Traveling has always been part of my life, and this time, I’m rekindling past trips to the richest places in terms of beauty and history. I am referring to the beautiful canyon lands in south western USA. I’ve been to several national parks and recreation sites during my stay in Nevada, Arizona, and Utah. However, the most unforgettable ones are my trips to the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and Canyonlands. I’ve come to love seeing these famous tourist spots and I must say that they are indeed magnificent to look at and a must-see for any jetsetter. In fact, they are the most stunning natural wonders I have yet seen in my whole life. I can only recommend you to check out all of the great Canyon-parks.

Arizona is known for the Grand Canyon, which is located at northwest Arizona, just a two-hour drive from Nevada and Utah. The waters that run through the canyon lands come from the waters of the Colorado River. The Grand Canyon is actually a steep gorge divided into two rims, the north and south rims, in which climate and vegetation differ significantly. Now known as the Grand Canyon National Park, it’s really one of the world’s greatest wonders, and such a lovely sight to look at.
In Utah, the famous Bryce Canyon also attracted me with its peculiarity and plateau-like existence. I could even distinguish small rock formations which looked like huge spears from afar, and corner rocks which form similar building structures as those in Greece. To get to the Bryce Canyon in Utah, I had to ride a plane coming from Nevada and take the bus going through Cedar City. There is a free shuttle which takes people around the Bryce Canyon, but I heard they only have those from May until September.

Another major attraction in Utah is the Canyonlands National Park, where the Colorado River divides the park into four sections: the Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze, and the remaining rivers which are sub-sections of the Colorado River. The Island in the Sky is located in a high mesa top overlooking the canyons. The Needles area is called such because of the presence of needle-like structures within this southeast corner of Canyonlands. The Maze is called such because of the high-walled canyons which are actually the least accessible among the canyon land areas. It is quite confusing, and travel there could take a week, so I refused to see it in actual. The River area is generally the combination of great white water rapid rivers, the Green River and the Colorado River. Canyonlands National Park has countless canyons which are so nice to look at and each canyon rock has its own character when seen closely

Canyons are not just there for nothing. Canyons exist to alter the courses of certain river systems which cannot on their own alter their flow. It actually helps nature in its cycle of replenishing earth’s resources. Also, canyons form limestone rocks which are used in architecture. They sometimes make up the facades of skyscrapers in the city. There are other national parks that serve people’s aesthetic cravings, but the canyons of Arizona and Utah serves a different craving, a craving for magnificence in its truest form.

I have been in Capitol Reef in 2008 and must say that it is one of the most stunning locations on earth. This is a short guide about what you should check out there and what not.

It might look like a giant robust bulldozer dug through this trench of the earth’s crust; but actually, the Capitol Reef is an important natural wonder. The Capitol Reef National Park has been protecting this famous place because of its significance to the immediate environment. I’ve been to the Capitol Reef park and I must say that they did a really good job in turning the place into a sight to behold for tourists and locals alike. Once you enter the park, you will be stunned by the serious high-cliffs where you can take a good look at the trench which lines the coast of Utah.

Capitol Reef is not accessible by any means of transportation except by helicopter. However, a bus service takes visitors around the park all day. Beneath the cliffs, they will see the natural formation of the Capitol Reef, which is simply a waterpocket fold that stretched all the way through until the end of the land form. This waterpocket came from the Thousand Lake Mountain all the way to the Colorado River. Just like the Grand Canyon, its geological history dates back to the early Mesozoic era, where water sedimentary deposits grew rich, thus causing the rock formations around to grow immensely. The Capitol Reef is also a waterway for the Colorado River’s smaller water systems and streams. Therefore, it is still an important land and rock formation that needs to be protected and taken cared of.

