"U" is for Utah National Parks

"Delicate Arch" National Parks photo

Did you know that Utah is a treasure trove of National Parks? The state is home to five of them: Arches, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Zion.

Located in southeastern Utah, Arches must be a photographer's dream. A three-mile round trip hike is recommended to visit the famed "Delicate Arch". The Fiery Furnace hike requires a guide because of dead end paths and narrow passages. There's also Park Avenue, the one-mile walk through giant sandstone towers.

Capitol Reef National Park features a 100-mile long buckle in the earth's surface that goes from Thousand Lake Mountain down to Lake Powell. Erosion along the fold has created deep canyons and other interesting rock formations. When we were in Page, Arizona, I didn't realize as I took pictures of Lake Powell that I was also photographing part of the Capitol Reef National Park.

"Lake Powell" ©Mary Montague Sikes

Canyonlands National Park is east of Capitol Reef and west and south of Moab, Utah. It is said to feature some of the most challenging white water rapids in the world.

Zion National Park will be the subject of another post, and Bryce Canyon was the subject of my "B" National Parks.

What a fascinating trip it would be to visit all five of the National Parks of Utah at one time. It's on my bucket list.