A thick line of people wrapped along nearly every trail, plugging up slot canyons and switchbacks. There were two-hour waits to get on a shuttle bus—and once on board, it was a stuffed and sweaty ride through the scenic red rock landscape. The parking lots were full, too. The trash cans overflowed. And maintenance staff […]
“The topography of the planet bears little resemblance to our own,” the script reads. Much of it is obstructed by cloud cover; even more of it appears to be cratered desert of reddish hue. We can, however, make out a few ‘green belts’ and a patch of blue water.” That’s how Michael Wilson describes the […]
At the grand opening of the Zion National Park transportation system on May 26, 2000, the program noted that the park was going “back to the future.” “The congestion, noise, pollution, and associated resource damage suggested that we go ‘back to the future,’” the event’s program read. “Beginning today, we visit Zion Canyon by shuttle […]
Seeing how we’ve already danced with RV travel gems, great wine destinations, and top small towns in America, we thought it was time to go big and rate the states based on everything related to RV travel. More specifically, their contributions to the RV lifestyle, so think unique scenic beauty, man-made attractions, 5-star RV parks and […]
Four of Utah’s five national parks set new recreation visits records in 2017; since 2012, the state’s “Mighty Five” have seen a 66 percent increase in visitors. Zion drew 4.5 million visits and jumped from fifth place to third in 2016, leapfrogging California’s Yosemite and Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park. Bryce Canyon moved up to 12th […]
Shoveling snow under gloomy skies doesn’t do winter’s brand any favors. Numerous places in the South are enjoying warm, sunny weather—a big draw for those in parts of the country where winter is long, cold, and dreary. Here are some overshadowed places that’ll have you reveling warm during these cold-weather months. Mississippi There are also […]
Dixie has it all: mild weather, red rock hiking, proximity to national and state parks, golf—even a little cotton. Since the early 1860s when Mormon pioneers came to the far southwestern corner of Utah to grow cotton, the Washington County area has been known as Utah’s Dixie. The communities of St. George, Hurricane, and Springdale […]
It’s winter! Welcome to the season when conversations center around the weather and how unbelievably cold and miserable it is outside. In most of America, winter sucks. It is cold out. Pipes freeze. Lips, noses, and cheeks get chapped and raw. Black ice kills. It’s horrible. Growing up in Alberta, I have experienced the personal […]
In the high desert country which straddles the border between southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado, the Hovenweep ruins with their mysterious towers induce a strange silence, something you cannot quite explain. At the famed Mesa Verde ruins, forty or fifty miles to the east of Hovenweep, you hear the shouts of excited children, the scoldings of […]
Often overlooked for New England or the Smoky Mountains, Utah’s wide array of forests and state and national parks—each located at different elevations and receiving varying amounts of rainfall—make for a diverse foliage spectacle. Utah’s geography creates a multitude of peak viewing times throughout the state, so you can come early or late in the […]