Apr 7

Apr 7 What To Know Before You Go-Antelope Canyon, Zion & Horseshoe Bend

So we all know that last year plans were being canceled left and right. For us, we had SO many travel plans that were thrown out in 2020 and now that things have started to open back up a little and we’re both swiftly on our way to being fully vaccinated, we’ve decided to revisit those tossed aside plans. Also, we’re trying to make it a point to explore our own backyard a little more. We’re typically so quick to travel outside of the country and have neglected traveling the US for years. We’re making up for it now!

First up was a visit to Zion National Park. Then we went over to Page, Arizona where we saw Horsehoe Bend and Antelope Canyon (yes, it’s still closed and I’ll tell you how we did it). We then drove through Sedona (surprisingly weird) and then on to Phoenix which I immediately fell in love with. To be honest, I loved being in Utah & Arizona the entire time. The landscape was so beautiful and varied. The weather was sunny everyday and Phoenix….that is my weather right there. Minus the extreme dryness. My southern skin did not like that.

1.) Zion National Park & How to Get Around:

To be completely honest we didn’t do too much research about how to get around in Zion. We rented a car in Las Vegas and knew that we needed a shuttle to get to the two trailheads we were wanting to do but didn’t do too much beyond that. The NPS releases shuttle openings everyday at 5pm and they sell out almost immediately. If you’re not prepared with a NPS shuttle pass, there are private, more expensive shuttles you can book. We used Zion Outfitter and found them to be very prompt, professional and organized. Also, they were located right at the entrance to Zion and also happened to be right next to Zion Brewery and Zion Brew Pub. Both of which were amazing to have so close at hand after a day of hiking.

You can see Zion Outfitters located in the background here and beyond that is Zion National Park. It’s all so close together!

Definitely not as deep as The Narrows gets! The water was about 38 degrees here.

You can also rent equipment from them if the water is really cold like it was on this day. We had boots, bibs and sticks totaling $50 a person.

We booked them online the day before but if you call, they’ll give you a discount if you book multiple days. We used them to book our shuttle to hike Angles Landing as well as The Narrows.

They’ll tell you where to get off and where to stand to get picked up and what time you’ll need to be at the trailhead in order to get picked up. Typically the last shuttle goes out around 6pm so be sure you’re there ready or you’ll be in for a long, hot walk back to your car.

Also, it’s $35 to enter all US National Parks or you can do what we did and buy the Annual Pass for $80. It paid for itself in the first day as we went in and out the park several times. You have to have your actual card with you so be sure to order it way ahead of time. You can go here to get yours!

While not a particularly long hike at 5 miles, Angels Landing is considered one of the most dangerous hikes in the world. So far, 13 people have died on the hike since 2004. So, definitely understand that if you’re an inexperienced hiker or want to take your kids on the hike with you. We made it up about a quarter of the way on the chains section (you’re literally holding onto chains overlooking a sheer drop) and I just got too scared and we turned around. It was pretty terrifying.

Check out this video below to get more of a feel of Angels Landing before you take it on!

2.) Page, Arizona & Antelope Canyon:

After spending two nights in lovely little Springdale, Utah, we drove over into Arizona to stay in Page to visit Horseshoe Bend and, hopefully, Antelope Canyon. However, before heading that way we heard from two guys hiking The Narrows that Coral Pink Sand Dunes is a cool state park to check out so of course we had to stop by and try our hand at sand surfing. I believe it was $15 to enter the park and $10 to rent the board. It was a fun couple of hours spent getting sand everywhere and falling a lot but we both loved the detour.

While not as cute and picturesque as Springdale, Page was it’s own version of interesting. It’s very near to Glen Canyon National Park, Horseshoe Bend and Lake Powell so it has plenty of cool stuff to do and is a great jumping off point for National Parks and hiking slot canyons. First off, drop everything you’re doing and immediately fly to Arizona to go to BirdHouse to have the most amazing chicken of your life. We went there twice and we were blown away each time. This place fills up super fast so definitely get there either right when they open or during an off-peak time.

The first thing we did was head over to Hoseshoe Bend which is only about a ten minute drive away. All you need to do is pay to park (I believe it was $10) and you can stay as long as you want. The hike over to the canyon is an extremely easy and flat half mile. The crowds start to pile in around 10am so definitely try to get there earlier. They’re open from sunrise to sunset. There are also definitely a lot of people trying to get the perfect insta-shot so try to keep your distance. I saw a lot of people doing some pretty precarious things and you wouldn’t want to get caught up in someone’s tumble.

One of my favorite things we did in Arizona!

Now….we both wanted to go to Antelope Canyon but because it’s on the Navajo Nation it’s currently closed down for tours. Pre-covid if you wanted to tour the famous slot canyon you’d need to arrange a tour within the Navajo Nation. However, understandably they’ve closed their area to tourists. So, after doing a ton of digging, I found that we could rent a kayak and kayak into the backside of Antelope Canyon using Lake Powell as an entry point through Glen Canyon National Park (once again you need to pay $35 or have the NPS Annual Pass). Not only was the lake beautiful but there weren’t very many people there at all and because we got there later in the day we were also the only people hiking in Antelope Canyon. We had the entire place to ourselves! We rented a two person kayak using Lake Powell Paddleboards and Kayaks as the outfitter. They offer tours, rentals and gear. They were very professional and helpful and even gave us a map so we knew where to paddle to get into the canyon. It was $75 for the kayak and the included them transporting the kayak to the lake as well as PFDs. It’s a great time and the water is beautiful!

I hope you found this helpful and it further fuels your desire to go out west! It was such an amazing trip and we loved every second of it. We fully intend on heading back out to check out Grand Canyon National Park as well as Phoenix a bit more.

We also put ourselves in the lottery to get the cables hike permit for Yosemite so hopefully we’ll get to post about that soon!