#undercanvas

[pandemicperipatetics]

Weekend in Bryce Canyon National Park

Overview

A classic view of Bryce Canyon from the Rim Trail

Bryce Canyon was epic. The main hikes descend into the canyon, which felt similar to the hikes at Grand Canyon, although the scenery looks different given Bryce’s hoodoos. I would rank this among the most stunning national parks we visited, alongside places like Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Big Bend, and Mount Rainier. There are also some nice places to visit nearby – we enjoyed Willis Creek Slot Canyon (kind of a random hike, no official entrance or fees) and Kodachrome Basin State Park (although hiking there in the baking sun at mid-day was tough).

More classic views of the national park

We visited in mid-May, and it was already very hot and sunny during the daytime, though still cold at night. I think going earlier in the season would be more pleasant for hiking (though not too early, given potentially icy conditions/road closures). We booked our trip about ~6 weeks ahead of time and all of the decent-seeming hotels and nearby campgrounds were fully booked out, so we glamped at Under Canvas, which was totally fine (unique and luxurious in some ways and a downgrade from a regular hotel in others). That said, the park didn’t feel very crowded – despite getting a late start (~10am arrival), there wasn’t much of a line to get in, which we observed even around noon (when we accidentally exited the park), and we didn’t have difficulty finding parking throughout the day.

Bryce Canyon Hikes

We spent Friday visiting the national park. Bryce has quite a few options for hikes, but the big ones that caught our attention were the Queen’s Head/Navajo Loop Trail (most popular hike in the park), Peekaboo Trail (much less crowded and very nice), the Fairyland Trail (8 miles, we wanted to try it out but didn’t have time), and the Rim Trail (like Grand Canyon’s Rim Trail, this one is relatively flat and goes around the rim of the canyon). The Rim Trail connects several pretty lookout points such as Sunrise Point, Sunset Point, Bryce Point, and Inspiration Point. Most of these lookout points also have hikes that start from them.

One of the trails. Probably Peekaboo given how empty it is!

For Queen’s Head/Navajo Loop, there are 2 ways to do the Navajo Loop portion – the “Wall Street” side or the “Two Bridges” side. We ended up trying both and thought the Wall Street section was much more interesting.

Navajo Loop - Two Bridges option (can you see the two rock "bridges"?)

Navajo Loop - Wall Street option. The narrowness was very cool.

Other Nearby Hikes

We spent Saturday until mid-afternoon doing some nearby hikes, and then made the ~4 hour drive back to Vegas.

Willis Creek Slot Canyon was really cool. It’s about a 30 minute drive from Bryce Canyon and the walk is mostly flat with a shallow stream running through it. It seems like a fantastic option for people with kids or dogs.

We arrived on Saturday at 9am and departed around 11am, and there was plenty of parking at both times. The last bit of the drive there was a little bumpy, but nowhere near a bad as we expected based on reading reviews. There is no fee to enter.

We managed to keep our feet mostly dry!

Kodachrome Basin State Park is also a ~30 min drive from Bryce Canyon and has several hikes, of which we tried two. We liked the relatively easy Panorama Trail (3 mile loop); it was well worth adding on the very scenic Panorama Point out-and-back (1 mile total). However, there was no shade at all and the desert sun was baking hot, even though the forecast said it was only 70 degrees out. The Grand Parade Trail, which was just across the street from the Panorama Trail and shares a parking lot, was nice but would not make the cut for me in this type of weather. The state park has a $10 daily fee per vehicle (credit cards accepted but it might be good to bring cash if you can, their card reader was temporarily down when we arrived).

View from the Panorama Trail

Food

Like most U.S. national parks, the vegetarian food options in the area were pretty sad. Subway is the best bet, and since they didn’t open on time when we were there, we picked up some basic takeaway breakfast items (yogurt, boiled eggs, a bagel) at Bryce Canyon Coffee Co.  one of the days. The national park lodge seemed to have okay options (the black bean burger and quinoa salad were not terrible for lunch) and Under Canvas was also okay, though overpriced/small portions/light on vegetarian protein and potentially only available to guests (not sure about this). The best food we ate on this trip was Mixed Greens in St. George, Utah, an unexpectedly delicious and reasonably priced salads and bowls place in a strip mall about halfway between Las Vegas and Bryce Canyon. We were also happy to eat at Urth Caffe inside The Wynn/Encore in Las Vegas when we returned our Hertz car rental there.

