When I was younger I used to have this OBSESSION with Utah. I always knew I wanted to move west for different types of adventures, but  Utah became a special dream of mine after seeing Rachel Pohl run through a hoodoos trail in the Bryce Canyon National Park in the National Parks Adventure 4D movie (This movie was actually how I discovered Rachel when I was a wee lass in high school!! #fangirlforever). I actually loved the thought of exploring Utah so much that I always thought I would move to Utah right after college, but life's winds ended up taking me to Montana instead. 

 "Destiny is a funny thing, you never know how it's going to work out" - Uncle Iroh (Avatar the Last Airbender)

I've yet to visit Bryce, but I'm hoping to sneak down there at some point this year (2025). However, I got to visit Utah for the first time with my roomie at the time, Kayla, in May of 2023 just before she was set to move to the east. She had lived in Moab for a few years working with the UnderCanvas organization and it was super cool of her to want to show me around. It was a pretty impulsive weekend trip (quite a drive for a weekend lol), but it filled a piece of my soul I didn't realize I was missing- something a younger Vanessa had always dreamt of. I knew I would be back sooner rather than later. 

My sister and I always spend Thanksgiving together and the past few years we alternated traveling to each other, but this year I had the idea of us traveling to a new place entirely.  I suggested we take a trip down to Moab and it was an easy yes to squeeze in one last adventure before the year was up. We visited Canyonlands & Arches like I had with Kayla, but also squeezed in two of Utah's state parks too!

 Below is lil about the Utah parks I've gotten to visit!

Visited May 2023 & November 2024 

The gem of Moab. The park requires timed entry reservations between April 1st and October 1st. Check recreation.gov for the most updated information. 

Arches Fun Facts

• • Arches is one of Moab's three International Dark Sky Parks!

  • There are over 2,000 natural stone arches in the park. 

  • It used to be underwater- it was once covered by a shallow inland sea. 

  • At least eleven movies have been filmed here including; Thelma & Louise, Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade, & even a hulk movie!

Delicate Arch

Elevation Gain: 650 feet 

Length: 3.2 miles round trip 

Difficulty: Easy / Medium Rare

Time: ~1.5-2 hours 

Note(s): 

• This arch is so famous it is on every single Utah license plate. Guarantee it'll be a busier hike. Probably the most popular hike in the park. Don't let my pic fool you- there is usually a line of people waiting to the left of the arch to get a chance to get their picture taken under it. I snapped this in-between the photo ops. 

• On the beginning of the trail there is an option to do a short loop around to some Petroglyphs. It is known as the Wolfe Ranch panel & is believed to have been carved by Ute and/or Paiute Indians sometime between AD 1650 and 1850. 

• Fun fact- roomie kayla told me about the national park rumor that this arch was supposed to be called landscape arch & the arch called landscape arch was supposed to be called delicate arch. The name swap seems to fit both the arches better, but national park service denies this rumor! 

Visited May 2023 & November 2024 

One of two national parks in Moab! To my knowledge, no reservations are currently required at any time of the year. I would double check recreation.gov just in case because it could change sometime in the future.

• • Canyonlands is one of Moab's three International Dark Sky Parks!!

  • This is the largest National Park in Utah & it covers 527.5 sq. miles - almost half the size of Rhode Island.

  • The park is split up into four areas- Island in the Sky, The Maze, The Needles, and Horseshoe Canyon. Both times I've visited were to the Island in the Sky area because that is the most accessible from Moab! 

  • The Robber Roost hide out of Butch Cassidy & his Wild Gang was located near the maze district of Canyonlands.

Grand View Point 

Elevation Gain: 200ft

pretty minimal - it felt hecka flat the whole way

Length: 1.8 mi RT

Difficulty: Easy

Time: ~1 hr

Note(s): 

• Killa said this was her fav hike (i think) in Canyonlands

• It was hecka gorgeous- cool trail!!! One of my favs

East to West Rim

Elevation Gain: 500ft? 

pretty minimal - it felt hecka flat the whole way

Length: Up to 8.5 mi RT 

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 3-4 hrs

Note(s): 

• This mileage includes all of the overlook trails, but if I were to recommend one particular overlook I would definitely pick the Bighorn Overlook (1.5 mi one way off of the west rim trail)

• It is definitely deserty terrain so if you're not paying attention to cairns or paint marks it would be easy to get turned around! 

Visited November 2024 

Monica & I visited the park on our way from Moab back up to Salt Lake City. It was quite a fun road trip pit stop! We just wandered around the main Goblin field, but there are no set trails to follow in this section of the park. Day pass entry to the park costed $20 for the car. 

Goblin Valley State Park Fun Facts 

• • The park features thousands of hoodoos which they've cutely nicknamed as Goblins. 

  • Goblin Valley is an International Dark Sky Park!!!