Much of the Capitol Reef National Park’s beauty is due to the colourful cliffs surrounding the area. I was hooked on admiring the multicolor cliffs and I was able to see a huge sample of the limestone rocks which have been formed at Capitol Reef. These rocks were located inside the park’s Capitol Reef exhibit. Like all land forms, there are also sections within the Capitol Reef, but most are not accessible. These sections are grouped into categories called Members. The Black Dragon Member, the Sinbad Limestone Member, the Torrey Member, and the Moody Canyon Member are those four sections within the Capitol Reef. These are what make up the pile-up of rock. Each layer measures differently. The shortest among all of them would be the Moody Canyon Member, which is only 300-400 feet thick. However, imagine how tall these rock formations really are if the shortest layer was that thick. It’s like ten Eiffel towers piled up on top of each other.

If there’s one word to describe the Capitol Reef, its existence and the madness in the way it has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the desert lands, it would be magnificence. It may have been a fluke of nature, but there certainly is more history in these rock formations than say, my virgin trip to the desert lands. I have been fortunate enough to see this place unfold before my eyes. I wouldn’t think twice on visiting this park again. Capitol Reef National Park is definitely in my list of places to reach before I die.

I have been in Arches in 2008. I must say that it was stunning and I will never forget my trip there. Not only because of the amazing rock formations but also because of the intense heat… It was around 110° and I felt like polar bear suffering from global warming.

The Arches National Park is one of the most interesting natural parks that lies a good five miles north of Moab, Utah. The long drive didn’t bore me because I was able to enjoy the scenic view of the vast countryside, coupled with views of desert lands and peaks. To access Arches, we had to walk on foot, but the park offers free shuttle service for visitors going around the park.

Once inside the park, I was welcomed by dozens and dozens of arched rock formations which are some hundred miles away. The most interesting among all of them would be the Delicate Arch, where it’s such a refreshing feeling to watch the sunset.

There are four routes which you can follow if you’d like to take a hike around Arches National Park. The trail we followed was the Delicate Arch trail, as I insisted on seeing the arch up-close. The first of the four is the Windows loop trail which will take you to view the Turret Arch. A few more upward steps and you will reach the Double Arch. This trail is also popular for the Balanced Rock, which allows an underneath path you can walk through.

The next trail is the Delicate Arch trail which runs from the Wolfe Ranch up to that most famous arch in the world. I was fortunate enough to see it, and spend most of the afternoon enjoying the magnificence of the canyons surrounding the trail. What attracted me to it is how definitive it looks. It’s a wonder how nature could have constructed such a fluke, and it turned out to be somewhat artistic as well as reminiscent of Greco-Roman architecture.

Devils Garden leads to the Landscape Arch, probably the world’s longest arch. Another famous trail leads to the Sand Dune Arch, where you’ll pass grassy fields that would finally lead to the Broken Arch. All trails have paths leading back to the campgrounds where visitors also enjoy campfires and picnics. I enjoyed a picnic with my friends after a long hike going to the Delicate Arch.

There are also a number of activities which one can do inside the Arches National Park. These activities include auto touring, backpacking, biking, camping, climbing, commercial tours, hiking, photography, attractions, and ranger-led programs. I was only able to try hiking and auto touring along with my friends, but I heard that climbing the small mountains was quite rewarding. Other nearby attractions relatively near the Arches are the Aztec Ruins National Monument, Canyonlands National Park, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Hovenweep National Monument, Mesa Verde National Park, Natural Bridges National Monument.

I’ve been to some of the other recreational areas, and canyon parks, but for me, the most interesting places would be the Arches National Park. The canyons are beautiful and exotic, but they have that sophistication which is mostly attributed to the park itself. Many visitors also find it peaceful and yet it brings a combination of the chaotic power of nature and the result of natural flash floods.

The Southwest of the USA have many sights to offer but you do not have infinite vacation plus not all of them are as good as the others. This is a short guide about the locations you should check out. I have been at all of them and must say, they are breathtaking :-). They made me an USA fan. Can’t wait to go there again :-).

Zion National Park includes one hundred fifty thousand acres of canyon country. It is located at the east side of St. George in Utah. It includes the narrow and vibrant Kolob Canyons along the north as well as the huge dense mountain. Most travelers tend to come to Zion National Park just to visit Zion Canyon.

