Utah And Arizona 10 Day Adventure Itinerary With Packing List

This is a 10 day itinerary of Utah and Arizona between Zion National Park, Horseshoe Bend, Lower Antelope Canyon and Las Vegas.

If you’re someone who’s looking for a next-level adventure destination, unparalleled photography and a lot of fun, look no further than this 10 day adventure packed trip that’s also a photographer’s dream.

This trip to Utah and Arizona guide is broken into several sections that’ll be instrumental in helping planning your own Utah road trip itinerary through this beautiful part of the United States.

Planning The Utah And Arizona Itinerary

Utah is such an overlooked state in the US.  As with most people, even I went “huh?” when I got my first consulting gig out there.  It wasn’t until afterwards when I realized what a jewel of a place this really was.

Not only does it have world-class mountains but it also has the third most national parks with its Mighty Five, which includes Arches National Park, Bruce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, and Zion National Park.

For this trip, we wanted to plan something epic for the party that would have photography elements with best in the world hiking and camping.

We totally made the right call as you’ll see.

The planning legwork itself didn’t take too long.  Most of the work was really figuring out the hotels as we didn’t realize we picked dates that coincided around Memorial Day long weekend.  It was then a matter of spending a lot of time on Priceline and bidding for rooms (when that was still a thing) which was quite painful.  

The specific route I ended up planning was just a matter of a balance between the activities we wanted to do, the amount of time we had and minimizing scenic drive times.  

At first, I wanted to do it all, including Bryce Canyon National Park and Monument Valley, but with only 10 days to work with, it wasn’t feasible.

10 Day Utah And Arizona Adventure Itinerary

The below is a day-by-day breakdown of how we spent our 10 days in this photography-centric trip to Utah and Arizona.

Day 1 – Arrival In Las Vegas

Our first day was mostly a transit day from Toronto to Las Vegas with a connection in Los Angeles.

Our flight out of Toronto was about 30 minutes delayed but most of that was made up in the air.  The annoying thing about transferring in Los Angeles LAX is that with Air Canada, you land in Terminal 2 while United is all the way across the parking lot in Terminal 7.

We knew that the airport shuttle would take forever to get around the loop so we decided to cut through the two LAX parking lots to get over which was much faster.  

Arriving in Las Vegas, we picked up our Volkswagen Jetta from National Car Rental at the airport. Of course, I made sure to check whether I could find a good deal through their car rental discount codes.

We didn’t get settled into SpringHill Suites Las Vegas Convention Center until past 1 AM so it was definitely a very long day.

Day 2 – Welcome To Zion National Park

After a half a day’s drive which started from Nevada, through Arizona and then into Utah, we finally make it to Zion National Park (ZNP).

FUN FACT: On your way from Las Vegas to Zion, you’ll actually be crossing from Nevada, Arizona, and then Utah.

When you arrive at the main gate, this is when you pay the entrance fee for the national park. While you’re here, take photos with the official entrance sign.

Going through all my photos from here, they really don’t do justice to the immense size of the park and the mountains that surround you from all sides.  We were so mesmerized as we were driving through the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway.  

The drive up this famed road is simply jaw-dropping.

After the tunnel, we saw signs for the Canyon Overlook Trail and decide last minute to embark on a bit of late afternoon hike. While there wasn’t much of a sunset to see since the sky was quite overcast, it was still quite the brilliant view from the viewpoint you see above.

We ended up lingering a bit too long and as a result, needed to use our headlamps to light our path back to the car.

Staying way past our planned time at the park, we didn’t get to our lodge at the Zion Ponderosa until past 9PM.  Luckily the front desk taped an envelope with my name at the door with the keys.  The restaurant was closed as well by that time so we had no choice but to cook our own camping food.

For more about Zion Ponderosa and other accommodation recommendations, make sure to read the best places to stay in Zion National Park. Don’t forget to purchase your America The Beautiful Pass to get access here, amongst so many other huge landmarks and parks. The pass is only $80 USD, but note it could take up to two weeks to receive in the mail.

Day 3 – Emerald Pools And Skeet Shooting

For our day 3 of our itinerary, while there were several errands we needed to run, we also managed to fit in some fun hikes and activities as well.

After grabbing continental breakfast at the ranch, we made our way to Zion Adventures, the main outfitter in Springdale that offers rentals specifically for those hiking the Narrows. Since water levels were reasonable, we only needed their Footwear Package which also came with hiking sticks.

