Hike Guide: The Upper Paria

The Upper Paria doesn’t get as much attention as the Lower Paria a little farther south. The Upper Paria (rhymes w/ “Maria”)  is located in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and is a braided river in a much more wide-open canyon than its lower counterpart which is famous for its… Continue reading

Kitchen Canyon Falls & Starlight Narrows

In the western portion of GSENM and about 1 mile up from the Paria River is the seldom-visited Kitchen Canyon Falls and nearby Starlight Canyon Narrows. Getting to this location would be a moderately-long day hike from the Pahreah Townsite (and former Paria Movie Set) location. But, for those backpacking… Continue reading

Video: Zion to Capitol Reef

The video from my 20-day, 320-mile trek from Zion to Capitol Reef from earlier this spring. If you prefer to just see the highlights, there’s also the up-tempo short version with music (7+ minutes). And, If you haven’t already, check out the full trip report.

Zion to Capitol Reef: Week 1 — To the Paria

In late April I set out on my latest long-distance hike in southern Utah. The goal this time out was to hike from Zion National Park to Capitol Reef National Park. The start and end points would be similar to my “Grand Staircase” hike in 2006, but the new route… Continue reading