Part I
首先是我们的实际行程,比较细致,但并不适合多数人(指强行打卡盐湖城和Great Basin),但是可以保持并微调每一天的行程重新排列来做出适合自己的行程(见Part II)。Optional为可根据时间精力选择跳过的,Skipped指我们实际上没有去的。图不多,不过多数地点都是打出关键词随便Google出来一堆图的。
Day 0 (5/7, Friday)
Flight to SLC (Afternoon Flight)
Car Rental
Grocery
Stay: Downtown area near Temple Square
利用周五下午飞过来(WFH周五摸鱼方便),用一天住宿费换半天时间。
对盐湖城不感兴趣也不打算去Great Basin的尽量飞Vegas出发吧,详见后面。
Day 1 (5/8, Saturday)
Salt Lake City
Breakfast downtown
Temple Square (1.5 h)
Capitol Building (1 h)
Lunch downtown
Drive: Salt Lake City - Bonneville Salt Flats (1.5 h)
Bonneville Salt Flats (1h)
Drive: Bonneville Salt Flats - Ely (2h)
Dinner at Ely
Drive: Ely - Baker (1h)
Stay: Hidden Canyon Retreat (30 min from Baker)
Night Activity: stargazing
• Hidden Canyon Retreat - Great Basin NP Visitor Center (20:00) (30 min)
• Take: Headlamp, binoculars, tripod, jacket
• Or right at the retreat where nearby if ranger-led event cancels
Great Basin只对国家公园checklist爱好者才有意义的绕路。Great Basin实力诠释什么叫Middle of Nowhere,单独跑很不划算,而Utah Loop算是离他最近的一次了……而五月也并不是这个公园的最佳时间,Scenic Drive可能依然积雪不开放,夏天来看银河才是正确打开方式。当然想体验远离尘世的感觉(指网速极慢)这里还真是个不错的选择,强推Hidden Canyon Retreat,体验不错。
Bonneville Salt Flats,盐滩,远处有山做背景,可以到上面开车拍照,如果刚下过雨会有一点“天空之境”效果(需要雨后+无风,太看脸不用特意期待),另外这里很适合飞无人机。
Day 2 (5/9, Sunday)
Drive: Hidden Canyon Retreat - Great Basin NP (30 min)
Great Basin National Park
Breakfast at visitor center with token from hotel
Lehman Cave (9:00 - 10:30) [Closed 2021 May]
Wheeler peak scenic drive
Drive: Great Basin NP - Springdale (3.5h)
Buy shuttle tickets for Zion. Limited shuttle ticket, if did not get them, fallback to private shuttle services.
At recreation.gov (website or app). Sells out in minutes. $1/person. Book the earliest shuttle. Set alarm in advance!
Private shuttles. $40-50/person. e.g. Red Rock Shuttle (pickup at Zion outfitter) or Zion Guru (pickup at Springdale)
Grocery: Lunch for next two days
Dinner at Springdale
Stay at Springdale
Zion除了冬季不允许私家车进入。2021年因为疫情Zion的Shuttle限制人数需要抢票,给旅行带来了极大不确定性,不知道2022年是否会继续。如果需要抢票推荐找个网络好的地方,提前下载recreation.gov app并输入好信用卡信息。私人Shuttle是fall-back plan,基本稳定能定到。
这里的住宿要提前订。我们住的Holiday Inn,提供早餐方便接下来两天的早起,如果你有IHG信用卡用点数换5月住宿非常划算但是要提前订。另外如果你用Expedia之类找不到合适的可以Google Map找那些之支持电话预定的小旅馆。
Day 3 (5/10, Monday)
Get up as early as possible
Breakfast at hotel
Bring:
Grip gloves
Action cam holder
To visitor center:
If got NP shuttle: Before 8 am, drive to NP; after 8 am, Springdale Shuttle (start from 8 am, free).
If Zion Guru: Walk/Drive hotel - pickup location
If Red Rock: Hotel - Springdale Shuttle
Zion National Park
Zion shuttle (30 min), get off at Grotto
Angel's Landing (5-6 h)
Zion shuttle back
Visitor center and gift shop
Lunch at Springdale or snacks
Back to Hotel and rest.
Buy shuttle tickets for next day.
Check flow rate forecast for next day.
