Utah Trip

In June 2025, a couple of friends and I went on a hiking trip to explore some of Utah’s National Parks.

Something you should know about me—I enjoy casual, dare I say brisk, walking. But, contrary to the usual Pacific Northwest norm, I don’t like hiking. Elevation gain and I do not get along. When I’m hiking, there’s a constant monologue running in the back of my head: Are we there yet?

That being said, I do enjoy beautiful views, getting out in nature, and the sense of accomplishment that comes with completing a hike. So when friends invite me on a hiking trip, I usually say yes—with the caveat that I am very slow, and they are welcome to go ahead while I catch up eventually.

All that to say (yes, a long and unnecessary intro), we visited four of Utah’s "Big Five" National Parks—Canyonlands, Arches, Zion, and Bryce.

I did a year’s worth of hikes in five days and had an amazing time!

Day 1: Travel Day

We started with an early morning flight from Seattle to Salt Lake City.

Upon arrival, our rental car wasn’t ready, so we took an Uber/Lyft to a brunch spot on my list. Did I remind the driver that we had luggage in his truck’s trunk? A resounding yes. Did he still attempt to drive away with our stuff? Also, yes. A flurry of thoughts and worst-case scenarios flashed through our minds as I banged on his very large truck. Thankfully, he stopped, unlocked the trunk, and let us get our things—though he wasn’t apologetic in the slightest (as if we were the inconvenience).

Brunch at The Park Café made up for the chaos. I ordered the Huevos Mexicanos, which was both delicious and incredibly filling.

Next stop: a jaunt around Liberty Park—luggage in tow. It’s a great spot for a family outing or even a cute date.

Finally, our car was ready, and we hit the road to Moab, arriving around 8:30 PM, just in time for sunset.

Day 2: Canyonlands & Arches

The day started bright and early at 4 AM to catch the sunrise at Mesa Arch in Canyonlands. It was stunning and absolutely worth the early wake-up call!

After breakfast, we spent the morning at Arches National Park, exploring Landscape Arch, Double Arch, and Pine Tree Arch, among others. The heat got intense, so we took a break in Moab for food and some boutique shopping (where I wanted to buy everything).

We grabbed fancy doughnuts from Doughbird, lunch at The Spoke, and sandwiches from Bella’s Desert Deli for later. Gloria’s, where we stopped for juice, was a strange experience—wouldn’t revisit.

As the evening cooled down, we headed back to Arches to hike up to Delicate Arch and watch the sunset. Hiking back in the dark, we then faced a long drive to Torrey, near Capitol Reef.

Day 3: Bryce Canyon

Started the morning with breakfast at The Wild Rabbit Café and coffee at Shooke Coffee—my friend now loves their beans so much that she gets them shipped to her house!

The next few hours were filled with road trip chats, music, and attempts to find a fun Bridgerton soundtrack.

By afternoon, we arrived at Bryce Canyon and took a shuttle to hike Navajo Loop & Queens Garden Trail. The landscape reminded me of Cappadocia, Turkey.

Fun tip: If you find a Ponderosa pine tree, smell the bark! It has the most unexpected scent. My friends humored me and gave it a sniff—Harika said it smelled like vanilla with hints of cinnamon and maple syrup, while Susan thought it was like an orange creamsicle. How do we bottle that scent forever?!

The drive from Bryce to Zion took us through tumbleweed central, which was surprisingly fun to experience.

Day 4: Zion National Park

Zion, Zion, Zion!!!

First up: Scout Lookout Trail to Angels Landing. My plan was to stop at Scout Lookout and let Harika and Susan continue on to Angels Landing.

However, while waiting, a lovely family convinced me to at least try going further. I did—but after getting about one-third of the way up, my fear of heights kicked in. Hard pass. I stayed put and later surprised Harika and Susan when they came back down.

Lunch at Whiptail Grill—get the burrito with their white sauce. I still think about this sauce. It’s that good.

For our next adventure, we picked up gear—walking sticks, water boots, and socks—and set off on The Narrows via Riverside Walk. Walking along the flowing water in the late afternoon was a perfect way to reflect, recharge, and escape the heat.

Day 5: Zion & Farewell

We drove back to Zion for our final hike: Middle & Upper Emerald Pools. While the waterfalls were completely dry (as expected), the dragonflies at the pools were a beautiful sight.

And just like that, our Utah trip came to an end.

But wait—one more stop before the flight!

After five days of hiking, where do you go? Vegas, obviously. 😆

We grabbed a final meal at Eataly before heading to the airport.