Bryce

Bryce Canyon, Utah
May 25 – June 1, 2018

In our first loop around the US we only visited Bryce Canyon National Park and the surrounding area on one quick day trip. And like so many parts of Utah, it demanded a second more thorough look.

We found a wonderful boondocking spot right between Red Rock State Park and Bryce Canyon. Of all the boondocking we’ve done so far, this was one our favorite spots. There were other people nearby, but not close enough to see. Our site was remote but not very far off of the main highway, and we had cell reception. This is the recipe for success.

We snagged a perfect, forested site just off the main drag at Tom’s Best Spring on National Forest land. Our backyard was this large meadow where we watched birds and pronghorn.

All previous boondocking ventures have meant that the only power in our camper was a small AC adapter that could charge our phones. Anything larger (like laptops) had to be charged on our inverter in the truck. This meant frequently using the passenger seat in the cab for a make-shift office. We are very flexible people, and clearly have a high-tolerance for inconvenience/discomfort, but for the sake of successful boondocking decided it finally time to try solar. This was especially important in this location since there were no nearby towns with coffee shops/free wifi to utilize.

With several weeks of boondocking under our belt, we opted for a small solar panel to help keep our batteries charged. It actually proved too small to recharge Stumbo’s main batteries, but works great to keep our phones & laptops charged.

It’s kindof crazy to think about how long we’ve lived in Stumbo, even “off-grid”, without the support of solar. But that’s exactly the kind of crazy we are.

Home sweet home at Tom’s Best Springs Rd. Free parking for up to 14 days.

From this great location we were able to venture into Bryce Canyon on multiple occasions, and take in its vast but intricate beauty.

This trail down into Bryce Canyon called “Wall Street” is such a delightful & jaw-dropping walk!

These sisters have been forced to become closer friends during our travels, and I’m so grateful.

Always something fascinating around every corner at Bryce Canyon.

Sometimes it a challenge to obey the “Don’t feed the wildlife” rule.

One evening we went to a less heavily-trafficked part of Bryce Canyon N.P. It’s within park boundaries, but not accessed along the main Canyon Rim Road. We explored a trail called “Mossy Cave” that took us to just that, as well as a beautiful waterfall. We played here for a good long while.

We explored this trail as the sun started to sink in the western sky, and the lower light really brings all of the vivid reds & oranges of this area to life.

On a last minute whim, after exploring Mossy Cave Trail we went a bit further up the highway to Kodachrome bAsin State Park (so named because of a Kodak-sponsored mapping trip that put this place on the map….literally – that’s when it was mapped)

The sun was really sinking by this point, so we drove straight to Angel’s Palace Trail and booked it up to the top of the hill.

We hurried past most of the formations along the trail, even though they were begging to be explored. It was kindof like being on a different planet.

Much to our delight, this trail was a blast, and just begged your feet to run. So we did. And this was our reward…

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