Mighty 5

Awesome. Thanks

I did all 5 a couple years ago. I am definitely no expert on them but I did the basic highlights. They’re all relatively small... Bryce Canyon can be done in half a day.. just hike the hoodoos.

Zion is also pretty small. You can hike up Angels Landing if you aren’t concerned about a tiny bit of exposure. Or hike to observation point. The Narrows May be too high with water in May.

Arches is also small. Just hike to Delicate Arch and call it good. Canyonlands is the park I spent the least amount of time in. It seems to be more of an off road driving park. I could be wrong tho.

Capitol Reef was my favorite. It’s the most isolated park with the fewest people. Just pick a trail on the map and go... you can’t go wrong.

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I personally would not take kids up it

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I’ve wanted to hike angels landing for a while, but I am hesitant to take my kids. Maybe the wife will hang out with them while I go.

I've been to all 5 and the following is all mainly just my personal opinion.

Canyonlands:

It's divided into 3 sections. Island in the Sky is the most visited section. It has a few nice hikes and has in my opinion the most awe inspiring views in Utah (tied with Zion). Side note: On the way into Island in the Sky, there is a turn off into Dead Horse State Park. Really nice views there as well, but not much of a hiking park. The Needles is 2nd most visited but kind of remote and in my opinion not worth the effort of going to. The Maze is by far the least visited and impossible to explore without a serious offroad vehicle, tons of supplies, and tons of time.

Bryce: Hike the Fairyland Loop trail. It is about 8 miles and you will see everything you need to at Bryce. I did this hike a few years back. It's one of my favorites that I've done. Really only need 1 day in Bryce.

Zion: Absolutely beautiful place. Unfortunately it is also by far the most crowded of the Mighty 5. Hard to do with kids but The Narrows are an amazing experience.

Arches: Hike to Delicate Arch, but do it EARLY!!! You want to beat the heat of the middle of the day but you also want to try to get there before 1000 other people do. Insanely popular hike.

Capitol Reef: Might not have the greatest views of the Mighty 5 but it's still a gorgeous place. It is also the least visited of the 5, which is enough to make me love it even more. Tons of great hiking. I did the Grand Wash trail by myself on a trip 2 years ago. It has narrow canyon walls that you hike through. Kind of like an easier and more accessible Narrows. What I loved was that since I did it first thing in the morning, I was all alone on the trail. Hiked for a couple of hours and the first people I saw were getting out of their car as I was getting in mine to leave.

When I go to the parks I’m up and out early (leaving room at sunrise). Last year I hiked to the top of Yosemite falls, spent an hour up there, and didn’t see a soul until I was half way back down to the valley floor. Most of the parks start getting crowded around 9:30-10:00 and you can see a lot of stuff before then if you are up with the sun.

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When I go to the parks I’m up and out early (leaving room at sunrise). Last year I hiked to the top of Yosemite falls, spent an hour up there, and didn’t see a soul until I was half way back down to the valley floor. Most of the parks start getting crowded around 9:30-10:00 and you can see a lot of stuff before then if you are up with the sun.

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Same strategy here.

Also, I always go talk to the park rangers. I usually just ask what in their opinion are some of the nicer but less traveled trails. I've had some really nice hikes because of advice from rangers.

Between Capitol Reef and Arches is Goblin Valley State Park. My family and I made a brief stop there while visiting the national parks last year. It was one of our favorite places on our trip. If you have time, it's worth stopping.

Living in the southeast it’s definitely hard to hit many parks, especially the ones in Alaska. I think I’ve gotten 19 under my belt and the only thing I’ve collected is the memories.

I posted this in another thread:

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The trip that we took two years ago was amazing, and I highly suggest it, or some variation of it.


We flew into Vegas, rented a car, and immediately drove to Zion. Spent a couple of days there, then drove to Bryce Canyon. Spent a half day, and night there, and drove to Page, AZ that next morning. We spent a day, and a night there, and checked out Antelope Canyon, and Horseshoe Bend. We also checked out a slot canyon that was off the beaten path called Waterhole Canyon. Page is really awesome.

After that, we drove to the Grand Canyon, and spent less than a day there before driving to Flagstaff. We drove to Sedona that next day for some more hiking, Drove back to Flagstaff that evening, and went to a few breweries, and bars there that night. Flagstaff is a cool place. We drove back to Vegas that next morning to catch our flight out.


So,

Flight to Vegas>Zion>Bryce>Page>Grand Canyon>Flagstaff>Sedona>Flagstaff>Flight out of Vegas.


Logistically, that trip is hard to top. Basically a big circle, and relative to the vast expanse of the west, we did not drive that many miles. Driving in and out and between these places was one of the best parts. Absolutely stunning landscapes, often not passing another vehicle for many miles.

Every place we went to was fantastic, and we really only scraped the surface of those places. We had to skip some really cool things(lack of time) such as Grand Staircase Escalante, Valley of Fire, and Lake Powell recreation, to name just a few. But driving through those places is special too.

Flying into Vegas is pretty cheap, and lodging was inexpensive too. If you camp, its even cheaper. We went in March, so it was still a little cold. We only camped in Zion.

I did it with 3 other people, so with split costs, I did the whole trip for well under a grand. Could've done it cheaper too if I really tried.

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