Comparison of the Utah National Parks and some suggestions for NP visitors

Now that you have read my articles about national parks in the state of Utah, it is very natural for you to ask questions such as "Which of these parks is the best?" "If I have say four days to visit one or two parks, where do you recommend me to go?" I avoided the comparison among the parks in the previous articles, as it is indeed a very difficult task, and I am very sure whatever I say, there are always counter arguments.

However, in the state of Utah, there seems to be too much natural wonders to see and too less time. So we have to be selective - not to pick the good ones and leave out the bad ones, because there is really no bad place, but to go to the places that would match with our interests and the purpose of the trip. Although the five national parks all feature natural wonders, they differ in what they offer exactly. In the following I try to list some of these differences for your information:

Sizes of the park - The parks obviously differ in sizes. Small parks such as the Bryce Canyon NP provides a well-focused attraction, and you can appreciate the same canyon in a many different ways. On the other hand, large parks, such as the Canyonlands and the Capital Reef, provide endless wilderness for explorations and adventures. It depends on which way you like better: Checking one place inside-out and upside-down carefully, or blazing through the great unpopulated wilderness daringly. The mid-sized parks, Zion and Arches, provide a balance between the two.

Ease of access - Park on the ends of this string (i.e. The west-most Zion NP or the east-most Arches NP) are closer to major cities (Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Denver). So they may be easy targets for a short trip. Unfortunately this is not only true for you, so it also means you are more likely to fight with the crowds in these parks. The other three "inland" parks see significantly less visitors, and may be better targets if you prefer a quieter trip.

Nature of the park - This is just my personal impression. Bryce Canyon NP and Arches NP provide more "natural wonder" type of view. You go there to appreciate the marvelous, hard to imagine creation of the nature. Canyonlands NP and Capital Reef NP provides grand landscapes. You go there to understand the grandness of the nature and open up your mind in the endless world. Zion NP packs various nice scenery together -You can climb up the mountains, hike in the forest, and even swim in a river in the same day - and all of them are nice. It may be the most diverse park among the five.

In sum, if you want an easy, short trip with a good diversity of things, you may enjoy Zion. If you are really into checking out a place in detail and see different faces of it, go to the Bryce Canyon. Canyonlands and Capital Reef are for the great expeditions. They suit best for those who feel they are crammed in the cities and long for a real get away. If you want an eye-popping natural wonder and ask the question of how this is real, Arches will certainly satisfy you.

All in all, I think all five parks are more than worthwhile to visit. The T-shirt I bought at one gift shop says it the best: Utah ROCKS!!

Utah ROCKS!

Suggestions for National Park visitors

Here are my 2 cents for the national park visitors. It is just my personal experience about how to get the most out of the trip.

First of all you should do your homework. Find out what's there in the parks, and find a good destination for you. A national park can be established for various reasons. So picking a place that will interest you is really important. More importantly, the more homework you do before the trip, the less hassle you will have on the road. It is particularly bad if you reach the gate of a national park, pay your admission fee, and ask "Now what?" You should have sufficient preparation to minimize the chance of this question popping up in your mind.

Secondly, when you arrive at the national parks with your plan, always discuss about it with the rangers, if time permits. The rangers know their park the best, and along the way I met with many helpful, nice rangers so I could conclude it is never a loss to talk with them. Some may know a secret that is not published in the books or posted on the Internet. Some would inform you about the latest changes in the park that may be relevant to your plan. Some have interesting stories to share. Get weather information as well if you plan for extensive outdoor activities. This is especially helpful if you have a half-cooked plan. The rangers have seen enough travellers so they can understand your preference from your draft of plans and easily fill the gaps for you.

I had some hiking experience on this trip so I can share some experiences on that. One should (1) Get the proper equipments for hiking. Have one backpack and try to have things organized instead of committing the same error I made, bringing multiple small handbags which become cumbersome on the way. As suggested everywhere, you should bring sufficient water. This is perhaps the single most important thing above all. (2) If you hike during summer days, it is desirable to hike either early or late. Avoid the hottest hours during the day. It would make your hiking much more enjoyable. Also, when you hike, you should either wear long-sleeve clothes if you can bear with it, or use some sunscreen. I personally dislike sunscreen so I took little precaution, and here is a picture to show the result after spending five days in the national parks.

This is an example of what will happen to you if insufficient protection is taken while hiking.

(3) Although the nice scenery in the parks always makes you want to go on and see more, you should be aware of the limitation and don't push yourself too much. The whole idea of a trip, after all, is to have a nice experience out of it. It is not a race to see as much as you can in the given time. I had that tendency myself, and I realized it when I asked a ranger in Zion about whether it is possible to see A, B, and C in the same day. He told me it is possible, but it would be a hell of a day and asked me why I would like to have it. It was then I realized over-stretching myself on a trip is not a great idea.

Wish all nice trips to the national parks in the future!