With the numerous ecological marvels in Utah, Zion Canyon is the most magnificent with its red and white granite cliffs that soar up to two thousand five hundred feet from the North Fork in the Virgin River. You can enjoy visitor amenities and the best viewpoints. If you are into hiking, you can take pleasure in different hiking trails including ten-minute easy strolls and the more difficult trails for the trained hikers. Zion provides the most variety of hiking trails in all of the national parks. This includes the well-known Narrows Trail located at the upper part of the Virgin River. Many panoramic views along the canyons await the visitors.

You can reach the Zion main canyon by state highway 9 that continues to the east through a tunnel going to Mount Carmel Junction, to Bryce Canyon National Park.

The Grand Canyon and Yosemite are part of the Southwest National Parks. Starting the year 2000, Zion National Park introduced access to free shuttle tours from Springdale town.

Grand Canyon in the South Rim of Arizona is overcrowded and expensive and there can be problems with accommodation and parking spaces. However, thousands of tourists still flock to the Grand Canyon because of it is one of the most popular natural tourist attractions in the United States of America.

Canyonlands National Park includes the large area of rock formations located in the Southeast of Utah, surrounded by the Green and the rivers of Colorado. Different astonishing rock formations with various colors are carved by millions of years of combined rivers and small streams. Canyons, spires, buttes, mesas, arches and countless stunning rock formations make up the five hundred square miles of the national park. Since 1964, the Canyonlands was selected to be a national park. Because some areas are inaccessible, the best way to explore Canyonlands is through overnight hikes and 4WD motor vehicle.

The mountains in the western Sierra Nevada in central California are the location of Yosemite National Park. The area consists of countless forests, meadows, lakes and granite peaks with the sceneries of Alpine. Through the Yosemite Valley runs the Merced River. You can easily access various picnic spits, trails and viewpoints.

I suggest that you explore other areas of the Yosemite National Park and enjoy the well-preserved wilderness with perfect sceneries. Other Sierra national parks are the Sequoia and the Kings Canyon.

In Yosemite National Park, you can see the three groves of huge sequoia trees and two groves around Crane Flat. In the southwest area near the Wawona private village, the most well-known Mariposa Grove of Big Trees are located. Around the protected hillsides of the national park, there are more than four hundred massive sequoias, including the Grizzly Giant, which is known to be the largest and is almost three thousand years old.

A good question, there are quite a few national parks. I have been in many of them and loved it. Still, it is not possible to see all national parks within 3 weeks (only if you hurry - but I would not do that). This guide will take you from California, to Utah and then to Arizona.

So, which parks to visit?

Yosemite is one of the most popular destinations among outdoor lovers because of its exceptional wilds and the diverse means to enjoy its surroundings. Yosemite has been converted into an adventure playground for river rafters, skiers, bikers, base-jumpers and rock climbers. Whatever activity you enjoy, I suggest that a good pair of boots is still the best gear you have to take when traveling to Yosemite.

Wawona Sequoias is the place to go if you want to stroll but if you enjoy an exciting climb, go to Tuolumne. However, if you want to discover and see the stunning nature of the place same as me, just take pleasure in walking to take in the serenity of nature.

Yosemite consists of more than eight hundred miles of trail hike. You can choose from the different itineraries and the first thing that you have to do is to make up your mind in where to go first.

Yosemite Valley has many popular trail sites. Expect some of the trails to be easy especially around the bottom of the valley, while some trails can be more demanding. These trails are those that have granite walls that shape the Valley. Spots such as Glacier Point, Half Dome, El Capitan and Yosemite Falls have different switchbacks, steep landscapes, and sudden changes in weather situations. The difficulty of your hike will be completely forgotten when you reach the top of the valley with its magnificent view. I suggest that you bring plenty of food, warm clothes and water during the hike. Most of the areas around the valley can be accessed during daytime only. If you are planning to visit overnight, you must check out their camping guidelines for your safety and protection.