Next, we needed to pick up our permits.

The wilderness permit was acquired well in advance and online through Recreation.gov where we also selected our campsite location. When arriving in the town of Springdale, we simply needed to go to the Zion Wilderness Desk during their hours of operation.

PRO TIP: While half of the Wilderness Permits for overnight trips are designated for walk-in 1 day in advance, we’d hate for you to arrive and realize they’re all gone so definitely try to book right when they become available. Those dates are posted on the Zion National Park Overnight Narrows Permits page.

Since the Narrows hike was the next day, we also didn’t want to do anything too intense. Once we finished our errands, we went did a relatively easy hike in the Emerald Pools Trail.

This hike is extremely popular because of how accessible it is for all visitors. The loop trail consists of a lower, middle, and upper pool that is well-paved and very scenic. You even get a chance to walk behind a waterfall along the trail.

PRO TIP: Zion National Park has a shuttle system running from March through December and holiday season near the end of December, you’ll need to take this shuttle from the visitor center to Zion Lodge as private cars aren’t allowed inside. This is free to ride.

On the way back to Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort, drop by a supply store to grab any last minute food items you’ll end for the Narrows.

We needed to rush back to the ranch because we had booked an afternoon skeet shooting session. From the ranch, we were driven to a designated part of the resort and we each had the opportunity to do 20 rounds of skeet shooting.

For one, it was incredibly hard to hit a disc but it was also way more fun than I expected.

Back at Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort, we opted to grab dinner at their on-property Ponderosa Eats.

Day 4 – Start Of The Narrows

One of the big goals of this trip was to conquer one of the famed hikes in Zion National Park that most people don’t get to do – the Narrows.

The top-down Narrows hike was once rated #5 by National Geographic in America’s Best 100 Hiking Adventures. What makes it so compelling and unique is that you’re literally winding through narrow slots of canyon wall while traversing through ankle or knee-high water. The contrast of the glowing sandstone hues with the turquoise waters is something to behold.

After cooking our own oatmeal in our cabin, we were picked up the Zion Ponderosa team for a one-way drop-off at the top of the Narrows (Chamberlain’s Ranch).

PRO TIP: This wasn’t an advertised service but when we reached out to their team, they said it was possible to do a drop off at Chamberlain’s Ranch and pick up at Zion Adventures. Back then, it cost $120 for 4 people. With the shuttle system, it might not be possible for a direct pick up there anymore so would likely have to be at the visitor center.

Day 1 of the hike started off very easy and paved starting from Chamberlain’s Ranch to Bulloch’s Cabin but once we dropped into the canyon, we quickly had to adapt to getting our feet wet. At this time of the year in May, the water was mostly ankle height and doesn’t go beyond knee height.

We soon fell behind with many other hikers pass us early on but we didn’t mind because there were so many incredible photos to take.  We suspect that many people that were zooming through were doing this as a one-day hike which is possible to do within 7.5 hours.

We picked up the pace midway through the Upper Narrows, chasing one of our waypoints – 12 Foot Falls.

Maybe it was psychological, but this stretch of the Virgin River was particularly frustrating because every corner we turned it felt like we should’ve been at our mark, only to realize that we needed to go further.

We eventually made it to 12 Foot Falls and promptly had lunch on a big flat rock on the opposite side.

From there, Deep Creek connected with the Virgin River, and powered through with 4 hours of hiking, navigating curious obstacles, figuring out how to get around the water at points, and climbing over rocks. During this time, it helped to see the numerous sign posts for camp sites as this gave us a good indication of the progress we were making.

We had originally planned on doing some side canyon exploring at Deep Creek and Kolob Creek but we opted to skip those in favor of time.

After 9 hours of hiking in uncomfortable canyoneering shoes, we finally made it to Campsite #9 by 4:40PM.

After setting up, cooking dinner, and cleaning up, we were exhausted so you can understand why we packed it in by 8:15PM with the sun still out.

Technically, the first day through The Narrows isn’t very hard since the water is quite shallow and there weren’t any parts of it where I felt like we were in danger of slipping or falling.  

All of the rounded rock formations were surprisingly solid in their place and the incredible grip of those canyoneering shoes made you feel invincible.  Most of this hike, you’re navigating through the river and finding higher ground paths to hike through to avoid the water and crossing the river to the other side when you don’t have any other choice.

What made the hike tiring was the fact that you were carrying a heavy load on your back and also the canyoneering shoes themselves.

