Spring is bursting out all over Utah right now. Cacti are in bloom throughout our southern deserts, wildflowers are poking up through the red sand in our national parks and snow is rapidly disappearing from our mountain slopes. Snow skiing will fade out by the end of April, replaced by golfing, mountain biking, hiking, camping, jeeping, fishing and other outdoor activities.
Our weather is delightfully warm and sunny, in between occasional April rain showers. Conditions are now perfect for mountain biking Temple Mountain in the San Rafael Swell, hiking the Devil's Garden in Arches National Park, four-wheeling down Hole-in-the-Rock Road through the rugged heart of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, fishing for powerful striped bass on Lake Powell, hitting golf balls between the Joshua trees and sandstone slabs on St. George courses, and dozens of other exciting activities.
I recently had opportunity to ride ATVs through Casto Canyon, a tributary to Red Canyon, a guest of Bryce Canyon ATV Adventure Tours & Rentals. Red Canyon has the same pastel-colored spires and hoodoos that make Bryce famous. The route up Casto Canyon, through Dixie National Forest, is open to ATVs and mountain bikes and provides a great outing in this wonderland. The famous outlaw Butch Cassidy frequented this area and his mystic lingers. Indeed, one guided tour option takes visitors to a cabin he used as a hideout.
We rode ATVs over a decent road as part of a family adventure. Bryce Canyon ATV Adventure Tours offers several ride options, including guided trips on the Paunsaugunt Plateau above beautiful Tropic Reservoir. They offer 3-hour, full-day and multi-day rides. On multi-day trips you can come back to Bryce Canyon Resort for cushy accommodations, or camp near the reservoir. They'll even combine fishing with ATV adventures.
On my trip I also enjoyed hiking slot canyons in the Escalante area. Slot canyons offer an out-of-this-world experience. How do you describe scrambling through canyons so narrow you have to scoot sideways to get through, the canyon walls scraping against both your back and chest? Words just don't do it and so I shot video of my canyoneering adventure in Spooky Gulch, one of my favorite slots.
Hey, is this a fun job or what? Next month I'll be plunging down the mighty Colorado on a whitewater rafting adventure. Incidentally, now's the time to book such trips. With all the snowfall we received over the winter, everyone expects this season to offer the best river trips we've seen in a decade — and trips are filling up fast.
– Dave Webb
Reprinted with permission from The Utah Office of Tourism
www.travel.utah.gov
Activities to Enjoy: |
| Hiking |
Golf |
ATVs |
Boating |
| Camping |
Ice Skating |
Biking |
Rafting |
| Hunting |
Wildlife |
Fall Colors |
Scenic Drives |
| Museums |
Lakes/Rivers |
Snowmobiling |
Dog Sledding |
| Horseback Riding |
Fresh Water Fishing |
| Climbing/Canyoneering |
Festivals/State Fairs |
| Alpine & Nordic Skiing/Snowboarding |
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