Rent shoes for next day at Zion Guru: pole + socks + shoes package
Dinner at Springdale
Stay: Springdale
从酒店去visitor center(shuttle上车地点)开车最方便,但8点后很难有车位(而且满了的话你不能指望早上有人从停车场出去),出门晚了不如果断坐Springdale镇的公交,免费,第一班8点发车,具体时间表请查询Springdale或Zion官网。
如果是第一次来Zion,Angel's Landing属于必去景点,2022年开始为了安全公园开始限制人数,需要抽签拿permit了(就像Yosemite Half Dome),详情请参照公园官网。Trail本身不长,前半段比较陡但都是paved;最后一段精华需要手拉铁链,有危险性但没有那么夸张,健康的成年人都能上去——跟着其它有信心身体好的人就好。恐高的务必不要冒险,别作死穿不适合的鞋子,前进时用运动相机摄影到了终点或休息平台再掏相机。尽量选早上的时间出发,凉快,走到铁链的部分中暑了可不是闹着玩的。
有多难?大概这样。但是走起来比看起来要简单一点。
Day 4 (5/11, Tuesday)
Get up as early as possible for best light in the canyon; but water would be cold. 8-9 am is a good balance but may not get parking at visitor center.
Breakfast at hotel
Bring:
Rental gear
Action cam holder
Ziplocs / Waterproof bag
Check out from hotel
To visitor center: Same as yesterday
Zion National Park
Zion shuttle (45 min), get off at Temple of Sinawava
The Narrows (4 - 6 h) 1 mile riverside walk, then into water for however long we want
Zion Shuttle back (45 min).
Lunch at Springdale or snacks
Get back to car.
Return gear to Zion Guru
If there's time, go to some Springdale galleries
Scenic Drive: Zion - Mount Camel Highway (1 h)
Drive: Mount Camel - Bryce (1 h), passing red canyon state park
Dinner at Bryce
Stay: Bryce
另一个代表性hiking the narrows,非常独特,强推。可以根据自己体力决定走多远。
Day 6 (5/13, Thursday)
Breakfast at hotel
Drive: Torrey - Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center (15 min)
Capitol Reef National Park
Chimney Rock Area
○ [Optional] Chimney Rock [Skipped]
○ The Castle: road side stops
○ [Optional] Panorama Point Dr
○ [Optional] Goosenecks Overlook
○ [Optional] Sunset Point
[Optional] Temple of Sun, Temple of Moon (2.5 h): 1-hour one way unpaved road, need high clearance car; Make sure gas is full before start!
Lunch at Hanksville or snacks
Drive: Capitol Reef National Park - Moab (2.5 h)
• [Optional] If close to sunset - Dead Horse Point State Park sunset [Skipped]
• Traffic can be bad close to Moab (> 1h delay)
Dinner at Moab
Stay: Moab
这一天一堆optional,一方面是留一个休整的机会,另一方面是这个公园跟别的几个一比有点逊色……不太有兴趣的建议拍一下Castle Rock,开一下scenic drive就好,最佳角度是在进公园的岔路附近24号公路上的几个路边停车点。这里的天气不推荐hiking了。Petroglyphs 是壁画。日月神庙是两块巨大的岩石,很壮观,但是值不值得花那么多时间去就见仁见智了——那个破路是真难开啊!
Castle Rock
Day 7 (5/14, Friday)
Get up as early as possible to avoid crowd and sun!
Breakfast at hotel
Drive: Moab - Arch National Park (10 min)
Arch National Park
Going to most popular areas (Delicate Arch Trail) first to get parking - Parking fills before 8!
Delicate Arch: 3 miles, 2.5 hour; Either go early in the morning or go at sunset: Morning light gives high light contrast, hard for photos but more comfortable hiking; sunset has best light but hot and crowded. Bring: 2L water per person, hiking cane.
Windows Section & Double Arch: The Windows - 1 mile, 45 min, Double Arch Train - 0.5 mile, 20 min
Balanced Rock view point
Park Avenue Overview
Drive: back to Moab
Lunch at Moab
Change hotel if necessary [optional] Delicated Arch Sunset [Skipped] Bring +headlight for return hiking in dark.
