swusaparks

US SOUTHWEST NATIONAL PARKS AND MONUMENTS

(AND A FEW STATE PARKS THROWN IN)

GENERAL COMMENTS:: There is a high concentration of national parks, national monuments, national historic sites and national forests in the Southwest so a National Parks annual pass will pay for itself if you are traveling in the region. Some of the campgrounds fill up early in the day, so it is best to get on an early schedule. Some of the busy areas are surprisingly quiet before 10:00 am. Many of the visitors centres have introductory movies and most are well worth watching. Keep an eye out for ranger-led walks; many are free or inexpensive and they are normally insightful.

SOUTHERN UTAH

Note that facilities at state parks (SP) are excellent. SP campgrounds can be booked in an advance. They can be surprisingly busy (i.e. full!), so be warned! Both Deadhorse Point SP and Goblin Valley SP campgrounds were booked solid when we were there.

ZION NP *** A beautiful park. So-so campground with showers available in local town only. Virgin Narrows and Angel's Landing are must-do's. Start as early as possible.

Consider the Subway (need some basic climbing equipment for the canyoneering).

BRYCE NP ** High elevation makes this a cold place; consider staying in Tropic as it is considerably warmer than up top. There are some lovely below the rim and rim views. Possible to power through the park in a day.

CAPITOL REEF NP ** Quieter than other South Utah parks. Nice campground and walks nearby including Hickman bridge, Navajo Knobs, Cassidy Arch. The Lower Muley Twist Canyon is very nice and is known for its huge alcoves is normally done as an overnight loop but possible as a day trip (go in part way and return the same way is a manageable day trip).

ARCHES NP *** Campground is nice but now requires advance booking. Plenty of enjoyable day walks. Delicate Arch sunset is a cultural event but there are plenty other sunset places. Park Avenue area is nice.

CANYONLANDS

ISLAND IN THE SKY ** Nice views and nice campground. The view is better at Deadhorse Point State Park but Mesa Arch is nice at sunrise at the right time of year.

NEEDLES *** Fairly quiet with some fabulous hiking but on our second trip there in 2011, we found it busier than our first visit. On our second visit, we spent a week there and still wish to return another time. There are plenty of day hikes and it is a real backpacker's destination. Lovely car camping (Squaw Flat campground ) too; it fills up early in the day. “Newspaper Rock “ is along the road into the park and an essential stop for petroglyphs.

There are so many nooks and crannies in the Needles, it would take a while to explore the area. We didn't have problems getting back-country sites on a walk-up basis (but we had to be flexible). If Squaw Flat campground is full, free camping outside the park on BLM is OK and if the campground is full, you can camp one night at the Group site (if it is not booked, but check at info centre first). Most nights there were no groups there so this is a handy way to get a campsite for the first night. The Needles Outpost (private campground just outside the gates) is also a good alternative (hot showers too!)

Druid Arch is worthy: we especially like the views back down Elephant Canyon. Chesler Park loop/Joint Trail was nice and the upper reaches of Squaw Valley (off-trail) are out-of-this-world. Salt Creek hike was not as impressive as the classic, central area of the Park, but Angel Arch which is accessed from Salt Creek is a beauty. Salt Creek itself is mildly interesting, but there are tons of side canyons screaming for exploration! For instance, the slickrock bench near Peekaboo campsite; few people go off trail, and it is rewarding to explore the various slickrock benches! The side canyon just downstream from Peekaboo campsite (on Salt Creek, 4WD road was completely closed so it was a backpacking campsite, only 2 hours in, with year-round water) had some interesting slickrock benches. The slickrock bench near Peekaboo campsite (head back on the Peekaboo trail but cut left on nice bench) has a some interesting surprises.

FISHER TOWERS ** Nice enough campground (tents only) and lovely hike under the towers themselves.

NATURAL BRIDGES NM ** Nice place. There are three natural bridges on the White Canyon, averaging over 215 feet of span. The bridges can be seen from viewpoints near the road or more interestingly by walking on the floor of White Canyon (a full day for all three). Campground was a little tight and we camped for free on BLM land outside of the park about 5 miles east on the Bear Ears road. The bridge walks are excellent, either the look-outs or walk through in the White Canyon. The third bridge (Owachomo) is the most photogenic.

