Road Trip Bryce - Zion

We departed Bryce mid-afternoon and entered through the East Entrance via the Zion–Mount Carmel Tunnel. The roadway leads you through winding sandstone cliffs before funneling into a hand-carved tunnel not much larger than most modern vehicles. To this day, RVs and larger vehicles face restrictions due to the tunnel’s height and narrow width.

Driving through, there is very little interior lighting, relying almost entirely on your headlights for navigation. Occasionally, narrow slits cut into the rock offer quick glimpses of the canyon below—just enough to remind you how high up you really are. It isn’t until the exact moment you exit the tunnel that the full scale of the landscape reveals itself. Suddenly, towering canyon walls rise around you, and several peaks within the park come into view all at once.

Once again, awestruck by the scenery, we pulled off at the first overlook just beyond the tunnel to take in the zigzagging road and the boundless cliffs surrounding us. It felt like stepping into a secret canyon—like curtains opening at the theater. The sudden reveal of towering red rock walls, contrasted with the green ribbon of the river valley below and dotted with junipers and alligator pines, left us marveling yet again at the sheer beauty of the place.

Campground Reality Check

Making our way down to the West Gate Campgrounds to settle in for the night, we quickly discovered:

LESSON 3 | BACK-IN CAMPGROUNDS AND WALK-IN CAMPGROUNDS OFFER VERY DIFFERENT SETUPS

If you haven’t read Part One, let me fill you in on our tent situation. We travel with a rooftop tent—meaning it rests on top of the back of our truck bed. This setup is ideal for back-in campsites, where you simply park and pop the tent open. Upon arrival, we double-checked the reservation we had made months earlier (back in December). That’s when we realized I had booked a walk-in site, not a back-in. We walked about 200 yards along a path from the parking lot to reach our campsite. To be fair, it was a lovely spot—equipped with a fire pit, flat ground, and a picnic table. It sat far enough from neighboring sites to dampen noise and create a semi-private space, and it was surrounded by trees and shrubs that offered welcome shade from the summer sun. Still… logistics were about to get interesting.

The View from the Top (or Close Enough)

One of the most memorable hiker was to Angels Landing. Taking the tram to the drop off point we excitedly set out on one of the most beautiful hikes in the Valley because it offers a terrifying Chain Walk to one of the Highest views in the Valley. We stopped just short - There was plenty of beauty from the safe and accessible vista just before the Chains. The upper vista has no railings, so if you are traveling with youngsters be advised, they need to understand that there are dangers and not to wonder too close to the edge. The hike was strenuous, with plenty of zigzags and elevation gain. Worth it - Yes - Exhausting - Yes - Mildly terrifying - also yes... I am not a huge fan of heights and there were plenty of ledges in view.

The path was not paved in most areas, and I can only imagine that in rain, or windy conditions it could be a little hinky. I would not recommend either the Narrows nor this hike if its raining due to flash floods and or lightning.

We got safely to the top and the view down the valley was absolutely stunning. We also saw California Condors from the landing, what an unexpected treat! Otherwise the hike offered landscape views of the entire valley. Again, do not underestimate the strength that a granola bar and some hydration can bring back to your limbs to inspire the climb down!

LESSON 4 | SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO GET CREATIVE

One thing to note: my husband is an engineer, and I am a professional problem solver.

Our options were:
A) Buy a new tent in town at premium prices
(my husband’s solution)

B) Disengage the rooftop tent from the vehicle and carry it into the campsite
(my solution)

Given that our vehicle—his beloved Toyota Tacoma—was already packed to the brim with camping supplies, a new tent simply wasn’t going to fit unless we wedged it between the tent and the back window and secured it with a bungee cord for the two-day drive home. So we went with option B and carried the stupid tent the full 200 yards to the campsite. Not graceful. Not convenient. But it worked.

LESSON 5 | NATIVE ANIMALS LIVE HERE—YOU’RE JUST VISITING

I kid you not—on our way back from the restroom shortly after setting up camp, we saw a snake. That moment made us rethink our setup. Our rooftop tent folds in on itself, and when fully extended, it lies flat. However, it has hinge points that remain slightly open so the fabric doesn’t get pinched. While the tent is elevated, this isn’t a problem. But when placed on the ground, those openings can look like a cozy little cave to local wildlife. And by wildlife, I mean: scorpions, snakes, lizards, ground squirrels—you name it - the deer also pose a threat.... I'll detail that later..

LESSON 6 | DUCT TAPE IS A TRAVEL ESSENTIAL

We stuffed dirty socks into the hinge openings to block access, then sealed everything with duct tape—just in case. Was it elegant? No. Did it work? Absolutely. Sometimes survival is less about perfection and more about improvisation.

LESSON 7 | EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

We anticipated shifting gear and changing weather. We did not anticipate wildlife logistics or campsite engineering challenges. But working together to triage the unexpected—and come up with solutions without biting each other’s heads off—is one of the hallmarks of being good partners. Travel has a way of testing that skill. And strengthening it, too. Satisfied that our camp was reinforced, we started dinner. Tomorrow we would really start exploring the area!

Exploring Zion: Into the River

(THERE'S ANOTHER FULL ARTICLE ABOUT THE NARROWS!)

Over the next few days, we ventured around the valley of Zion, with one of the highlights being The Narrows—a partially submerged hike through the Virgin River as it winds between towering canyon walls. At times, the water reached only our ankles. Other times, it climbed to chest level. The experience was equal parts adventure and balance exercise. It’s an adventure… and a workout. I have an entire article on this spot, its just that big of a deal!

Starting Point

Halfway Point

you're almost there!

the Top

We are sitting on the landing, looking at the more confident people take on the chains.. It was not for us, we are apparently bird watchers. We hydrated at the top, spent about an hour up there just looking down at the valley. We ate some sandwiches and headed back down. Luckily it wasn't too hot that day! Upon our return to Base camp we dosed ourselves with some ibuprofen (my knees - I'm tall) played some camp games, which is always a great way to spend an evening together. We love Boggle, Farkle, Rumicube and exploding kittens! Most are windproof waterproof and travel well, as they pack efficiently! Plus, they are very entertaining and able to easily accommodate new friends without too much instruction! We spent the remaining time in the valley, taking the tram to various stopping point but the Narrows and Angels were the most memorable points in the valley. Again, I recommend stretching, some food reinforcements and duct tape! Truly beautiful vistas snaked around the Virgin River.

OH YEAH - THE DEER!

We were very much asleep in our now ground tent one evening when we heard a noise outside our tent. Clearly something messing with our cooler or personal items. Both my husband and I were awoken by the noise. We get up and glared at each other, winking and blinking and pointing at each other and in code secretly reinforcing the "you're a man, you go look, I don't want to get murdered, you do it. I'm right behind you" - you know the ones. One more jostle from outside and we slowly unzip the tent and come face to face with a deer who has its head in our now opened cooler. We yell, like you are supposed to do with wildlife causing you to look intimidating......This thing, while startled, was not... Not wanting to make the entire campground wake up we grabbed handfuls of sand and threw it at him. He continued to eat our hamburger buns and eventually called it quits and walked off. Unafraid. Be advised... It wasn't bear country otherwise we would have secured the cooler. It was in fact locked and within four feet from our tent. The deer apparently finding an easy target, kicked open the claps and helped himself.

So either tuck it under the picnic bench for a little extra reinforcement or back in the car!