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. The visitor center in Kanab is huge, with lots of good pamphlets and displays about the geology and archaeology of the area.

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.

This visitor center has all of the things that make a visitor center great: a large parking lot,…read morebathrooms, exhibits, helpful people, and a gift shop. It's also quite large, perfect for the hordes of guests during the busy season. The layout is literally perfect. As you enter, you see the washrooms marked to your left. It's perfectly out of the way if people have to queue, and doesn't disrupt the flow of the other parts of the building. Straight ahead is the NPS ranger desk, which has excellent sight lines from the entrance. You're not going to be confused where to ask for help! The rangers were super helpful with my night sky viewing questions. There is a large gift shop to the right, and then to the left are the exhibits. The gift shop has an extended selection of things to buy, probably due to its large size. It has the usual offerings of NPS items plus clothing, etc. The exhibits focus a lot on the geology of the area (which makes sense, people visit for the hoodoos!), but also on the ecosystem and the native Americans who live here. Great information.

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.

This is an amazing national park. One thing I noted about the park is that it offers things for…read morepeople to do regardless of their activity level. If you're super fit and want to do hikes, good for you as there's plenty of strenuous hikes! If you aren't as active or use a mobility assistive device, you can travel on the very, very scenic drive and also learn about the ghost town of Fruita (although the NPS employees live there). If you time your visit right, you can even pick fruits from the orchards. I combined the Rim Overlook trail with the trail to Hickman Bridge to get amazing views, as well as hiked the Cassidy Arch trail. The trails weren't too crowded, so it was a great place to listen to nature and focus on hiking. You're rewarded with amazing views. Definitely hit up Gifford Homestead for fruit pies. They often sell out in the afternoon.

Capitol reef is a stunner of a place, and a perfect visit spot for a short trip (1-2 days, imo)…read more You could definitely do a longer trip and REALLY see everything but I was satisfied to get a taste via some popular hikes including Cassidy arch, Hickman bridge, and the grand wash. I also was recommended to check out the Gifford Homestead where you can buy some EXCELLENT homemade pies and other goodies. I'm addicted to sugar so this was actually the highlight for me - the cinnamon roll, mixed berry and cherry pies that I bought were honestly some of the best pies I've had in my life. I had to eat them over the course of four days though since I was by myself and they are decently sizable (about the size of a large saucer/small dinner plate). As for the hikes - the arches were a bit strenuous but very doable in the span of a morning. Do beware that the trail is kind of hard to follow on the Cassidy arch trail - I got QUITE confused at one of the confluence areas of trails and ended up wasting a good 30 mins trying to figure out where I was/where the trail actually is. I saw a couple hikers coming down eventually and that's how I figured out where I was supposed to go. The Cassidy arch viewpoint is REALLY cool though, and of course the view of the vista at the arch itself is lovely. The Hickman bridge is also very impressive. I came on a random weekday in April and there were a handful of other hikers but really the trails were quite empty, and the trailhead lots had TONS of parking available, no issue. No traffic going in or out of the park either. The weather was decent; cloudy but wasn't rainy (it had been raining/sleeting just west of the park where my airbnb was though, so come prepared!). By the end of the grand wash hike in the early afternoon I was already getting pretty hot, and felt ready to move along on my NP road trip. Overall - if you're taking a tour of Utah I think it would be a travesty to miss this park, they're all incredible and unique in different ways!

Very, very limited hours due to budget cuts by the current administration unfortunately. This…read morevisitor center focuses on the early geologic and paleontological discoveries in the region. I didn't know, but apparently there are fourteen new dinosaur species that were discovered in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Super impressive especially given how unwelcoming the weather can be. There are both indoor and outdoor exhibits about paleontology and geology. There are also bathrooms and picnic areas, although it was pretty hot when I visited and no one was using them. Very informative! It's worth a stop if you're in the area.

We stopped here on our way to Page, AZ from St. George, UT. We initially did not know that it was…read morethere and turned around to visit after we saw the signs as we passed by. We learned this visitor center is one of four visitor centers in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and is operated by the Bureau of Land Management. The visitor center has a lot of information about the monument especially regarding the dinosaurs who once lived in the area and the fossils that have been found in the area. They also have a small book store and gift shop. Overall, it is worth the stop. We didn't plan on doing any trails while in the area as it was a cold afternoon in January but the woman working seemed to be very knowledgeable and was giving another couple recommendations.

Pretty standard visitor center with a ranger desk, exhibits, and a gift shop. The washrooms have a…read moreseparate entrance, but are in the same building. The rangers were very helpful about trail conditions as it had recently rained. They patrol the trails on a regular basis to make sure that no one is stuck and needing rescue. The exhibits discuss the geology of the area, covering information about the Waterpocket Fold which defines the distinctive landforms seen in the national park. They also discuss the flora and fauna in the area. I didn't see any animals during my visit, but that doesn't mean they're not there! I learned a lot from the easy to understand displays. The gift shop has the usual litany of items for sale- postcards, books, clothing, and even dog gear! Checkout was efficient.