RAINBOW BRIDGE NM We did not visit but understand the overnight walk to/from Rainbow Bridge is excellent.

HOVENWEEP NM * Makes a nice couple of hours stop.

KODACHROME STATE PARK ** To start with, the park has a nice campground (showers) though the free wifi at the visitor's center has been discontinued. It is a nice setting and there are a variety of drives and walks that can keep you busy for a couple of days. There is a nice slot canyon called Round Valley Draw not too far away, that is worth a visit.

COYOTE BUTTES (Paria Canyon-Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness, managed by BLM) *** North Coyote Buttes (the Wave), South Coyote Buttes, (White Rocks is a 4WD access only) and the Wire (access into Paria Canyon) are all first-rate. Although in Arizona, normally accessed from Utah. There is a nice (free, picnic tables, shade, no water) campground on the Utah-Arizona border (northern terminus of the Arizona Trail) that makes an excellent base to explore the area. Permits for the Buttes is another matter; you will need to visit the field BLM office for them (a daily lottery for the next day visits). There is information on the BLM website about permits.

Climbing up above the Wave to visit the "Alcove" and the "Grotto" is especially worthwhile. We thought the "teepees" were also interesting and are possible to visit without a permit. Note that the slick-rock north of the Wire also has considerable interest and does not require the special Coyote Buttes permits (just a simple self-reg permit). It is accessed from the Buckskin Gulch trailhead (about an hour walk in and then get onto the rock) in an area known as "Edmaier's Secret".

RED CANYON (PEEK-A-BOO CANYON) ** Between Zion NP and Kanab is sweet. It was slightly tedious walk in (was it 1.5 hours each way?) because we did not have a 4WD but it was a terrific, photogenic slot canyon, well worth the effort! This slot canyon is not well known, but it is a nice alternative to Antelope Canyon which is both touristy and costly. You might have this place to yourself, and it is free. Click here for more information and directions.

OTHER: The drive east from Boulder into Capital Reef NP (Burr Trail road) is excellent and normally passable by sedan.We didn't visit the Coral Pink Sand Dunes SP; another time! Gooseneck SP (near Mexican Hat and Monument Valley) has a free campround with a nice view of the gooseneck.

VALLEY OF THE GODS ** The 17 mile drive through the sandstone formations is enjoyable (though, not much real hiking opportunities) and the free camping spots make an excellent overnight stop.

GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE NM *** The canyons and slots of Hole-in-the-Rock road are simply not to be missed. Stop in at the information center in Escalante and then head down the gravel road with plenty of water. The (free) car camping is fine but the wonders lie below. We visited Zebra, Tunnel, Peekaboo, Spooky and Brimstone slot canyons (all recommended). The Coyote Gulch is popular (we did it as a long day trip from the Jacob Hamlin Arch access point) and Willow Gulch, (a very under-rated canyon) and part way up 40 mile Canyon. Unusual spring rains limited access to the Egypt/Neon canyons which are also supposed to be pretty nice.

The Willis Creek canyon (Skutumpah Road) was better than expected. Cottonwood Road was nice enough; Cottonwood Canyon, Grosvenor Arch, Round Valley Draw were interesting though Yellow Rock was slightly disappointing. We walked up the Paria River from the Old Paria area and visited Starlight Canyon as an overnight trip (but could have done it it as a long day trip). Lower Calf Falls is a pleasant walk just off Highway 12 between Escalante and Boulder.

Rain prevented our visit to the Little Death Hollow on the Wolverine Road, but we'll get there another time.

GRAND GULCH * We had a quick look at the Grand Gulch area (we accessed it from the north side and walked to the "Narrows". We weren't over-whelmed by the canyon (we prefer the Needles area of Canyonlands) but it has promise.

