The Great American Road Trip - Exploring Southern Utah Edition

When I was a 5th grade teacher, I invented an end of the year math project for my students called “The Great American Road Trip”. During the project, students partnered up to create a 7-10 day road trip that had to include visits to a national park, a state park and a state capital. They had to calculate driving distances, gas costs and find lodging and activities that would fit in their budget. It always felt like real world math to me and they loved it. More than one student said they hoped to go on the trip they planned one day. Road trips feel like a quintessential American experience - or maybe that is the western US resident in me. I grew up going on road trips as early as I can remember and I know my own children would say the same thing.

In fact, I always think back on a Nissen family favorite to Utah. Like my 5th grade project, we drove through a state capital (Salt Lake City), visited many national parks and explored a state park. It was filled with red rocks, sunny weather and family adventures - perfect for spring break away from snowy Montana.

The Great State of Utah

In March 2015, the 4 of us loaded up the truck with our tent and camping gear, coolers, hiking boots and sunscreen for our big drive south to the beautiful southern Utah desert. We had reserved a campsite in the small town of Escalante, but other than that, our plans were pretty loose. Southern Utah is chock full of national parks and wild land. We knew we would find some ways to entertain ourselves.

On the drive down, our first stop was in Bryce Canyon National Park, known for its red rock hoodoos (columns of rock). Though our stop was brief, it was a good appetizer for the week ahead. Southern Utah is full of surprising geology.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Our main mission was to explore the nearby slot canyons. Slot canyons, though potentially dangerous, are magical places. They definitely worked their magic on our reluctant hikers. Boys who would normally complain if the hike got too long, were asking for more. We were able to get some good advice from the campground host and set off right away to discover Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. After a bumpy drive, we started out on one of the most unique hikes I have ever done. Dry Fork, Peekaboo Gulch and Spooky Gulch offered up some incredible slot canyon fun. We followed the twists and turns through these slender canyons and learned how Spooky Gulch got its name. At one point, we had to take off wide brim hats and small backpacks to squeeze through the ever-narrowing corridor.

Willis Creek was our next stop. This canyon, also a part of Grand Staircase-Escalante, was much more accessible than the first slot canyons we explored. While the Peekaboo/Spooky loop in particular required some climbing in and out, Willis Creek was more of a mellow stroll through a beautiful canyon. There was a creek running down the center which provided entertainment for the boys.

We had hauled our mountain bikes with us thinking we would find opportunities for a ride, but at the time we didn’t find many trails. This was a decade ago, so maybe things have changed. On the day we visited Kodachrome Basin State Park, we decided to park outside of the entrance and pedal in on bikes. Kodachrome was named after the color film in 1948 because of its brilliant colors and beautiful terrain. It was well worth the visit and fun to take it in slowly on bikes and on foot. Kodachrome has a nice campground as well. 

Kodachrome Basin State Park

Our week closed out with a couple more hikes and a drive through Capitol Reef National Park as we headed north. We took the scenic route and drove into the Grand Wash along a massive red wall. Somewhere along the way, we were rewarded with reminders of ancient life and civilizations in the form of petroglyphs.

Petroglyphs in Capitol Reef National Park

Now that my boys are grown up and out on their own, I cherish the memories of our family trips, road trips and otherwise. If this has inspired you to make some memories of your own in this beautiful country of ours but planning all the details seems daunting, reach out to me. If sleeping in a tent on the ground isn’t your thing, I am partnered with a great company called Good Trip Adventures. They specialize in national park luxury travel (hello glamping!) with a variety of options from single day tours to entire trips. 

Thanks for reading! Let’s hit the road!