This visitor center is very nice, and has tons of parking. It's easy to access just off the main…read moreroad by the entrance to the park (no pay station prior to entering). The volunteers were very helpful and they have several types of maps. Really appreciated the recs they gave for a short trip! The bathrooms are clean too, and plenty of parking right out front. The views on the way in and near the center itself are also exceptional; even if you don't have time to do almost any hiking you can get some great pics there!

Unfortunately, the Cannonville Visitor Center is closed until further notice. :( It's usually open…read morefrom mid-March to mid-November, but with the budget cuts from the current administration, there's no one left the staff the ranger desk. You can still stop by and enjoy the outdoor interpretive displays on human history in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. It seems like it was a lot of hard work to survive here! Water had to be hauled in from the muddy Paria River. The botanical garden outside the visitor center showcases 19th century agricultural practices including how durable fencing was built with the most minimum of materials. A peek indoors reveals information about historic settlements in the area. I hope this place opens back up soon!

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?

Highly recommend!! I…read moredid the the Figure-8 Combination hike, which combines three amphitheater hikes, Queen's Garden, Navajo Loop, and the Peekaboo Loop. The NPS recommends to do the hike in a clockwise direction due to the elevation slope at the end of the hike, but I wanted to be contrarian haha. It wasn't bad! I liked how there were some tunnels going through some of the hoodoos, and there were various parts of the trail in the shade and in the sun just by going around the rock formations. It was absolutely beautiful when I went, with great cottony white clouds against an azure sky. Do note that there's no water on the trail, and seasonal pit toilets on Peekaboo Loop, but otherwise no restrooms on this portion of the trail. I spent the morning hiking, and then went back to town for a buffet. I couldn't image hiking on a stuffed stomach.

This hike is iconic, probably the most famous in the park. The rec is to do this hike as a loop…read morecoupled with queen's garden for a 4-5 mile round trip trek. You get up close to the hoodoos and see lots of beautiful vantage points in the park. It was closed for a while in early 2026 because of a mud slide but reopened in March and as far as I know has remained open since I was there in April 2026. You can do this hike either clockwise (starting near sunrise viewpoint) or counterclockwise (starting near sunset viewpoint). I was recommended to do it clockwise. There was plenty of parking near sunrise view point, I had no trouble on a Sunday in early April. Took me a couple hours to do the whole thing from start to finish. Overall if you have time for only one hike in Bryce, this is the one I'd rec! You'll see so many iconic and beautiful spots here.

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.

This place is so amazing. I drove to Rainbow Point (great views on the way and at the end for those…read morewho don't want to hike) as well as the Figure-8 Combination hike, which combines three amphitheater hikes, Queen's Garden, Navajo Loop, and the Peekaboo Loop. Wall Street was closed when I visited due to trail conditions, boo. It was a clear and perfect two days during my visit though. Most people visit for the hoodoos, but Bryce Canyon National Park also has International Dark Sky status. Its high elevation, clean air, and remote location equals some of the darkest skies in the country. Coincidentally, I went during a new Moon with clear skies and wow, I had never seen so many stars before. I brought binoculars and it was enough to see what felt like like thousands upon thousands of stars. I saw the Milky Way Galaxy too! It was amazing, and I felt like such a small speck of dust in comparison to the skies above. Definitely check out Bryce Canyon at night, although it was also kind of...different... to be driving in the middle of the dark. If you have bad night vision you might want to pass on this. It made me realize how much light pollution there is where I live.

How lucky are we to live in a country with natural wonders like this? This Earthen landscape…read morebrought me to tears with it's magic. We did a cool 3.7 mile loop down into the canyon & then back up again. I would rate it a moderate hike, doable even in sneakers. Although I would recommend hiking boots. Be sure to layer up - traversing down will heat you up a lil, hiking up will heat you up a lot, & the windy overlooks will cool you down immediately. The folks at the visitor center are incredibly helpful & the bathrooms are extraordinarily clean. Overall a wonderful park. I can't wait to return.

Amazing people, pizza, salads and cake! We ordered the 16" build your own pizza, salads (sharing…read moreApple Pecan Arugula with add chicken). We'd already began digging in on salad and cake before the pictures! Excellent place in Escalante!

Loved it. The pizzas were all amazing. We had a large party so we got to try a little of everything…read morebut the most notable were Devils Garden, Moody Creek and King's Mesa. We also sampled most of the cakes and the favorites were the Tres Leches and Blueberry Lemon. We also loved the staff. They were so helpful, inviting and quick to fix things. The inside and outside seating was great. My kids throughly enjoyed the decorative pay phone outside as well. Next time we come to hike, we shall return!