Lodging

We stayed at Under Canvas, a luxury glamping site located a ~20 minute drive from the park entrance. It was in a very pretty area with cozy outdoor seating and many amenities (breakfast and dinner available for purchase onsite, hammocks, yoga mats, games, campfires and smores kits, etc.). The glamping tents had comfortable beds and sufficiently warm bedding for the cold nights, a shower with hot water, a sink, a normal toilet, a contraption for making a fire if desired, and Anker battery packs for charging devices overnight. There was no wifi or electricity (i.e., it wasn’t possible to use a hairdryer or laptop), and cell signal didn’t work for us onsite (so be sure to download offline maps for the park in advance!). The staff were all very nice and helpful. Apparently this is just the second season this site is open, and it generally felt pretty new and clean.

Glamping tent

Under Canvas was a unique experience, but given how expensive it was, I’d choose to stay at a regular hotel if I had the choice – it’s just a bit more convenient in terms of driving time to get to the park, electricity, staying warm overnight, etc., and likely at least a little bit less expensive. That said, if glamping were the only option, I’d totally stay here again – there were no issues and the chance to visit Bryce Canyon made it absolutely worth it.

View from the outdoor patio at Under Canvas

[little-whalin]

[ru-titley-knives]

Soulpad 5000 , 5 meter canvas Bell tent .

 Our Home away from Home for the summer at our sanctuary .

https://soulpad.co.uk/t/categories/bell-tents?gclid=EAIaIQobChMItcmksemr5wIVhrTtCh2f7Q8bEAAYASAAEgKF5_D_BwE

Unfortunately this was the last year our little group who had been using this spot on a private farm for 25 years could stay there .

But we have now sorted out another great location .

[charinascott]

not being able to travel globally has made me appreciate the beauty in places close by.

[2posh2pitch]

Check out @campdenyurts This is what they have to say. 😀 Unfortunately there not open now until next year. Definitely one for the diary. I have come up to Daisy yurt to light the woodburner for a guest who doesn't arrive until late. I am enjoying the space, the sound of the owls outside and the crackle of the wood in the stove... The fairy lights and solar powered lights make such a nice atmosphere, I hope they can relax as soon as they arrive. I may even pop a hot water bottle in their bed... . . . . . #yurts #yurt #yurtcamping #yurtbreaks #undercanvas #campdenyurts #glamping #glampingsite #poshcamping #glamorouscamping #luxurycamping #hygge #hyggestyle #uniqueaccommodation #chippingcampden #cotswolds #cotswoldsuk #lovethecotswolds #visitthecotswolds #visitengland #visitcotswolds #discovercotswolds #cosyatmosphere #cosyspace #glampingholidaysukandeurope #hostunusual #coolcamping #campsitesuk https://www.instagram.com/p/B4zIvEohXk_/?igshid=j2918jh19x7a

[kneedeepthought]

#Utah #Zion #arches #Moab #undercanvas #glamping #canyonlands (at Zion National Park)

[moreofmoe]

[jojuliaphotography]

Every little thing she does is magic Everything she do just turns me on Even though my life before was tragic Now I know my love for her goes on #thepolice . 2nd shooter @njduncanphotography Video: @oakandpineweddings Gown: @casablancabridal Suit: @mossbros Officiant: @farm_daddy34 venue: @undercanvasofficial linens @emmasatticstore catering: @moabprivatechef @hairby_linzy . . . . . #coloradomountainwedding #covidwedding #covidweddingplanning #coloradowedding #liveisnotcancelled #moabwedding #undercanvas #moabmicrowedding #moabelopement #coloradoweddingphotographer #moabweddingphotographer #utahwedding #utahweddingphotographer #deadhorsepointoverlook #deadhorsepointwedding #deadhorsepointelopement (at Dead Horse Point State Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CF5ajwpB0Pk/?igshid=vbxknjjcaee3

