Pet Friendly Lodging Zion Ut – Warmer weather is upon us and you know what that means…road trips! If you’re like us, you love taking hoodies along for the ride. Last September we had one of the most amazing trips to beautiful Utah with our two pups, Newton + Maya. I thought I’d do a little blog series (this is part 1 of 2) about our adventure and hopefully give you some helpful tips if you too are hiking there with your dogs.
Well, there are two main factors to consider in Utah: (1) weather + (2) crowd. As a major tourist destination, it gets busy in the warmer months, so keep that in mind. Utah gets HAWT in the summer too. This may not be ideal for you and your offspring. We decided to go in the middle of September and we succeeded. The crowds were still there, but not as big as in June, July or August. Although it was still warm and hot at times, it was not summer heat. Can we do October? Probably. But we also didn’t want it to be too cold, so maybe this late September, early October trip is a good compromise.
Pet Friendly Lodging Zion Ut
So you’re ready to take your dog for a walk?! Maybe you’ve done it before (good for you!), or maybe it’s your first long ride and you’re a little apprehensive. Here is some information to hopefully help you prepare. First, make a list of the things your dog needs every day…
Zion National Park
And something else that they can use every day or that will help them be more comfortable outside the home.
Next, divide the food and treats your puppy gets each day, multiply by the number of days you’ll be gone, and store everything in containers or plastic bags for easy transport. Calculate the number of pills/supplements you need per day, multiply by the number of days and put them in bags/containers for easy transport. Then pack the water bowl, toys, dog bed or blankets and anything else your dog might need and pack the car!
Now on to the good stuff… Where should you go in Utah? Well, it was really hard for us to choose just one area. If you’ve ever explored Utah, you know it has amazing parks and destinations throughout the state. You want to see the arches and canyons in Moab in the east, but you also want to visit Zion National Park and see all the amazing canyons in the Utah desert in the Southwest/South Central region. Utah has so much to offer, and if you’re traveling from both ends of the country, you’ve already come a long way, so stop by and see it all at once! [PS: We didn’t even practice in the epic Monument Valley in Arizona, which isn’t far at all and would be an easy addition with an extra day or two, but oh well…next time!]
We decided on a week-long trip (5 nights and 6 days to be exact) in order to see as much as possible. Planning such an extensive trip can be quite overwhelming, but with a little (actually a lot) of research, planning, enthusiasm and motivation, you’ll be able to do it! And I hope this blog will help you with your planning. Here’s how we broke it down.
Zion Mountain Ranch
Since this is home, Denver, CO was our starting point. We decided we wanted to include Moab and Zion in our trip, even though they are 4+ hours apart and on opposite ends of the country. It made sense to visit Zion first because it’s the longest (9.5+ hours from DEN) and there are some amazing malls on the way from Zion back to Moab that we wanted to see, so that was the plan. We started our week long road trip in Hurricane, UT, just 35 minutes from Zion. We then spent 2 nights there and then started going to Moab. On our way to Moab, we stopped in Kanab, Utah, where you can find some amazing, dog-friendly canyons. The drive also took us through parts of Arizona, including Lake Powell (which looks amazing and is definitely on our list for our next adventure). We finally arrived in Moab where we stayed for the rest of the trip and a total of 3 nights. The drive home at the end of the vacation was an easy + nice 5 hour drive. Overall, I think the way we designed it made the most sense for what we were doing. You may want to adjust, add, remove, and schedule based on where you’re coming from, how much time you have, and what interests you most. (If you’re short on time, I highly recommend doing Moab during your stay). Here’s a little about the first two parts of our trip: Zion and the slot canyons of the Utah desert. [We will do a separate blog about Moab soon!]
After our grueling 9.5 hour drive from Denver to Hurricane (with plenty of snack and potty breaks), we arrived at the most unique A-frame cabin in Hurricane, UT, just an hour or so from Zion National Park. Just look at the views from this place! The first day was busy as we were tired and just wanted to rest and enjoy the beautiful views directly from our Airbnb. Hurricane is a small town, but check out Main Street Café for a great meal.
Hurricane is also only 50 minutes away from a completely unexpected and (for us) unplanned natural wonder…Pink Coral Sands State Park! We didn’t even know about this park until we were in Hurricane, and since it was so close, we went there. Boy oh boy was it worth it… I had never seen pink sand and this place was absolutely gorgeous! As a state park, it is also dog friendly, which was definitely the best for us! Plus, since it’s not exactly famous, you won’t have to fight all the crowds. The Pink Coral Sand Dunes are located between the junction of Mount Carmel and Kanab, south and west of US Highway 89 in Kane County.
The second day we drove about 35 minutes and climbed up to Zion National Park. Zion, like all national parks, restricts dogs in the park. But unlike many other national parks, the park has one dog-friendly hike, the Paros Trail. Paros is an almost completely flat course, a paved path of 3.4 kilometers (in and out) with spectacular views all around it and guide dogs are allowed. This is the only pet-friendly trail in the entire park. In addition to the Pa-rus trail, you can also enjoy the park by driving along Route 9 (Zion-Mount Carmel Highway) with children in the car, stopping at various exits with beautiful views. Unfortunately, during the tourist season, private vehicles are not allowed on the Scenic Drive in Zion Canyon, which is reserved for buses only. You can also do Bryce Canyon on the same day, as it is only an hour away from Zion. We stopped for lunch in the cute little town of Springdale just outside of Zion, where apparently many hikers stay after visiting Zion and then taking the shuttle to the park. We ate at Cafe Soleil, which has dog-friendly outdoor seating and delicious sandwiches. In hindsight, Springdale was probably a great option for us to stay at since we were traveling with a dog, as you can leave your pup at the hotel/Airbnb on days you want to do dog friendly trips around Zion. . , like the famous Angel’s Landing! Springdale is just minutes outside the park with many great restaurants.
Where To Stay In Zion National Park
On the third day we said goodbye to the hurricane and headed to the slot canyons of Kanab, UT and finally Moab. The particular canyon hike we chose (after much research) was the Wire Pass Trail in Buckskin Gulch. This trip was perfect for us because (1) it was dog-friendly and (2) much less crowded than more famous slot canyons like Arizona’s famous Ondo (which you have to enter the lottery to even get a chance at). on immigration). Fair warning, the drive to Wire Pass is not easy. It’s in the middle of nowhere with tons of rough terrain and requires 4 wheel drive. You should also make sure that there is no rain in the forecast. This is no joke – the area is prone to flash flooding and you don’t want to be in the area when it floods. So, definitely make sure you plan for a dry day. But the reward is so worth it! The way to the beginning