SW COLORADO

MESA VERDE NP *** The best Ancestral Puebloan ruins to be seen. The tours of the Cliff Palace and Balcony House are must-do's. The Wetherill Mesa area was closed when we visited, and we managed to pack the park in a full-day. Car camping at Morefield Campground was cool but had hot showers and free wifi.

COLORADO NM * We drove through the monument in a hurry, it had promise.

CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NM We did a few hour walk through the monument; mildly interesting

ARIZONA

GRAND CANYON NP (South rim) *** Our first trip there was in December just after a series of snowfalls. It was beautiful but chilly on the rim. We arrived early in the day (we did not want to camp in the winter temperatures), got walk-in back-country permits and walked down through snow (yaktrax's came in handy), to Indian Gardens and camped there two nights. We explored the plateau, walked along the Tonto trail and the lower South Kaibab trail to the Phantom Ranch area and then walked back up to Indian Gardens during a series of day walks. It was fabulous despite the cool evenings at 4,000'. It is counter-intuitive, but it seems like the nicest time to visit is winter when there are few visitors and the walking temperatures in the canyon are ideal.

Our second trip trip was end of March - early April. We arrived without back-country reservations and managed to put together interesting itinerary. We made a three day (two night descent) on the Grandview trail onto the Tonto trail (via Page Spring for water) and camped out on the platform (BG9) one night and a second night at Cottonwood Creek (also BG9) with a day trip along the lovely Tonto trail to Grapevine Creek (with additional hike down Cottonwood). We returned up the Grandview trail via Horseshoe Mesa. Then our second hike was two nights along the Tonto trail between Hermits Rest and back up the South Kaibab trail. We made detours down to Granite Rapids and up Monument Creek. All great!!

We really enjoyed camping or at least eating dinners out along the Tonto Platform, away from water sources. We'd like to do more along the Tonto trail another time.

And our third trip there was in November. Once again, we arrived without any bookings and we did the Boucher-Hermit loop (3 nights) with an extra night at Boucher to allow for walking downstream and camping out on the platform. Boucher was more rugged than other South Rim trails. Never disappointing and quiet that time of year (we went 2 days without seeing anyone else).

GRAND CANYON NP (North rim) ** We had a limited experience of a day & night at the North Rim, where we walked part way down the North Kaibab trail. The road out to Cape Royal, etc was closed due to extreme winds. The north rim is set back a long way from the Colorado River.

CANYON DE CHELLY NM ** Free car camping (OK, but not great). It is mostly driving to lovely viewpoints and but one walk to White House ruin unless you sign up for an Apache-run tour. Nice to look at but not enough walking for our liking. One day is sufficient.

PETRIFIED FOREST NP ** It is a half-day tour, but an amazing number of petrified logs makes it worthwhile. Views of the Painted desert are nice (can overnight hike for free). Short but enjoyable walks.

MOUNUMENT VALLEY NM *** The classic iconic buttes do not disappoint. The road through the valley can get hectic, so make sure you hit it early in the morning. The views are varied and there are some short walks. The car camping offers unforgettable views at sunset and sunrise.

SAGUARO NP ** The saguaro cactus are superb, especially in the western section. Day use only but there is a campground (Gilbert Ray) near the western section. Also consider visiting Sabino Canyon (National Forest) on the NE edge of Tucson.

ORGAN PIPE CACTUS NM *** The saguaro, organ pipe cacti are excellent in this interesting park. While Saguaro NP is more of a "city park", Organ Pipe feels like you are a long way from anywhere. The Alamo Canyon campground is a nice tents-only alternative. Showers are now available at the main campground. There are some excellent hikes to be done and the border patrol provides plenty of action along the main road. Some sections are closed due to continuing border action, but the hikes in and around the Ajo mountains are very good. Recommended.

