HIKING IN UTAH
Leaving London, I’ve swapped sweaty Tube carriages for the big skies and soaring canyons of Zion National Park. Located in southwestern Utah, this is an ancient landscape sculpted by wind and water, where mystical monoliths rise out of red-rock deserts and mighty rivers meander past ponderosa pines. In the shadow of The Watchman – a jagged mountain ridge that glows amber come sunset – Cable Mountain Lodge is a welcome retreat after 14 hours spent travelling. Stylish suites boast beds big enough for four, while a spa offers treatments inspired by the local area. An aromatic wild sage and juniper massage leaves me feeling rested and ready for the next day’s adventures.
A thrill seeker’s paradise, no trip to Zion is complete without experiencing the famous Angels Landing. This five-mile trek is not for the faint-hearted: combining sheer drop-offs and steep switchbacks that will leave even a fitness fanatic exhausted. Despite my best intentions, I’m not quite brave enough to make the final push to the top – a perilous climb that requires gripping on to chains bolted into stone – so settle for admiring the view from Scout Lookout, where chipmunks scamper around me in search of food scraps.
Hiking is hungry work, and Springdale is certainly the place to go to
refuel. Switchback Grille in the centre of town is quintessentially American, with ornate Navajo blankets suspended from the cavernous ceiling. Portions may be States-sized, but I still manage seared scallops followed by the most delicious rib-eye steak I’m likely to taste. Glad to rest my legs, I’m lucky the next day’s itinerary involves exploring Zion’s backcountry by Jeep. Local guide Melissa takes us to ghost town Grafton (an early Mormon settlement and filming location of Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid) and points out Native American pictographs etched on to orange rock. Surrounded by sandstone cliffs, Under Canvas Zion provides lodgings in the heart of the wilderness. As dusk makes way for night, I stargaze on the veranda before falling asleep listening to a thunder storm overhead.
It might be just a two-hour drive away, but Bryce Canyon feels like another world: a sprawling natural amphitheatre filled with towering ‘hoodoos’ (irregular pinnacles of rock formed over millions of years). We head out early to Sunrise Point, where the sun creeps into view on the horizon before illuminating what must be one of Earth’s most spectacular sights. It’s a view that will stay with me long after my trip ends. And, when I’m next on the train, my face parallel with a fellow commuter’s armpit, I know I’ll be thinking of Utah. LAURAN ELSDEN
TRIP NOTES
Audley Travel has a 10-night trip to explore both Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks, including a two-night stopover in Scottsdale, Arizona. The trip includes flights with American Airlines, fully insured car rental, three nights in a luxury suite at Cable Mountain Lodge, a full day exploring Zion National Park with a private guide, a private 4x4 safari in Zion National Park, two nights in a Deluxe tent at Under Canvas Zion, two nights in a Standard room at Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel and a full day exploring Bryce Canyon National Park with a private guide. Travelling at the end of September this year costs from £3,895pp, based on four people travelling. Visit audleytravel.com/usa or call 01993 838755.