Since these are rentals, they simply aren’t a perfect fit. My middle toe was hurting really badly after lunch. The problem was actually in the neoprene socks themselves which weren’t the ergonomic for my feet.

Day 5 – Emerging From The Narrows

If you can believe it, the second day of the Narrows was more glorious than the first.

Waking up however, was not epic at all.  My middle toes on both feet were still quite tender, my shoulders ached, and my legs were sore.  Even though I was exhausted, sleep didn’t come easy the night before.

We rolled out of the tent at 6AM, stretched and cooked a quick breakfast which was – you guessed it – oatmeal!

By 8AM we were on the move again.  Since we didn’t get to the previous day, we figured we’d try explore at least one side canyon on this trip – Goose Creek.  

The entrance to Goose Creek is a bit hidden because it was completely dry at the time and masked around a small bend.  We ended up spending 20 minutes here. It was nice to be able to drop off our heavy packs and explore the creek until we got to the point where the boulders were getting too challenging to navigate. This is when we turned back around.

The most dramatic part of the hike is when we reached Wall Street Corridor – the most jaw dropping area of the entire hike.  There’s something magical about how the orange glow dances in the background and creates dramatic shadows on both sides of the canyon.

As a photographer, stay patient here as there’ll be quite a bit of tourists.

Naturally, photo-taking took way longer than we had anticipated and blew by most of our “time budget”. The plan was to finish the hike by 3PM in order for us to shuttle back to the visitor center (40 minutes) + shuttle outside the park to the Zion Adventures (10 minutes), and then back to the visitor center to await our shuttle pickup at 4:30PM.  

Out of time, we cancelled our plan to see Orderville Canyon and rushed back to the Temple of Sinawava.

Once we got reception, I called the Zion Ponderosa team and let them know about our situation and they dispatched a driver to us right away.

After we returned our rental gear, we just plopped down at the tables outside the outfitter and ate our crushed sandwich buns and pieces of sliced ham – a championship lunch right there.

The hike itself on Day 2 is also technically a bit more challenging as you’ll pretty much be in water 80-90% of the time.  On Day 1, I was able to avoid almost all deep water parts but on Day 2, it was unavoidable.  Water hit close to waist level 2 times on this day which was both exhilarating and nerve-racking since I had all of my camera gear with me.

Our biggest achievement however must’ve been that none of us used the provided poop bags.  Because The Narrows is a leave-no-trace trail, you’re not allowed to do your business anywhere. Instead, they provide you these bags which you can poop into.  For our victory photo, you’ll notice not only just us feeling a sense of relief being out of those canyoneering shoes but also that all of those bags we were given were completely empty.

We returned to Zion Ponderosa and checked into a new Cowboy Cabin where we were all too excited to shower and clean up.

For dinner, we returned to Ponderosa Eats for a hearty meal, and each of us reminiscing how incredible that hike was.

With some sunlight left, we managed to squeeze an 18-round mini-golf game in.  

My only regret was that we didn’t have the energy to make it to the hot tub. Instead, we went back to the cabin to pack for tomorrow’s activities and called it a night.

Day 6 – Testing Your Vertigo on Angel’s Landing

If you think the Narrows is the big challenge of this whole trip, you’d be wrong if you are vertigo-challenged like I am. Nothing could prepare me for the mental challenge that I’d be facing at Angel’s Landing.

Checking out Zion Ponderosa in the morning, we zipped back to the Zion National Park visitor center and took the shuttle to The Grotto stop. This is where your Angels Landing hike begins.

PRO TIP: Since 2019, they’ve added a permit program. This means that you need a permit to hike Angels Landing. There are two ways to get permits – seasonal lottery and day-before lottery, and those are explained on the permit page. Make sure you have your permit ready to present to the ranger when you arrive. Lastly, if you can , try to aim for the morning time slot when temperatures are cooler.

From the base, we got a good work out doing the gradual switchbacks. Once at the neck, that’s when the real adventure begins.

So the story is that I initially didn’t want to do the hike after seeing how steep the drop offs looked. Another one of our friends stayed with me as the other 2 continued. As we were sitting on the rock, we saw kids and grandparents blazing through and that’s when I realized that I needed the seize the moment and just go for it.

Once we got to the part where you need to grab onto the chains and there’s a point where the path narrows to a drop off on the left and right, that’s when the vertigo really hit me hard.