ARAVAIPA CANYON WILDERNESS *** This is a world-class multi day backpacking trip. Access is easiest from the west side, but also possible from the more distant east side. The canyon is nice, the water is great, campsites are lovely, fires are permitted (lots of driftwood) and the Hells Hole Canyon is a cool slot canyon that is a choice day-trip from a base camp within the wilderness (we camped in front of Horse Camp Canyon).This is one of Arizona's best-kept secrets, but you'll need a permit (available on-line). It is especially popular on week-ends. You'll need to check water levels (on-line) and the weather forecast before heading into the canyon. It is also possible to day hike into either end of the canyon. The east access (car camping at Four Mile Canyon Campground) would make a day trip into Hell Hole Canyon feasible.

SUPERSTITION WILDERNESS AREA ** This is part of the Tonto National Forest and it is situated just east of Apache Junction (the eastern edge of greater Phoenix); it is the hiking playground for "Phoenicians". There are plenty of day hiking opportunities and backpacking possibilities.We did three day hikes there and found it interesting but the trails are quite rugged. The LeBarge valley looked like a nice place to pitch a tent and explore the area.

WHITE TANKS MOUNTAIN REGIONAL PARK * This park is just west of metropolitan Phoenix (Glendale, access via Olive Road) and offers nice, inexpensive camping (with showers) and some classic Sonoran desert. It makes a convenient stop-over near Phoenix and offers some decent walks. The park provides a trail map. We walked the Ford - Willow Canyon loop and enjoyed it. The information centre shares a new building at the park gate with a nice county library.

MONTEZUMA CASTLE NM This is first US national monument but not the most interesting. The ruins and nearby Montezuma well are worth a quick look (a short drive off the I-17 about an hour south of Flagstaff).

CASA GRANDE RUINS NM * The Hohokam ruins of Casa Grande are four stories high, there is an ancient ballcourt and information on the canals for irrigation. Worth the small detour on the drive between Phoenix and Tucson.

SEDONA AREA: RED ROCK COUNTRY (COCONINO NATIONAL FOREST) ** Sections of the area around Sedona and Oak Creek is reminiscent of the cliffs of Zion NP. We have spent four days there. Each of the hikes we did there was unique. Some of the trails can be disappointing because they stay to valley floors unless you extend them and wander around on open rock. In the cooler months, campers should consider staying at the Dead Horse Ranch State Park campground (near Cottonwood) for its lower elevation and hot showers. Our preferred hikes were Bell Rock (get on the rock), the Cathedral, West Fork of Oak Creek (go as far as you can!), Fay Canyon (don't miss the arch and get out on the rock and get up on to the fin), Broken Arrow (for views and pink jeeps), Brins Mesa (turn east along an obvious path to a nice look-out) . Slightly disappointing were Boynton Canyon, Secret Canyon and Devil's Bridge. It is an intriguing area, and we'll be back!

TUZIGOOT NM Near Cottonwood (Sedona area). Is a Sinagua ruin with a nice view of the Verde Valley, but does not compare favorably with other major ruins in the SW.

TUMACACORI NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK * South of Tucson and Tubac exudes a certain lazy charm and it feels like you are in Mexico. The ruins are in a pleasant setting and when we were there, Hispanic ladies were serving fresh hand-made tortillas.

CHIRICAHUA NATIONAL MONUMENT * Situated in the SE of Arizona offers views, pine trees and cool pinnacles. We liked the coatis (coatimundi), one of which that visited the campground and a couple others along the road. The Heart of Rocks was a nice hike.

KOFA NATIONAL WILDLIFE RESERVE* Although our experience with the Kofa Mountains is limited to the Palm Canyon area, we thoroughly enjoyed the short walk up into the canyon and the free, road-side camping in the desert with a wonderful backdrop. It makes a terrific stop-over.

PICACHO PEAK STATE PARK * We had driven by Picacho Peak many times (between Phoenix and Tucson on the I-10) and we decided to head up to the summit (3,374') on the Hunter trail. It is worth the few hour stop if you have time! The route has fair number of chains to facilitate the ascent and descent.Camping is available (a tad expensive and it would feature a constant drone from the interstate).

KARTCHNER CAVES STATE PARK *** The caves are east of Tucson. We did the Rotunda/Throne Room tour. The people who originally found the cave in 1978 were very respectful of the natural state of the cave and it has been preserved in a pristine state with an amazing number of "soda straws" in place.

