Catlories: When Cat Eats and Travels: July 2015

Southwest Road Trip: Day 5: Escalante Petrified Forest State Park

hiking July 27, 2015

We had tried to go to Grosvenor Arch in Grand Staircase National Monument. However, we came across a bank where there was some leftover water. We were aso getting nervous because our Toyota Yaris, well-loved for its gas mileage, does not do well in areas where clearance and rough terrain is in question.

We backed out, and headed back onto byway 12. I was in the passenger seat, reading different excerpts from the guidebook about the area. My friend became giddy when she started hearing me talk about petrified things. So, that’s how we ended up at Escalante Petrified Forest State Park. It is a state park, so our national park pass does not apply. (People may buy an annual pass that grants access to all of Utah’s state parks.) We were lucky to keep cash on hand, as the entrance fee is $8.

There is only one hiking trail, though we spotted several RVs camping out and the reservoir (used for irrigation) is stocked with fish. People can boat and fish there if they’d like. We went there to hike, so we began our journey. The Petrified Forest Trail climbs quite fast, and all of a sudden, there’s a grand view of the reservoir. We didn’t know what to look for and kept searching for something “petrified.” Hint: the first big collection is at the junction of the Sleeping Rainbows trail. We were so dazzled by the pretty colors!

We encountered other hikers who recommended the Sleeping Rainbows trail. We also highly recommend it because the mother lode of petrified logs is all along this trail. The amount of petrified logs on the Petrified Forest Trail is limited to that small area near the junction of the Sleeping Rainbows trail. The Sleeping Rainbows trail is a short hike and has several rocks to scramble over, as well as high steps down and back up.

It’s so tempting to take a piece home, but please don’t. Just take pictures :)

Petrified Forest Trail (loop)

Start: from parking lot
Duration: 1/2 to 1 hour
Difficulty: easy-moderate (short but uphill incline)

Length: 1 mile

Sleeping Rainbows Trail (point-to-point addition leading back to Petrified Forest Trail)

Start: from Petrified Forest Loop at top of the hill
Duration: 1/2 to 1 hour
Difficulty: moderate (short descent, ascent and climbing over logs and rocks)
Length: .75 mile

Happy travels!
Cat

Utah’s Scenic Byway 12

nature July 27, 2015

The road to Bryce Canyon (from Zion) is a beautiful two lane road leading from Highway 89 to the junction of Highway 24. I’ve been on parts of the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) (Highway 1) in California, but Byway 12 is a different magnitude providing vast, scenic landscapes. Anything nature appeals to me, so I was more than excited to be driving on this road. My mouth was agape the entire time (both when I was the driver and the passenger), reveling in the beauty of the formations. It’s such a treat to be able to witness expansive landscapes, with different landforms all around.

For more about the highway, head to scenicbyway12.com (official site)

Head of the Rocks Overlook

This pull-over spot was the first expansive view where I took in the magnitude of the landscape in southern Utah. From this overlook, we learned that several people lost their lives building this highway across slick rock when they used explosives to pave their way through the rock. Thank you for your dedication.

Outside Bryce Canyon National Park heading North

Homestead Overlook

We found out (from sign placards) that for the inhabitants of the town of Grover, they have to travel northwestward on highway 24, then south back towards Bryce and Zion (if they wanted to reach that area) before this highway was built in the early to mid 1900s, when many of the roads in America were built far before then. I’ve read somewhere that this is one of the last places to develop in America and much of this area still is. There are virtually no tourist destinations (thank goodness!), which also means very few opportunities to stay at a hotel, fill up for gas, and fill up on food at diners. I would think that most of the cars through on the road are on their way to Capitol Reef National Park from Bryce Canyon (or vice versa) or live in the small towns scattered throughout Byway 12.