When things flattened out and you can see far out into the valley and a good chunk of Zion National Park, you really start appreciating the sweeping view and impressiveness of nature.

We took our sweet time here and didn’t finish the whole trail until 2PM.

After completing the hike, we took the shuttle back to the visitor center and grabbed a quick lunch at Canyon Coffee just outside of the park.

We returned to Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort one last time for their ATV excursion that we had booked for the afternoon..

What made this activity memorable was that it wasn’t just about trail blazing in an ATV, but our guide also took us to a few viewpoints in the ranch that you’d never be able to reach on your own including Jolly’s Gulch. here you can see the entire national park and on a clear day as far as Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon.

PRO TIP: Note these parks are also included in the America The Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Lands Pass.

After cleaning off all the sand that was caked on our faces, we got back in our car and gunned it over to Page, Arizona.

In page, we ate the most delicious BBQ at Big John’s Texas BBQ al fresco.

Our accommodations for the night was at Wahweap campsite where we simply pulled out the camping gear we had used the previous nights in the Narrows.

Day 7 – Sunrise At Horseshoe Bend

With an intense couple of days, it was a welcome change to have a low-key day to give us an opportunity to explore the city of Page.

Feeling a bit lazy, we took our time to get up, and made some good old Mountain House freeze-dried scrambled eggs, and another heaping of oatmeal of course.

Before leaving the campground, we made sure to drive around to take photos of Wahweap Bay.

In the afternoon, we visited The Glen Canyon Dam. At the time, public tours were still allowed, giving us a chance to see the inner workings of the dam. The dam created Lake Powell and is a fascinating feat of engineering.

PRO TIP: While you can’t do the public tour anymore, you can still visit the Carl Hayden Visitor Center at the dam. From here, there are great views of the dam and the surrounding rock formations.

After a late pick-me-up at McDonalds, we checked into our hotel for the night, the Travelodge Page.

We then made the ad-hoc decision to head to Horseshoe Bend to scope out the area for our planned sunrise the next day. What we didn’t expect though was just how incredible the colors were from here so this ended up being a sunset shoot.

If you’re headed here, I highly recommend that you learn how to shoot HDR with your DSLR or mirrorless camera.

For dinner, we had a great experience at Italian/American Bonkers Restaurant. The interior is decorated with local artwork and the food we ordered hit the spot including their pasta, lasagne, and chicken parmesan.

Day 8 – Traversing Antelope Canyon

It’s a photographer’s dream to be in a natural wonder such as Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon.  There is truly something transcending when you focus on their scale, perfection in its imperfections, and paintbrush-like beauty .

With Horseshoe Bend, there were only 10 photographers there that morning for sunrise.  Even at 5AM, morning light had already come out.  Compared to the sunset the day before, this was a much more calm shoot with way less people and more space to pick and choose where you wanted to compose which I liked.  

After the morning photography session, we went back to the hotel to pack up and have the hotel’s continental breakfast.

The other major highlight in Page is Antelope Canyon which is split between the Upper and Lower. Both are stunning in their own way but the Lower Antelope Canyon has narrower slot canyons and requires a bit more physical exertion with its ladders. Upper Antelope Canyon has more space to move around and is more famous for its light beams.

Which is better? Both are different in their own way. We thought the photos from Lower Antelope Canyon were amazing but I’ve always wanted to photograph the light beams. If you have time, why not do both?

Back then, Lower Antelope Canyon was much more accessible thanks to the likes of the indigenous-owned and Navajo-led Ken’s Tours but both have become very accessible today.

PRO TIP: If you’re interested in light beams, focus on Upper Antelope Canyon and make sure your reservation covers the time when the sun is at it’s peak (typically 11AM to 1:30PM).

We arrived at 8:15AM and picked up the Ken’s Tours photographer’s pass which is a product that used to allow visitors to spend an extended 2 hours in the canyon at your own pace. It doesn’t look like they offer this anymore.

There were already a bunch of standard guided groups ahead of us and more behind.  This made shooting very challenging and not to mention stressful because there was always people pressuring you to shoot faster or let folks go ahead.  

It was go-go-go once we hit the canyon floor and from there it was a rush to get to the hole in rock which the sun shines a direct beam of light through to create that famous sunbeam shot.  We eventually made it there on time but sadly the sun wasn’t fully out in the open to shine through the hole.  Regardless, it was still an amazing shoot experience.  

After we wrapped up at Lower Antelope Canyon, we hit the road again and made the 4 hour and 45 minute drive to Las Vegas.