NEW MEXICO

Note that facilities at state parks (SP) are very good and most have showers.

CARLSBAD CAVERNS NP *** This World Heritage Site is a worthy destination and it can hold its own when compared to the also very impresive show caves at Postojna, Slovakia! The Big Room will keep you captivated for hours (nice to walk in via the natural entrance). We also did the ranger led tour of Kings Palace (recommended too). The other tours are more “caving” and less sightseeing and should be booked ahead. The bats would be nice, but they are there only in summer. There is no camping in the park and camping at the nearby White City is expensive. We camped further north at the pleasant Brantley Lake State Park and visited the caves for the day on our way further south.

WHITE SANDS NM *** This unique environment is bizarre with the gypsum white sands. The dunes are not particularly high but they make for an enjoyable half day of romping. The Alklali Flat trail will lead you into less trampled areas; you can different route back to the start point as you wish. There is no car camping in the park, but it is possible to backpack in a short distance to a primitieve backcountry campsite.

BANDELIER NM ** This is one of our favourite ancestral pueblo sites. Juniper Campground is an attractive place situated near the Frijoles Canyon (where the main ruins are situated). The Tsankawi walk was also interesting. The nearby town of Los Alamos has an interesting history and an excellent (free) science/bomb museum.

CHACO CULTURE NATIONAL HISTORY PARK ** The charm of Chaco is the ability to wander around the ruins on your own. Chaco can only be accessed by dirt roads and that seems to keep the tourist numbers down. The campground is fine (free drinking water is available at the visitor's centre). We recommend the ranger-led walk of the Pueblo Bonito and getting up on the cliffs above Pueblo Bonito for the views.

EL MALPAIS NM** We made a couple of enjoyable volcanic walks in the El Calderon area and in the Big Tubes areas. Don't forget a flashlight for the tubes! There are no car campgrounds in the monument but El Morro NM campround is relativly nearby.

EL MORRO NM * This sandstone promontory with water pool at its base has plenty of historic graffiti. Mesa Top trail loop is pleasant, worthwhile walk. The nearby campground provides a good base to visit the nearby El Malpais NM.

PECOS NM * It is an interesting mission site, worthy of a few hours visit. The museum is excellent. Unless you have a particular interest in the American civil war, the nearby civil war battle site might disappoint.

OTHER: Santa Fe is very nice. The museums in the central area are free on Friday evenings. The campground towards the ski hill is a good base. Taos is worth a look (we missed the Taos Pueblo; next-time).Three Rivers Petroglyph National Site gets excellent reviews. The Trinity Site is open to the public on two days of the year; might be an interesting experience. During the winter, when the migrating birds are in New Mexico, Bosque del Apache is a must-see at dawn.Fort Craig National Historic Site was a dud. Ghost Ranch might be interesting (Georgia O'keefe stomping ground). We missed Aztec Ruins NM (you can't see it all). Las Vegas New Mexico was nice but not worth a detour. Silver City is nice (Gila Cliff Dwellings NM not too far away, hot springs in the area). White Sands Missile Range (open air museum) is an excellent free site (camp at the nearby Aguirre Springs).

NEVADA

RED ROCK CANYON NATIONAL CONSERVATION AREA * Red Rock Canyon is on the edge of Las Vegas and also offers a developed campground. It is a popular excursion and offers respite from the artificial world of the Las Vegas Strip. We enjoyed our day there; and we walked up past the Calico tanks (nice walk and views of the valley including Las Vegas). Ice Box Canyon was underwhelming but the next time there, we will have a look at Pine Creek Canyon. Despite many of the local superlatives, there is better red rock in Utah, but it is still a nice place.

Gold Strike Canyon (near Hoover Dam) ** This is a really nice walk in a surprisingly nice canyon with the added bonus of a number of hot spring pools. It is about a hour or less walk (including a couple of easy scrambles) to the hot springs with the option to continue right down to the Colorado River. When we were there, there was a lot less water in the pools than pictured on some of the public websites. It is a popular hike. The birdandhike link will provide information on the Gold Strike Canyon (and many other Las Vegas area hikes). The Railroad tunnel trail is nearby and worth an hour stroll through the tunnels. The Hacienda Casino and Hotel makes an inexpensive base to explore the Hoover Dam/Lake Mead area.

