rare that I comment on the parking situation,…read morebut given how many visitors this place sees (with a bunch of tour busses too!) I like how they split up the lots with overflow parking. The visitor center is pretty big. As you enter you can see a big area of exhibits that talk about the geology of the dam as well as how Glen Canyon Dam compares to other dams in the world. Quite ominously, there was a exhibit about the water levels and it hadn't been updated in years...the overall trend was that there isn't a lot of water now. You can also watch a movie in back, shop at the gift shop, and get more information about the dam and surrounding areas at the information desk. Don't forget to walk on the bridge nearby, although it can be a bit unnerving to have traffic whizz by with not a lot of distance between you and them.

Stopped by Carl Hayden Visitor Center and Glen Canyon Dam during my recent trip to Page, Arizona…read more I had the opportunity to visit here before, and it never bored me to see the Glen Canyon Dam again and again. The Visitor Center has a huge parking lot for added convenience, and it's free of charge. Inside the Visitor Center, you'll find the exhibit with lots of great information and photos about the Dam. There's also a small movie theater, which features a short (30 minutes) movie about the story of building the Glen Canyon Dam. It's very interesting! There is a small gift shop with plenty of stuff to purchase if you are interested. The view of the Glen Canyon Dam is also so much better from the Visitor Center. I highly recommend it stopping by.

After years of trying to apply for a permit, our group finally got picked! Highly recommend hiking…read moreat least once. I wouldn't do it again though, mainly because of how hard it was to get a permit. We visited in April and the weather was fantastic. It was actually freezing in the morning but as the sun rose, it warmed up to the point where we would sweat a little when hiking. I can't even imagine doing this in the summer but if you win the lottery then, make sure everyone brings plenty of water. To get to the trailhead, I'd recommend having a high-clearance vehicle, especially if it just recently rained. The road off of the freeway becomes unpaved and there are some ditches that can be flooded. Download an offline map of the trail and area for when you lose service. It gets spotty but you'll find reception every now and then. At the beginning, there are a couple of vault toilets. The trail itself is difficult to follow without an offline map. There's only a handful of signs pointing in a general direction. And until the Wave, we were pretty much the only people around. Considering only about 60 people are approved each day, it wasn't surprising, and honestly, kind of nice to be alone in nature. The Wave was everything we hoped for. We had clear, blue skies and that contrast with the red and orange rocks was beautiful. It looked exactly like the Windows background! There was even a pond further up with a ton of tadpoles. Besides the Wave, there's other neat waypoints to stop by but because we were tired, we didn't try for many of them. The only one we went out of our way for was the dinosaur tracks but it was anti-climatic. They just looked like larger chicken feet prints. Despite this hike being only about 6 miles round trip, it took pretty much the entire day. We stopped a lot to take pictures but also the landscape was difficult to hike. Lots of sand to walk through and lots of weird inclines to walk across, which kept our feet, knees, and legs at weird angles. There might have been easier pathways but as I said earlier, there's no clear indications of a trail. There was also a BLM worker at the Wave asking for the permit holders. If you hike without one and get caught, you'll get slapped with some steep fines. Drones are also not allowed!

My friend won the online lottery for the permit 4 months in advance but after talking to the…read moreranger, it seems that there's a good chance you can win the daily lottery since a lot of people cancel every day. It's easier if you have less people (like two people). Anyways, the orientation the day before was useful for weather and road conditions. The hike wasn't too bad, can be a bit steep in some parts but for the most part, not too much incline. It's moderate for the novice hiker but easy for an experienced hiker. For experienced hikers, probably can get to the Wave in 1 to 1.5 hours. For the inexperienced, it might take 2.5 to 3 hours. Either way, if you're planning to spend a lot of time at the Wave (some people take 2-3 hours for their extensive Instagram photoshoots haha), definitely go there early and spend all day there. I would definitely come back if I win the lottery!

Bryce Canyon national park is another great national park in Southern UT…read more The visitor center is large, has restrooms, and plenty of souvenirs. There was a food truck setting up in the parking lot, I think selling coffee and donuts. The rangers were friendly and helpful answering questions about road closures and offering suggestions. A great national park to check out if you are in the area. Check out my photos.

The BCNP headquarters visitor center is very nice! It's just past the entry payment area, you can…read moresee it from there. PLENTY of parking, the lot was nowhere near full either day I was there. It's got a nice big gift shop, a nice learning area, and water stations/bathrooms with running water ofc. It's a great gateway to all the most popular areas of the park. They do have trash and recycling there as well.