On your way down, drop by REI to recycle any fuel canisters that you might have left (since you won’t be able to fly with them), account for filling up the tank, and the logistics of returning the car rental.

PRO TIP: If there isn’t a significant cost, see if you can return the car on the strip. This’ll allow you to drop off the car and then walk to your hotel. Alternatively, keep your car rental so you can drive back to the airport and save on the taxi/Uber fare.

To round out the day, we had a delicious bowl of ramen at Monta Ramen and settled into our hotel, the Rat Pack famous, Tropicana, which at that point hadn’t been demolished yet.

Day 9 – Viva Las Vegas

For our final day, we spent it covering a range of activities our friend (and bachelor) wanted to do:

For dinner, we made reservations at Gordon Ramsay Steak ahead of time.

Day 10 – Heading Home

Day 10 of the itinerary is pretty uneventful as we spent most of the day transiting back home.

Start the morning off with breakfast at the hotel and then head to the airport. In our case, we kept our car rental so I dropped everyone off at the terminal and then returned the car to National Car Rental.

With that comes the end of the journey, closing out an incredible adventure in Utah and Arizona.

Map Of The Itinerary

Below, you’ll find a detailed custom Google Map that covers the entire 10 day adventure through Utah and Arizona.

HOW TO USE THE MAP: You can use the 10 days Utah and Arizona itinerary map as is. However, if you’d like to do more with it, expand the map and create a copy in your logged-in Google account. With this copy, you’ll be able to access it in your Google Maps app under the Saved tab. Scroll to the bottom and look for the “Maps” button. Keep in mind that you need data to access this map. For an offline solution, use the offline Google Maps feature and individually save location pins on your primary map.

Watch How Our Trip Unfolded

The video below gives you a look at what our trip was like from the eyes of my GoPro.

As a bit of background, we planned this trip as a bachelor party for a good friend of mine. This was also during my earlier days of video editing and our YouTube channel so pardon the raw-ness of it.

Utah And Arizona Packing List

A lot of the excitement for the trip happened way before we even boarded the plane.  

This type of trip presented a lot of interesting packing challenges because we needed to be equipped for a technical hiking trail in The Narrows, camping, photography, and nicer nights in Las Vegas.

What’s worth nothing is that as a group of 4, we decided to share one large piece of luggage as a check-in and fitting everything else in our own hiking backpacks.

Here’s a breakdown of everything I brought and relevant explanations of each.

Camping Gear

1. Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL Tent – I was lucky enough to pick one up used but this is a really amazing light-weight tent.  I also picked up a footprint to go along with this.
2. Thermarest Compressible Pillow – I really debated about bringing this because as you can tell it’s not particularly compact.  I knew I wasn’t going to bring this to the Narrows but instead more for the camping we’d be doing. It’s the most comfortable camping pillow you’ll ever own.
3. Aquapac Waterproof Phone Case – Picked this up at MEC in Canada a long time ago.  I’ve owned a lot of waterproof cases in my day and this one has worked the best.  I planned on using this to waterproof my phone during the hike through The Narrows.
4. Thermarest NeoAir Xlite Sleeping Pad (Regular Size) – Picked this up from CampSaver on one of my trips to the US.  It’s not the cheapest but is the lightest, smallest and most comfortable in the Thermarest sleeping pad line.  My buddies had Thermarest ProLite sleeping pad and this was leaps and bounds more comfortable.  The only drawback is that you do have to inflate it yourself.  Nothing but great things to say about this sleeping pad.
5. Miscellaneous carabiners – I packed this mountain climbing carabiner from MEC thinking that there’d be a way to hook in on the Angel’s Landing hike but that wasn’t the case when we got there.
6. Adventure Medical Kits UltraLight & Watertight .7 Kit – Bought this kit for my Asia 2012 trip but barely used much of it so I’ve been continuing to use it for trips like this.
7. Sleeping bag liner – The idea behind this is that you can line your sleeping bag with this so you don’t get it dirty on the inside and also gives you an extra layer of warmth.  Out of everything this was perhaps not worth the weight and size.
8. Buff Headwear – My review of Buff Headwear stands.  It’s the most versatile piece of gear you can bring on the trip.  Great for covering your head as a hat, around your neck for warmth, around your wrist to wipe sweat off etc.
9. GSI Outdoors Haluite Minimalist – This is great camping set that pairs perfectly with this super portable burner.
10. Light My Fire Titanium Spork
11. Smartwool Men’s Hiking Medium Crew Sock – I knew I’d be going sock-less for most of the trip but for those cold nights and for our fancy dinner to Gordon Ramsay’s, I wanted to cover up my open sandals.  These socks were also great for hiking with my sandals since it prevented sand from getting in and made for softer, more cushioned walking.
12. Patagonia R1 Air Hoody – Great zip up that I use for trips like these as my long sleeve option.  Keeps me super warm when I need to be since I knew that temperatures would be dropping significantly in the desert.
13. Outdoor Research Radar Pocket Cap – Got this on sale from MEC online a few years ago.  Really love this one as it’s great as a hat but has the added bonus of being able to fold the rim in half and pocket it flat anywhere you want including your pockets.
14. Trail quilt – This is the ideal minimalist camper’s sleeping bag because they are so versatile. They can be used as a sleeping bag, poncho, blanket, and over-quilt/under-quilt for your hammock. The one I recommend is the Kammok Firebelly. Check out our Kammok Arctos review.