[ilmaroccoamodomio]

18.09.2019 Ricordi Gran Canyon .... abbiamo dormito nelle tende ....Under Canvas magnifico ... il giorno seguente Grand Canyon .... #grandcanyon #grandcanyonnationalpark #soirée #night #deserto #desert #undercanvasgrandcanyon #undercanvas #usa #arizona #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #trip #voyage #viaggio #pic #shoot #photo #photography #photooftheday #iphonexr #iphonography #iphoto #shotoniphone # (presso Grand Canyon National Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFSkyjHHucX/?igshid=1gxvz9fw4lqij

[malayweddingdress-blog]

A beautiful little article over on Love My Dress this afternoon for those of you… A phenomenal little article over on Love My Gown this afternoon for these of you contemplating marrying outside and celebrating below canvas 🏕

[citoyennedum0nde]

Watching the stars and trying to capture the beautiful sky got me jumping up and down like a kid in a candy store ⭐️ #stars #sonya6300 #photography #nightphotography #moab #nightshot #sarasadventures #travelgram #travel #roadtrip #glamping #undercanvas #explore #discover #dowhatyoulove #happyplace #nature #wilderness #usa #utah

[juliana6]

👋 Watch @travelandleisure now for my Instagram takeover from Under Canvas at Zion National Park. ⛺️ Then peep some more photos and video here of my deluxe tent (with a bathroom!) as well as the “lobby” tent where you can grab food, drinks and play old school board games. After horses and hiking, another highlight shown here was a special long-table dinner from @clothandflame who are lovely people doing really good things for the earth. More on Instagram. Full video coming soon

[tigerlilyskyepr]

Luxury on safari at the Singita Ebony Lodge. Located on the Sand River adjacent to the Kruger National Park in South Africa. The lodge is made up of a total of 12 suites, each with its own private plunge pool. @singita_ #singita #WildlifeConservation #SustainableTourism #SingitaExplore #TentedCamp #UnderCanvas #SingitaPrivate #Serengeti #africa #southafrica #safari #SabiSand #TravelTuesday #luxury #Kruger #park #travel #hotel #luxurydefined

[ru-titley-knives]

Lowa Zephyr GTX boots by the camp firelight in our Soulpad canvas Bell tent .

[oliverruizbrickellrealtor]

Picture of the big moment. How beautiful. It’s background. Such a great place to commemorate the beginning of their married life together. Best always to this great couple Valentina and Tarek. Love you both. #campcuki #valentinaserna #tarekelgammal #moab #undercanvas #2021 #togethertheystand #marriage #oliverruiz (at Moab, Utah) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPx7ZdmLFVK/?utm_medium=tumblr

[2posh2pitch]

Who has been making the most of this beautiful sun we are having? . I can’t believe I have gone from having too much water inn the garden and a really soggy field, to having to water the garden in less than a week. . Our home-schooling has pretty much involved a bit of actually school work in the morning (maths, English etc) followed by hours of gardening. . The kids have been helping to dig up borders, help me fetch the rotted horse manure- yeah I had to explain why we were digging in horse poo, every day’s a learning day 😂- they have planted seeds, created their own ‘garden’, dug over the allotment, and we found a new species of mushroom growing thatwe have not seen before. . We are definitely getting our vitamin D while we can, and the site will look fab in a month’s time. . One of the geese has sitting on some eggs, as have two chickens so we are hopeful for some more babies soon. . we may not have any guests in but it’s certainly busy busy at the retreat. . Have you managed to find productive ways to fill your time? . . . #peakesretreats #timetogether #stayhomesavelives #stayhomestaysafe #lifeisgood #staypositive➕ #undercanvas #canopyandstars #placestogo #embracingtheseasons #glamping #offgrid #prettyaccommodation #prettyplaces #countrylifestyle #countryliving #sweetpeas #mocktailtime #mocktail #countrygetaway #prettyinteriors #escapetothecountry #ruralretreat #comestaywithus #airbnb #airebnblove #wowplacestogo #coolcamping #campinguk #glampinguk https://www.instagram.com/p/B_R14npnDN-/?igshid=p6yggfvmtq01