VALLEY OF FIRE STATE PARK ** There is a pretty nice campground in the state park. We found the area around the "fire wave" to be especially interesting'; it is not marked on the maps of the park, so ask at the visitor center where to find it.

SE CALIFORNIA

We found the California deserts a little barren compared to the Sonoran desert of Arizona and the rocks were nothing compared to Southern Utah, but we still enjoyed the overall experience......

Joshua Tree NP ** Joshua Tree is a Los Angeles playground and it has some pretty cool boulders with lovely Joshua Tree stands. We really enjoyed wandering around the boulders at White Tank (nice little campground) and Jumbo Rocks. We were less impressed with the SE corner of the park (Cottonwood area) but enjoyed the Lost Palms Oasis walk.

Mohave National Preserve * Mohave National Preserve is a nice alternative to Joshua Tree NP as it actually has a more dense population of Joshua trees near Teutonia Peak. The preserve holds a nice dune field and cinder cone area with a few desert peaks. One of the nice things about the preserve is that there is plenty of free, legal roadside camping in addition to the formal campgrounds. It was nice and quiet compared to the national parks.

Death Valley NP *** Death Valley has an astounding backdrop with all sorts of interesting nooks and crannies. We were especially impressed with the Zabriskie Point-Golden Canyon area, Fall Canyon and the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. We did not have a high clearance vehicle so our exploration of the NW corner of the park will have to wait for another visit. The campgrounds at Furnace Creek (Texas Springs), Stovepipe Wells and at Mesquite Spring were all adequate but not stellar.

Trona Pinnacles (California BLM) The Trona Pinnacles makes a nice camping stop-over if in the area. Tufa spires jut out of the dry lake bed. Segments of Star Trek 5 were filmed there. We accessed the pinnacles in a sedan on a rough road. Camping is free.

Rainbow Basin National Natural Landmark * The basin is just north of Barstow, about half way between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. There are some nice walks possible out of the campground and from along the scenic drive. The scenic drive itself was a little rough for our sedan, but passable. It has a nice, inexpensive campground (with potable water) makes a nice overnight stop-over.

SW TEXAS

BIG BEND NP *** Big Bend offers mountains, low desert, plenty of wildlife and warmth. There are three different car campgrounds, each in a different environment. The western side of the park (Ross Maxwell scenic drive, Cottonwood campground) is the most scenic and in many ways the most interesting area of the park (and it is the quietest section).. The Chisos Mountains is also surprisingly interesting and offers plenty of backpacking opportunities. There are also plenty of primitive campsites accessable by car or 4WD. Showers and laundry facilities are available at the “Rio Grande Village”. A three day visit is a good introduction to Big Bend NP. Don't miss a soak in the hot springs near Rio Grande Village.

GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS NP ** The ancient fossil reef park offers a nice campground (no showers) and the opportunity to climb the highest point in Texas (a nice hike up to Guadalupe Peak at 8748'. Mckittrick Canyon is considered the most beautiful place in Texas by some and it makes a nice walk up to the Notch and even beyond. You'll feel like you are in the mountains up there. Both of these walks are half-day walks. There was free wifi at the visotor's center when we were there.

FORT DAVIS NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE * The site makes a nice couple of hour visit on the way to/from Big Bend NP. It is a reasonably well preserved fort from the late 1800's..

MONAHANS SANDHILLS STATE PARK * There is a nice campground (showers) here and it makes an interesting stop-over and a chance to walk some dunes. Nearby Odessa is interesting with its Stonehenge replica, aircraft museum and then there is the childhood home of GW Bush in Midland (and an elaborate petroleum museum). We could have spent more time exploring those cities.

BALMORHEA STATE PARK The warm springs and large pond were a slight disappointment on a cool day but might be more welcoming on a warm day.

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