Clothes

1. Swim trunks – There was a pool at the Zion Ponderosa so I figured we could use it there or even wear it as my shorts for The Narrows hike.
2. Dressier short sleeve shirt – This was no where close to a fancy clothes kind of trip but we still needed one for that Gordon Ramsay steakhouse we were going to be eating at.
3. Dryfit shirts – We knew it was going to be hot, could potentially get wet from The Narrows hike and were just naturally going to sweat from the packs were were carrying and all the hiking.  They’re quick to dry (key for hand washing your clothes) and keeps you cool.
4. Mesh stuff sacks – Super helpful to keep clothes organized in a backpack or suitcase. Instead of rummaging around for what you need just have them ready in separate bags. Game changing!
5. Smartwool socks – These are really hardwearing socks with moisture wicking fabric, which means no soggy sweaty socks on your hikes.
6. Travel towel – I thought I’d get much better mileage out of this but Zion Ponderosa came with towels and for the camping nights, I simply didn’t shower. Still useful if you stay somewhere that doesn’t provide a towel or if you like regular showers while camping.
7. ExOfficio Give-N-Go Boxer Briefs – I’ve reviewed these in the past and swear by these.  I didn’t even bother bringing any other underwear on this trip. For a trip like this, all you need is 4.
8. PJs – Something comfortable and cozy will do.
9. Sunscreen – The sun gets pretty strong so make sure your skin is well protected. A good sports sunscreen is recommended so you don’t sweat it off.
10. Toiletry bag with toiletry things – I really like a hanging toiletries bag, makes it so much easier to access your stuff in bathrooms, especially when camping. Make sure to watch our video review. Pack miniatures of all your usual toiletries, there is no sense in carrying full size around and causing extra weight. You can get small reusable bottles to decant into.
11. Hand sanitizer – When out in the wilds and washing facilities are limited, hand sanitizer is absolutely essential.
12. Roll of toilet paper – So you don’t get caught short.
13. Vitamins – Camp diet might not always be the most balanced so keep your nutrient levels up with a stock of essential vitamins.
14. Stuff sack – A useful sack for miscellaneous items.

Camera Gear

1. Carbon fiber tripod – Essential considering the sunrise and canyon photography we were looking to do.  After this trip I upgraded to the Peak Design Travel Tripod in Carbon Fiber. See our review on that here.
2. f-stop gear Navin – I’m so glad I bought this in Hong Kong because I’m not sure how I would’ve been able to have quick access to my DSLR while on hikes.  I used the Molle connectors to hook into the right-side waist strap.  The trade-off of the Navin was that 1) it was not water proof so I was taking considerably risk using it during The Narrows hike and 2) since my SLR was weighing on my right side the entire time, my right waist was taking a big beating from the imbalance. I took a deep dive into all f-Stop gear in this review.
3. Filter pouch – A convenient organizer for filters such as the ND-8, circular polarizer and UV filters.
4. Think Tank Pixel Pocket Rocket – Before buying this I didn’t have a great way of keeping all of my CF cards together but with this I can keep it all organized.
5. f-stop gear Loka backpack – Make sure to read my full review but for this trip specifically I was impressed that I could fit everything I needed for the Narrows.  The only drawback to this bag is that you can’t put the bulky camping gear inside. The sleeping bag has to be on the outside with the use of the f-stop Gatekeeper Straps.  It’s an ideal bag for at most a 1-2 night camping trip but not any longer. There have been newer generations of this backpack but with one of their designers spinning off their own company, I’ve been a big fan of the Shimoda Action X50 which was the workhorse of our month in Chile.
6. Geigerrig Hydration Engine – I basically stripped the bladder engine out of one of my Geigerrig bags and retrofitted it into the f-stop Loka bag. While convenient, by the end of The Narrows, the velcro strap that holds the bulb in place was getting seriously uncomfortable.
7. Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Pack Liner – While we didn’t end up needing it on this trip because there weren’t any accidents, waterproofing is still very important for The Narrows and this is a way to make sure that everything in your backpack stays dry if you fall into the water.

