Kodachrome Basin, Utah, Sept 2025

  Utah: Road trip through Zion, Bryce, Kodachrome Basin and Escalante with grad school friends Bunny and The Walkers in September 2025

After a day in Bryce, which we've seen several times, we wanted to try something new.  So we went east and stayed in Cannonville, close to Kodachrome Basin.

A surprising highlight is their gift shop/snack shop/general store.  It is the best!  Higher quality t-shirts, snacks, park information (pressed wildflower book!), and outdoor seating area.  

I know that it just looks like more rocks, but they are different rocks!  The scale is not huge like Bryce and Zion, so you get up close and see weird details.

This park is special because of these sedimentary stone spires and the gorgeous colors.

The trails are flat and easy.

There are more wildflowers than I expected.

Don't forget your water as the trails are all exposed.  

Much less crowded than the national parks, though the campgrounds were full.

Great choice!  Would love to return.

Bryce, Utah, Sept 2025

  Utah: Road trip through Zion, Bryce, Kodachrome Basin and Escalante with grad school friends Bunny and The Walkers in September 2025

Sunset at Sunset Point

The drive out of Zion has fascinating rock formations

that are so different from the rest of the park.

Between Zion and Bryce it was important to stop and have pie!

In Bryce, we drove to the top and worked our way down so we could get to Sunset point at sunset.  Each stop is a different perspective or better view of particular rock formations.  Though the pictures don't do it justice, we try anyway.

Zion, Utah, Sept 2025

 Utah: Road trip through Zion, Bryce, Kodachrome Basin and Escalante with grad school friends Bunny and The Walkers in September 2025

We started off in an AirBNB in La Verkin.  Cute little town-we had great food from Red Fort Indian Cuisine several times.  On the first afternoon we hiked to the Lower Emerald Pool.  Lovely ferns and moss tucked at the end of a hot dusty hike.

The second day, E and hiked up The Narrows!  We have a long history with this hike and it is amazing every single time.  We caught one of the very first buses so were able to grab a walking stick from the free pile. Most of the others had rented the shoe and stick combo that you get at the park entrance-very handy.  We saw a lot of rocks! 

Though we love our favorites, it is also good to try new things.  So on the third day we went to the other park entrance and saw Kolob Canyon.  WOW!  A totally different perspective of the canyon.  The colors are impossible. Fewer people make it more relaxed.  10/10

We hiked the Timber Creek Overlook Trail which packs so much grandeur in such a short distance.  The other trails are along the creek and I'd like to do them next time.

Lookin' at lichens