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August 2019 | REDONLINE.CO.UKSleep in the heart
of the wilderness
at Under
Canvas Zion.Clockwise from
far left: just one
of the amazing
vistas on offer in
Utah; the interior
of the bedrooms
at Under Canvas
Zion; the Under-
the-Rim Trail
provides
breathtaking
views; the
pinnacles at Bryce
Canyon have
been formed by
millions of years
of erosionHIKING IN UTAH
L
eaving London, I’ve swapped
sweaty Tube carriages for the
big skies and soaring canyons
of Zion National Park. Located
in southwestern Utah, this is
an ancient landscape sculpted by wind
and water, where mystical monoliths
rise out of red-rock deserts and mighty
rivers meander past ponderosa pines. In
the shadow of The Watchman – a jagged
mountain ridge that glows amber come
sunset – Cable Mountain Lodge is
a welcome retreat after 14 hours spent
travelling. Stylish suites boast beds
big enough for four, while a spa offers
treatments inspired by the local area.
An aromatic wild sage and juniper
massage leaves me feeling rested and
ready for the next day’s adventures.
A thrill seeker’s paradise, no trip to
Zion is complete without experiencing
the famous Angels Landing. This
five-mile trek is not for the faint-hearted:
combining sheer drop-offs and steep
switchbacks that will leave even a fitness
fanatic exhausted. Despite my best
intentions, I’m not quite brave enough
to make the final push to the top – a
perilous climb that requires gripping
on to chains bolted into stone – so
settle for admiring the view from Scout
Lookout, where chipmunks scamper
around me in search of food scraps.
Hiking is hungry work, and
Springdale is certainly the place to go torefuel. Switchback Grille in the centre
of town is quintessentially American,
with ornate Navajo blankets suspended
from the cavernous ceiling. Portions
may be States-sized, but I still manage
seared scallops followed by the most
delicious rib-eye steak I’m likely to
taste. Glad to rest my legs, I’m lucky the
next day’s itinerary involves exploring
Zion’s backcountry by Jeep. Local
guide Melissa takes us to ghost town
Grafton (an early Mormon settlement
and filming location of Butch Cassidy
And The Sundance Kid) and points out
Native American pictographs etched on
to orange rock. Surrounded by sandstone
cliffs, Under Canvas Zion provides
lodgings in the heart of the wilderness.
As dusk makes way for night, I stargaze
on the veranda before falling asleep
listening to a thunder storm overhead.
It might be just a two-hour drive away,
but Bryce Canyon feels like another
world: a sprawling natural amphitheatre
filled with towering ‘hoodoos’ (irregular
pinnacles of rock formed over millions
of years). We head out early to Sunrise
Point, where the sun creeps into view
on the horizon before illuminating what
must be one of Earth’s most spectacular
sights. It’s a view that will stay with me
long after my trip ends. And, when I’m
next on the train, my face parallel with
a fellow commuter’s armpit, I know I’ll
be thinking of Utah. LAURAN ELSDENTRIP NOTES Audley Travel has a 10-night trip to explore both Zion and Bryce Canyon National
Parks, including a two-night stopover in Scottsdale, Arizona. The trip includes flights with
American Airlines, fully insured car rental, three nights in a luxury suite at Cable Mountain Lodge,
a full day exploring Zion National Park with a private guide, a private 4x4 safari in Zion National
Park, two nights in a Deluxe tent at Under Canvas Zion, two nights in a Standard room at Best
Western Plus Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel and a full day exploring Bryce Canyon National Park
with a private guide. Travelling at the end of September this year costs from £3,895pp, based on
four people travelling. Visit audleytravel.com/USA or call 01993 838755.