A Wanderful Way to Experience 3 of Utah's Wonders

A Wanderful Way to Experience 3 of Utah's Wonders

By Chad Taylor
March 07, 2018
What’s better than touring around Utah’s countless parks, monuments and landmarks? Well, nothing really. But there’s a way to make your touring of Bryce Canyon, Grand Staircase, Capitol Reef (and a few stops in between) much more comfortable.

Large Van: Includes a kitchen, refrigerator, and two queen beds

Wandervans are the sweet spot between the tent and RV. A sweet ride to explore Utah coupled with a self-contained accommodation. We’re talking beds, tables, kitchens, refrigerators, and room for your gear. They are now available to rent in Salt Lake City. Here’s a little itinerary we suggest for your Wandervan:

Day 1

Fly into Salt Lake City International Airport, grab an Uber or Lyft, and take a 10-minute ride to Wandervans’ headquarters. They'll set you up with camping gear, familiarize you with the van, and give you great travel tips to make your trip extra special before you set off on your adventure.

Take the 3 hour 51 minute southeast journey to Bryce Canyon and set up camp either inside the park at either the North or Sunset Campground, or just outside the park at Ruby’s Inn RV Park & Campground.

Day 2

Bryce Canyon

Get up early to watch the sunrise at the aptly named Sunrise Point. Then set out on some serious Bryce Canyon hoodoo exploration.

If you’re into hiking, we recommend the Navajo Loop and the Fairyland Loop trail. If you’re into mountain biking, you must try Thunder Mountain –– rated by many as Utah’s best trail.

At the end of the day, you can enjoy the sunset from, wait for it, Sunset Point.

For dinner, we recommend Stone Hearth Grille just down the road in Tropic.

Day 3

Grand Staircase

Get up early and head out on one of the nation’s most scenic byways: Highway 12. This’ll take you through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. We highly recommend a stop at Calf Creek Falls (less than 90 minutes from Bryce Canyon) for an afternoon hike. See the photo below if you don’t believe us.

Calf Creek Falls

That night, set up camp (the easiest camp setup you could imagine) in the quaint town of Escalante at Canyons of Escalante RV Park and make sure you get some dinner –– either prepared at your van with the convenient kitchen kit add on (two burner Coleman stove, pots, pans, and utensils) or at one of the restaurants in town.

Day 4

Head into Boulder, eat lunch at Hell’s Backbone Grill (one of Utah’s top-rated restaurants outside of metro Salt Lake City), then head over to Goblin Valley (2 hours 20 minutes from Boulder) for an afternoon of exploring some of the weirdest rock formations you’ll ever see. Stay until dark so you can see a what a “certified dark sky park” looks like.

Find a free BLM campground near Goblin Valley, or head into Torrey (90 minutes from Goblin Valley) and settle in at Sandcreek RV park.

Day 5

Capitol Reef

Spend the day in Capitol Reef hiking Hickman Bridge, eating pie at the Gifford Homestead, and leaving enough time to grab a delicious burger at Slackers.

Take the 3 hour 25 min drive back to Wandervans in Salt Lake City, say goodbye to your trusty steed, and catch your flight back home.

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