The Toadstool Hoodoos are cool rock formations formed by differential erosion. They look like…read moremushrooms, as the harder rock caps and protects the softer rock underneath. The hike is an easy 1.5 miles. The views at the end are worth it, and you can get close to the rock formations as you like (although don't topple the rocks!). It's suitable for families with small children. If you don't mind driving on an unpaved road (I did it in a 2WD sedan), check out House Rock Valley Road for unparalleled views of the landscape with swirling sandstone, painted hills, and other cool rock formations. Check out the Wire Pass Trail for amazing slot canyons, although check the weather. If there's any chance for rain, do not enter the slot canyons since the formations channel water and form deadly floods in the canyon.

This feels like a review in progress because the area is so large - but was pleasantly surprised by…read morehow much more I want to explore this region. We did Willis Creek Narrows and Lower Calf Creek Falls - both incredible. Now adding to the wish list for return trips. The drive along US 12 is just spectacular. Definitely recommend a high clearance vehicle with 4WD to access some of the more remote locations. Be prepared to adventure and bring what you need as this is not a manicured national park, but more a haven for those looking for an off-grid escape.

+ Their associate Nancy was a huge help in offering me hiking alternatives in the area in case I…read moredidn't win the Wave daily permit lottery. I appreciated her friendliness and the good conversations. - I don't like their business practice with the Wave daily permit system. Have to arrive near their county within a strict time limit to pay for an ethereal, marvelous lottery hiking opportunity that you are unlikely to win, - yet business hours of this Hub are narrow for a distant traveler driving up from southern AZ. With all the traffic and slow speed limits, one may not arrive here, let alone the northern AZ vicinity, in time. What if I as an out-of-towner far away from their other tourist center (in Kanab, UT) have questions and only have a couple days of vacation left before I have to fly back home? What an expensive waste of a plane ticket. - And IF you do win, you have to be at this center early next morning for safety orientation (the safety of which I understand), when instead you could be out doing fun things during your already time-restricted vacation. My Angels Landing permit was for the next morning, but I really didn't want to miss the Wave. huge bummer! - Kind of limited parking. - Hot weather. Wish they provided free cold water.

Shout out to Julie at the Page Lake Powell Hub. Julie was the friendly face and voice that we…read moreneeded to get our plans made during our recent visit to Page Arizona. So helpful!

*Short hike to a beautiful overlook where you can see the other side of the dam and the nightly…read moreColorado River slicing through history *Surrounded by beautiful hues of red stone and gorgeous rock formations * Trail does include some steep stairs/ climbing- but there is a rail for support. But if you have health conditions- know your body limits. *Trail is sandy and rocky- wear supporting shoes because it's easy to slip or biff it * Hydrate and recreate safely and responsibly

So beautiful during sunset! Plenty of parking, a paved walkway (bit steep at times), but has…read morehandrails for support. I followed the trail to the right towards the dam, and there are multiple overlooks you can sit on along the edge (fewer people). And best of all, FREE!

The Escalante Interagency Visitor Center is a terrific place to start your explorations of wondrous…read moreGrand Staircase - Escalante National Monument. Alright, well I'll start abbreviating, lol...GSENM. It covers a huge area of Southern Utah, specifically, 1.9 million acres of public land. If you don't come prepared ahead of time, it can be an intimidating adventure and you can stumble on how to efficiently navigate your way around this remote, yet beautiful part of the country. That's why I believe if you start at the Interagency VC...you can handcraft the places and stops you'd like to see and best of all, when I visited, there were multiple park rangers standing behind the counter patiently waiting to assist tourists with their questions. Inside the VC...it's relatively small in stature...and there's a tiny little gift shop for picking up GSENM souvenirs. Plus, they have various stamping options to put into your Parks Passport. Of course, for myself, the ritual is to punch every page (front and back) even including using the Junior Ranger stamp, lol. Speaking with the park rangers was necessary because...I arrived here on a whim without a set game-plan. What I never realized about GSENM is that about half of the territory can only be accessed by 4x4 - off road vehicles. And that I did not have with me. So...certain attractions, landmarks and hikes are off-limit to cars not accommodative for dirt/gravel roads. And...this was informative because I was able to better design my itinerary with the park ranger once I told him I only had a midsize car with me. Still, here were some fun highlights that the ranger recommended.... - Hike to Lower Calf Creek Falls. - Hike to Escalante Natural Bridge. - Escalante Petrified Forest State Park. - Anasazi State Park Museum. - Walk among the Toadstools. - Kodachrome Basin State Park. Another good aspect to this Interagency VC is that it's located in the quiet town of Escalante, Utah...good for convenience stores, filling up your gas tank, purchasing supplies/necessities and sitting down at restaurants. After stopping here midday and before venturing out on my journey, I drove down the road to the Escalante Outfitters Restaurant for homemade pizza and cold beer. Overall, I'm really happy I made the effort to stop in at this Escalante Interagency Visitor Center before attempting to explore GSENM on my own. It was worthwhile to speak with the park rangers and to narrow down the activity options appropriate for my participation level.

