For those who don’t know, The Mighty Five includes Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Parks. They can all be found in Utah...some in close proximity to each other, and others a longer distance away. They have all been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember, so I was thrilled to finally see them during the last 2 months that we have been living out West. If you’ve never taken the opportunity to visit the Mighty Five...I would like to strongly encourage you to do so. Below, I have listed each park from my least to most favorite, although I want to stress that it is well worth your while to see all five of them.
Canyonlands National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
Zion National Park
We elected to stay in two cities close to where several of the parks are located. First, we drove from New Mexico to Grand Junction, Colorado. This city is just two hours from Moab, Utah, where Canyonlands and Arches National Parks are located. While living in Grand Junction, we also visited the Colorado National Monument, which was a 20 minute drive from our AirBnB home.
We also had a chance to attend a rodeo that was put on by the local university.
After a month in Grand Junction, we departed for Capitol Reef National Park. We took Scenic Highway 12...which has been designated one of the most beautiful highways in the United States...to Cedar City. Highway 12 wound us through Escalante National Monument, The Grand Staircase. It was a fascinating ride through this area, and one I would highly recommend.
During our stay in Cedar City...we took the opportunity to visit Cedar Breaks National Monument, which is located about 25 miles from where we were staying.
It was a cold and windy day when we arrived there, with a hint of winter still in the area, but well worth the visit.
We also did an overnight trip to St. George...which is located about an hour from Cedar City. We went there to attend a play at the Tuacahn Theater...which has been in existence since 1995. This outdoor theater is located in a canyon right outside the city of St. George. It is a stunning setting...and well worth attending. Most of the cast are professional actors and the staging is wonderful. The production we saw was the musical, Annie. It started at 8:45...while the temperature outside was still in the 80’s, and ended at midnight.
We’ve had a wonderful time out West, but in a few days it will be time for us to leave. However...we have one more stop to make before we head home to see our family and friends in Wisconsin. That stop is the north rim of the Grand Canyon. I have been to the south rim several times...but I have never seen the canyon from the north rim.
As always, thanks to all of you who have taken the time to read about our travels here and abroad. I appreciate your interest...and hope I inspire some of you to get out and visit your National Parks. I promise you will not be disappointed.
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