On the other hand, some of the best and the most vivid rock formations in the United States is the Bryce Canyon National Park. You can see the strange rock formation in its pink hues with the sunlight. You can take a driving tour to be able to have a closer view of the rock formations in the afternoon.

If you are into rafting, I recommend one of the utmost adventures in North America, the Colorado River, which can be visited through the Grand Canyon. When you hire a rafting outfitter, make sure to choose the best because the wet and wild experience is quite expensive. It is best to plan your vacation for at least a year ahead of time. Rafting trips in the Grand Canyon can be booked fast and the regulations of the National Park only let restricted number of boats every season. Watercraft has four types that include oar rafts wherein the guide will do all the necessary works, the paddle rafts in which you can paddle while the guide steers, the motorized rafts with an outboard motor and the traditional dories type that can have four persons, including the guide.

The America’s oldest National Park is the Zion National Park, which is located in the Southwest of Utah. Zion National Park can be visited by a trip to Bryce Canyon going to the northeast and the north rim of the Grand Canyon going to the south.

Your trip will take you from, Yosemite, to Zion, to Bryce and then to finally Grand Canyon. You could also start the trip the other way around :-). Keep in mind, it will take a while from Yosemite (California), to Zion (Utah). Hope I helped you guys a little :-). Don’t forget to let me know if you ever did the tour!

The Yosemite Valley is a sight to behold, as it boasts of mile-high glaciers and granite rock formation. It is not just an ordinary valley, but one epic wilderness attraction in the United States. Located in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, I tried visiting this mountainous site, and found that camping is the best solution for a fun-filled stay. The granite walls are a wonder, with monolith rocks and spires rising up from different sides fill the view. The highest crest in the valley is known as the Eagle Peak. They say that the Valley itself has slowly curved to the left, and now is curving back to the right.

Within the vastness of Yosemite Valley, only 5% is recognized as exposed territory while the rest is still plain wilderness. This is what makes it beautiful and tranquil, and a perfect way to experience nature. The climate in Yosemite is typically warm and dry during the summer, but most rainfalls occur during the months of January, February, and March. However, beware of forest fires, as they may sometimes occur unexpectedly. Sometimes however, fire staff within the park performs grove burns which are prescribed by forest administration. During winter, snow forms on the mountain caps, and this snow melts in the Sierra to form creeks and lakes. These creeks flow to the Valley to form waterfalls, a wonderful addition to the valley’s immense beauty. The Valley has a biological community of diverse creatures and plants, ranging from tall, old trees such as giant Sequoias and wildflowers, to certain forest inhabitants, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

The early inhabitants of Yosemite have been Native Americans or the Indian tribespeople who lived for as long as 8,000 years and existed to develop a culture which is solely based on their surroundings. Writers and artists discovered the Yosemite Valleye and exposed this to the world. Eventually, tourism began, but the government has succeeded in maintaining the wilderness of the valley up to this day.

The park is open daily to tourists who wish to spend a day hiking near the valley, and enjoy the sunset. There are number of trails which I was unfortunate not to have tried. They are the John Muir trail which goes to Mount Whitney, the Mist trail which has views of the Vernal and Nevada Falls, the Four Mile trail which leads to the Glacier Point, and the Yosemite Falls trail which obviously leads to the top of the Yosemite Falls.

Visiting the Yosemite Valley has invited countless memorable photographs in my mind. It’s an outdoor experience like no other, and living near these kinds of places gives us a sense that there is really a higher being allowing these places to come to existence. Nature has a way of recreating and changing and it never loses its beauty. Even the deepest of disasters, the strongest of storms, results into valleys and streams which flow beautifully with the mountains and oceans. Yosemite Valley is one such site, because it captivates you with its seemingly shy beauty, and its masculine tall mountains, that seem to stretch up to the sky and allow the rains to fall tremendously hard to keep the lands green and lush.