The Escalante Interagency Visitor Center checks all the boxes for an excellent visitor center -…read moreample parking, easy to access location, clean bathrooms, interesting exhibits inside, functioning air conditioning, and plenty of information available. This was a stop on our road trip to the "big 5" national parks in Utah, and it was definitely worth it. The building and facilities were all clean and new-looking, with a modern look that apparently has sustainability in the design. The rangers here were helpful and were apparently glad to have someone to talk to, as when we drove through over Labor Day there weren't too many people around. Fortunately things were more or less open despite COVID-19, and everyone followed proper safety protocols - masks, distancing, hand sanitizer, etc. Though the exhibit space in the building was closed, temporarily. We were able to have our junior rangers participate in the junior ranger program, so they got their badges. Note if you ever visit a national park center with kids, ask about this program. They can do a few activities and get a neat souvenir reward.

Quick little stroll (about 1 mile round trip) to a seep spring covered in vegetation. The first…read morepart is quite flat with people walking with strollers and their dogs. The final bit is a little more steep (no scrambling required) on rock, as well as a few steps carved into the rock. The end of the trail is marked with a sign that says "trail end" so you don't go wandering off into the wilderness. I couldn't really explore the hanging garden area as I realized that there was a strong buzzing noise that turned out to be swarming bees in a tree nearby! Oh well, I got to enjoy the cooler air for a moment before fleeing. Note: There are no bathrooms at the trailhead or anywhere near the parking lot. Plan accordingly and bring water and sun protection.

Nice well marked hiking trail with a splash of green at the end... even in February! We loved…read morehiking Hanging Gardens Trail!

The day between visiting Bryce Canyon NP and Zion NP, I decided to take a few detours. The first…read moredetour was to hike the Willis Creek slot canyon. The drive along Highway 12 was straightforward and it's easy to spot the turnoff onto Main St Cannonville. The Cannonville Visitor Center was easy to find as well. There were plenty of parking spots nearby. The visitor center looks very modern and comfortable inside. The employees were very helpful. They provided maps and useful tips on how to find Willis Creek slot canyon, including accurate number of miles to drive before making turns. The employees also suggested driving along scenic Highway 12 to see the views within Grand Staircase-Escalante, but I didn't have the time. Maybe on my next visit?

The staff here were extremely helpful and I recommend anyone visiting the slot canyons to first go…read morehere. They look up the weather data as well, to make sure that there are no impending heavy rains or thunderstorms that may potentially flood the canyons. They also give you the maps and directions.

I booked online about a week in advance but accidentally selected the wrong time. After a little…read morephone and email tag, their team quickly helped me switch to my preferred slot. The day before our tour, Julia called to let us know strong headwinds were expected and asked if we wanted to adjust our time. We already had a different morning tour scheduled, and they were incredibly accommodating with our plans. At the launch site, we met our guide Logan, and we were lucky that it was just our family of four on this tour. Husband and I wore aqua shoes and my daughters opted to wear their Birkenstock sandals and go barefoot, which was fine if you're okay with getting red mud on them. Logan was friendly, patient, and extremely knowledgeable. I was a bit nervous since I'm a beginner kayaker, but he let us move at our own pace. It ended up being a great workout while still feeling peaceful and relaxing. The scenery was absolutely stunning. The canyon was quiet, beautiful, and not crowded at all. We paddled across Lake Powell and into the canyon, and the cool lake water felt amazing in the warm end-of-March weather (mid-80s). They provided life jackets, offered bottled water, and Logan even took photos of us both on the water and at the end of the canyon, which we really appreciated. He also shared helpful paddling tips along the way. The entire tour lasted about 2.5-3 hours and was a perfect mix of adventure and relaxation. Highly recommend for families and beginners looking for a scenic and well-guided kayaking experience!

This was such a cool experience! We had the best guide John who was an absolute gem! Our group was…read moreabout 6 people all varying in age and fitness level. Our group completed the kayak and hike which were very much worth it! We needed slight accommodations and Sid and John were reassuring and supportive for both my mom and I. This tour is really for everyone and I can't recommend this tour company and John enough. Because we traveled during off season, we had the entire lake and trail to ourselves. John left much time for us to take cool pictures and was a wealth of knowledge. He made sure to engage with each person in the group and was successful in getting the more shy individuals to step out of their comfort zones. John and Sid (the other employee) made this tour worth it. They provided awesome recommendations for things in the area and also future outdoor related activities in the U.S. Be sure to pack enough water. Remember you are in a kayak and your items will likely get soaked. Luckily they provide one water proof bag per kayak which can hold your phone and camera. If you feel the need to pack more, I recommend that you bring your own waterproof back pack. I opted to go barefoot in the kayak and wear shoes on the hike. You will have to walk through water to get on and off of the boat. Do not let your size and fitness level deter you from this tour. The team is incredibly accommodating and reassuring, making this the perfect tour for all. Highly recommend this tour and either Sid or John!