Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [9]
DAYS 5–6: GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK'S NORTH RIM
The North Rim of the Grand Canyon receives far fewer visitors than the South Rim, but that doesn't mean it's any less spectacular. The North Rim (which is open in summer only) provides views of and access to the same overpowering canyon as the South Rim does, just from the other side. You'll want to stop at the Grand Canyon Lodge, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and then hike a few of the Rim Trails. If you're in good enough physical shape, you might want to hike partway down into the canyon on the North Kaibab Trail. See chapter 16.
DAYS 7–8: MONUMENT VALLEY NAVAJO TRIBAL PARK
Although not a national park, this Navajo Tribal Park is well worth a stop (and it's on your way). Monument Valley is, to many of us, the epitome of the Old West—we've seen it dozens of times in movies and on television. Part of the vast Navajo Nation, the park has a 17-mile self-guided loop road that lets you see most of the major scenic attractions, or you can get a personalized tour with a Navajo guide. Either way you'll see classic western scenery made famous in movies such as 1939's Stagecoach, which starred a young John Wayne. For information, see Frommer's Arizona or Frommer's Utah.
DAYS 9–12: ARCHES & CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARKS
Famed for its massive red and orange rock formations, this area is home to two national parks and the lively town of Moab. Canyonlands National Park (see chapter 8) is a great hikers' park. Make sure you stop at the Grand View Point Overlook, in the Island in the Sky District, and hike the Grand View Trail, especially scenic in the late afternoon. Arches National Park (see chapter 2) is a bit more user-friendly. Take the scenic drive and walk a few trails—on the Devils Garden Trail, you can see 15 to 20 arches, including picturesque Landscape Arch.
DAYS 13–14: CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK
Relatively unknown, this park offers brilliantly colored rock formations and a bit of history. The Fremont River created a lush oasis in this otherwise barren land, and 19th-century pioneers found the soil so fertile that they established the community of Fruita, named for the orchards they planted. Today you can explore the buildings and even pick fruit in season. Hikers can examine Pioneer Register, a rock wall where traveling pioneers "signed in," and explore canyons where famed outlaw Butch Cassidy is said to have hidden out between train and bank robberies. See chapter 9.
DAYS 15–18: SCENIC UTAH 12 & BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK
From Capitol Reef, go south on Utah 12 over Boulder Mountain and through Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, possibly stopping for a short hike to Calf Creek Falls, before heading to Bryce Canyon National Park. Spend the night in the park or nearby so you can be on the rim of Bryce Amphitheater at sunrise, the best time to see the colorful and often whimsically shaped rock formations called hoodoos. Top hikes here include the colorful Queen's Garden Trail, named for a formation that resembles Britain's Queen Victoria. See chapter 7.
DAYS 19–20: CEDAR BREAKS NATIONAL MONUMENT
This small, high-altitude park has an amphitheater reminiscent of Bryce Canyon's as well as a 5-mile road that offers easy access to the monument's scenic overlooks and trailheads. Hike Spectra Point Trail along the rim for changing views of the colorful rock formations. The trail also takes you through fields of wildflowers, which are especially colorful in late July and August, and past