Drive: back to Moab
Dinner at Moab
Stay: Moab
能起多早起多早……(Utah想玩好务必学会早晚出去玩中午睡觉避暑或开车赶路)去Arches的路上不要犹豫直奔Delicate Arch停车场找车位。Trail本身没啥意思,快点赶路到终点就能在太阳太晒之前回来了。终点Delicate Arch是整个Utah的signature(你看Utah车牌上画的就是它),排队照相请提前设计好动作。中午应该能把列的景点转完,出门的时候入口应该已经排长队或者直接关闭了。(6-8月大概上午9点就关了)
我们选择了早上去Delicate Arch,但考虑到角度和光线最佳摄影时间是傍晚(因为大致是delicate arch在拍照平台东侧,傍晚顺光,且arch背后有Colorado的雪山做背景),但人也会更多。
Day 8 (5/15, Saturday)
Breakfast at Moab
Drive: Moab - Island in the Sky Visitor Center (40 min)
Canyon Lands National Park
(Drive 20 min from visitor center to grand view point)
Shafer Canyon Overlook
Mesa Arch: Round trip 0.5 mile, Plan for 30 min total
Green River Overlook
Grand View Point Overlook: Round trip 2 miles; Plan for 1.5 h total; Water!
Other view points are all by the road and optional
Lunch at Moab / Green River
Drive: Canyon Lands NP - Salt Lake City (4 h)
Short stop at Provo downtown
Dinner at SLC
Stay: Salt Lake City
另一个被比下去的公园,比对门Arches的人少多了,游客最多的景点竟然还是个Arch也是尴尬……也是非国家公园/地质爱好者跳过也不太可惜的。
Provo算是在回Utah的必经之路上,有时间可以在downtown停下散个步。
Day 9 (5/16, Sunday)
Breakfast at hotel
Drive: to SLC (15 min)
University of Utah (1 h)
Red Butte Garden (1 h)
First KFC 3890 State St, Salt Lake City, UT
Lunch at SLC
Drive to Airport
Return car
Flight back
Red Butte Garden算是比较值得一看的小植物园,用来填充时间还挺合适。肯德基毫无特色,大家也知道美国的肯德基和中国的基本不是一个东西了,路过的话感慨一下就行了。
Part II
其它版本的行程
A. 另一种更适合多数人的行程
Vegas出发(去掉盐湖城),去掉Great Basin,留出时间去Page周边马蹄湾、羚羊谷、纪念碑谷和玩Moab的tour。这是如果我将来要带家人朋友再去一次Utah会采用的行程设计。每一天的具体行程请参照Part I。
Day 1 (Saturday)
Fly to Las Vagas
Rent car
Drive: Las Vagas - Springdale(4.5h)
Stay at Springdale
Day 2 (Sunday)
Zion National Park: Angel's Landing
Stay at Springdale
Day 3 (Monday)
Zion National Park: the narrows
Scenic Drive: Zion - Mount Camel Highway (1 h)
Drive to Page (1 h)
Stay at Page
Day 4 (Tuesday)
Horseshoe Bend
Antelope Canyon Tour
Drive: Page - Monument Valley (2h)
Monument Valley (1h)
Drive - Monument Valley - Moab (2.5h)
Stay at Moab
羚羊谷只能通过authorized tour进去,需要提前买票;中午的tour光线最好;谷内光线弱且时间有限,一定提前配置好相机(高ISO和曝光补偿,大光圈可能会对焦错误)!
马蹄湾有一小段unshaded hiking,推荐避免早上去。
Day 5 (Wednesday)
Arches National Park
Stay at Moab
Day 6 (Thursday)
Canyonlands National Park
Moab
Stay at Moab
我们因为时间关系没有在Moab多停留,其实这里有各种各样的好玩的活动,因此才成了著名旅游度假城市(aka因此才暑假人爆满),包括沙地摩托热气球等都值得一试,可以去Moab的官网上找找自己喜欢的。
Day 7 (Friday)
Drive: Moab - Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center (2.5 h)
Capitol Reef National Park
Stay at Torrey
Day 8 (Saturday)
Drive: Torrey - Bryce Canyon via scenic byway UT-12 (2.5h)
Bryce Canyon National Park
Stay: Bryce
Day 9 (Sunday)
Drive back to Vegas
Flight back
B. 设计行程时的一些细节
你可以按照以上两个行程根据自己喜好和体力进行变形,我想到的一些细节列在这里:
Lake Powell / Glen Canyon National Recreation Area:人工湖(所以不是Park),主要玩法是坐船钓鱼等,适合停留几天度假
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument: 巨大的national monument,从Zion向东到Mt Camel Junction的路上能看到这里说的“Staircase”。代表地形slot canyon,像是又长又窄的隧道,甚至可能会在里面迷路。去的话可以从Konab和Escalante附近进入,路不太好走。
Vegas和大峡谷……不多说了
Four Corners Monument:Utah,Colorado,New Mexico,Arizona四个州的交界点,建了个小地标,离纪念碑谷不远……猎奇而已,21年甚至关闭了进不去