My trip to Utah
This Summer I took a wonderful trip with my cousin. On a whim I flew out to Las Vegas to meet my cousin and we drove out to Utah to see Zion National Forest, camp out and hike Kanarraville falls. It was absolutely beautiful! We had planned for a dispersed camping experience but unfortunately that didn’t work out when we got out there. Beside the slight disappointment of not being able to sit by the fire we’ve made and sleep out under the stars, I had an amazing time out there.
First day in Utah – Emerald Pools
We drove out from Las Vegas straight to Zion National Park and it was only about a 2 ½-3 hour drive. It was way shorter than I expected and is absolutely worth a trip out there. Cruise control wasn’t such a horrible invention either. 😉 During the drive, I was amazed to see unreal shapes and textures of the mountains. I was in absolute awe of how large and close they were. The skies were clear on our drive out and it was very nice. The roads wound left to right and was pretty fun to drive through.
Furthermore, when we got to Zion we shortly found out how crowded it was. It wasn’t a complete surprise since it was a weekend nearing the end of July, however the restrictions on camping were a surprise to me. If it were for particular season , I believe there are areas in which you can camp anywhere you’d like but for the time we went it was closed off due to flash floods.
A bump in the road..
There were also designated camping areas within a particular plot of land and it’s the kind where you’d park your car, camp right next to it along with other campers just about 15 feet away from you. That’s not really my favorite way to camp. I prefer a secluded campsite with just trees around me, perhaps near a body of water and all I can hear are wild animal calls. Anyway, that wasn’t even an option because by the time we got there all lots were taken. We were tired, hungry and disappointed.
All is well!
As a result, we went to a diner for dinner and then headed straight out to one of the sites in Zion called Emerald Pools. It was so nice! I cannot express enough how surreal it was. The mountains, even in person, looked fake because it was too beautiful. I remember feeling like I was just looking at one of the screen savers or desktop backgrounds of a Windows PC.
Also, I think it all worked out well because once we got out to hiking toward the waterfalls the sun was nearly setting and it wasn’t scorching hot for us. It was lovely weather of the perfect temperature and made the hike enjoyable and bearable. Emerald Pools wasn’t too bad of a hike with a total of 3 miles, if I recall correctly. There were a lot of steps but it wasn’t extreme. There were 3 waterfalls in total within, what they have sectioned off, the lower, middle, and upper pools.
On the way to Emerald Pools
Oh Deer!
We took a shuttle to get to this site and when we headed back for the stop we bumped into so many deer! It was right outside of an extremely nice and well lit hotel and restaurant. There was an opening of grass and trees and the deer started grouping together eating grass. There had to have been more than 40 of them. I tried to get photos but they it was too dark and came out blurry.
Finally, we were still very much set on dispersed camping and only by the end of the day did we find out the perfect places to camp. Although, by then we were pretty exhausted and just wanted to reboot for the next day so we booked a room for the night at the nearest Best Western Town and Country Inn. Everything within a 30 mile radius of Zion was ALL booked! It took us a while to find an available room. It was fine for the night and I guess in the morning as well since we helped ourselves to the complimentary breakfast. I’ll have to say it really fueled us up for our next adventure day.
Second/Last day in Utah – Kanarraville Falls
BEST place I have been to thus far! I cannot believe how beautiful this place is! Remember when I said Zion looked like it was an image from a computer screen? Kanarraville Falls is beyond that. I’m not exaggerating. Though I’ve never been, Kanarraville Falls is comparable to The Narrows in Zion. I will have to say though, from what I’ve seen, Kanarraville Creek Canyon HAS to be better! You are walking in the water about 95% of the time but Kanarraville is more hidden between beautiful and tall trees. The canyons hug the stream much closer and are right next to you while you walk through to the waterfall.
The perfect climate
The temperature around Kanarraville is very pleasant because the tall trees create much appreciated shade. It can be crowded near the waterfalls but it’s not nearly as packed at the Narrows. You’ll have nature all to yourself most of the time. The biggest thing that sets Kanarraville Falls apart from other similar hikes is that the stream never stops. My cousin and I never made it to the end and we were out there for at least 4 hours. There is a waterfall after the next and you can climb past the falls to continue walking. We climbed through the waterfalls by makeshift ladder made from some logs and metal steps that were bolted on. There were strings to help us pull ourselves up or hang on the sides of the canyon.
The map shows us that the end is the top of the canyons there are a few different springs that merge. When we left we asked the people who work there if anyone has made it to the end and they said that there has been one group and it took them about a week or so to go in and then back out on the other side of the entrance.
Definitely going back!
After a long time, we decided to go back to the car at some point before it got dark. We could have continued but there doesn’t seem to be any camping spots out there. We asked around and there are many dispersed camping areas near the falls in Kanarraville. I am definitely excited to go back out there and discover more of the falls. I’d also like to camp out in some of those areas. After getting back to our car we drove back to Vegas. I got on a plane the next day and flew back to California with the memory of an awesome adventure in Utah!
What I Packed
Lastly, I wanted to show you a glimpse of what I brought with me to Utah.
This is my beloved camping pack. It has a Camelbak slot and slits on the side to extend the straw toward your straps for easy access. This backpack has a lot of room and has a mesh back pad to keep from heat and moisture buildup. As you can see, there is another pack (yellow) for more gear. Aside from my tent, I have most of my camp gear in that, The Northface bag. I actually borrowed that bag but you can find it here. You can also find packs similar to my Osprey pack at REI or Amazon. I can’t find the exact model but it’s called Osprey Stratos 24. Love it! I’ve had it for years and for many adventures yet it still holds up very well. It was gifted to me for my birthday and I use it for everything.
Also, I packed a whole bag containing emergency supplies and of course my clothes.
Post Script
Please do not hesitate to reach out and ask questions. I know I didn’t go into full detail as to what I wore during my hikes in Utah but I’d like to know if you’d like to see a little post about that. There can definitely be a focus on that in another journal. I didn’t really wear make up at all but I did tint my brows and you can see what I used here. That lasted me the entire weekend and I didn’t have to touch up. I also used waterproof mascara (waterproof favorites) and some tinted moisturizer.
Thank you! Until next time.