Touring the Valley of the Gods and Beyond


Hello again from Southern Utah!

Today was a very busy day for us. After getting up early, we toured a number of incredible national monuments, state parks, and slot canyons as we made our way South to Arizona. The first stop was to the stunning, but seldom discussed, Leprechaun Canyon.

Leprechaun Canyon

If you aren’t familiar with this slot canyon, you aren’t alone. It tends to get lost in the shuffle with so many other incredible things to see in the area. It’s very easy to get to and to hike, which makes it a great option for families with kids. If you’re adventurous, you can go back into the canyon quite a ways if you have the right climbing gear. I have no doubt it won’t always be this unknown, so see it while it isn’t a zoo!

Valley of the Gods

After hiking Leprechaun Canyon, we continued heading South to the infamous Valley of the Gods. One word that I would use to describe the valley is “epic”. The vastness and beauty of the valley will leave you speechless. I would absolutely love to come back for an extended period and camp and hike.

Crazy Switchbacks with 10% Grade

From the Valley of the Gods, we took a crazy road (see above) up the nearby mesa so that we could explore the nearby Natural Bridges National Monument and Bears Ears National Monument. Natural Bridges was incredible, with a lot of really fun trails to enjoy. Bears Ears was neat to see, but much more for its cultural significance than its beauty.

Bears Ears National Monument

While visiting Bears Ears, we saw a car get too close to the edge of the gravel road and slide down the embankment. The couple driving it were ok, but we had to give them a lift back to the visitor center so that they could call a tow truck. All I could think of is what would have happened had they slid off on a steeper and more exposed section of the road. Thankfully, they didn’t.

Goosenecks State Park

On our way back out, we stopped by Goosenecks State Park to get some pictures. It’s a very small park, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in beauty. There are so many incredible state parks in Utah and Goosenecks is a great example of how beautiful they are.

Forrest Gump Point

Our last stop in Utah before heading to Page, Arizona for the night was the incredible Forrest Gump Point. This renown Monument Valley viewpoint was made famous in the movie Forrest Gump. In case you don’t recall, it’s the spot where Forrest decides to stop his cross-country run, to the bewilderment of the crowd of people following him. It’s an absolutely gorgeous spot to take pictures!

That’s it for tonight!


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Categories: Journal Entries, UtahTags: , , , , , , ,

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