Additional Clothes

Useful Utah And Arizona Road Trip Tips

Planning

• Time of the Year – Be mindful of the time of year you’re going.  We didn’t know it was memorial day and noticed that everything was starting to sell out or prices were higher than normal.  For example Priceline bidding for hotels in Las Vegas became expensive and even inventory at the Zion Ponderosa were running low.  Even a few hotels I contacted in Kanab and Page were already sold out.
• Book Early – There’s something weird going on with the ZNP area because it seemed that everyone was booking early.  I was booking for May back in February and was already having a ton of trouble.  Don’t wait because I almost had a heart attack when I found out I couldn’t book Zion Ponderosa.  Luckily the person holding that reservation let it go later on so that worked out.
• The Wave – Our original plan for our free day in Page, Arizona was to actually visit The Wave that’s part of Coyote Buttes North and more specifically Vermillion Cliffs National Park.  This operates under a lottery system.  The lottery opens up 4 months in advance and is open for application for the month.  The day following the close of the application period is the lottery draw.  Honestly it’s a crap system with extremely low odds of getting in.  We tried the lottery and got nothing which is why the idea of shooting here was canned.
• Permits – If you’re looking to do the top-down Narrows hike, you also need to be aware of the permit system.   Luckily getting a permit and picking your campsite isn’t as vicious as The Wave lottery.  All you have to do is book the permit 3 months in advance and you’re good to go.
• America The Beautiful- The National Parks and Federal Lands Pass – Be sure to purchase this well before your trip! It could take up to 2 weeks to arrive in the mail and a screenshot or printed receipt of purchase is not accepted.
• Flights – If you’re looking to do something similar, Las Vegas is still your best bet in terms of closest airport.  I looked around and nowhere else makes sense.  Luckily flights to Vegas are usually pretty cheap!  Another quick tip is that if you’re changing planes somewhere, make sure you check the terminals.  Hopefully you don’t have to do a Terminal 2 to Terminal 7 change like we did.
• Car Rental – If you don’t know about them yet, you’ll thank me when you check out all you need to know about car rental coupon codes.  A rental car is an essential need if you are taking a Utah national parks road trip. While we rented from National Car Rental, we recommend that you do your research. Start with DiscoverCars and Rentalcars.com and then try out those discounts.

Other Gear To Consider

• Moisturizer – It is so incredibly dry in Nevada, Utah and Arizona.
• Nail clippers/kit – I’m glad I did because the combination of roughing it and dry air made hang-nails my worst nightmare.
• Bandaids – Some of us got cut up in various ways and so I was extremely glad I brought a bunch of extra bandages.
• Headlamp – Who brings flashlights anymore anyways?  Headlamps are the way to go if you end up hiking late or need it for an early sunrise.

The Narrows

• Getting your gear – Zion Adventure Company is a reputable company and is much more legit than the rental company right by the visitor center.
• Reserve – Not sure how necessary it is but I figured it was a good idea to reserve our gear before heading over.
• Wet weather package – The water was 55F which is about 13C when we were there and we were very comfortable with neoprene socks in canyoneering shoes.
• Crappy neoprene socks – I don’t know if this is too hardcore but those neoprene socks that they rent out are not comfortable at all.  If you’re like most of us, your middle toe will hurt like crazy towards the end because of the way the sock is designed.  If I were to do it again, I might look into buying my own comfortable pair of neoprene socks.
• Toenails – Cut your toenails before going on the hike.  I regret it so much as my toes were jabbing the ends of the sock the whole way.  I swore I lost a nail along the way but luckily they came out intact.  Still, better safe than sorry.
• Waterproofing – Waterproofing is always a big question that we had going into this trip.  The water levels were considered to be “low” for us so this may be different from you but I honestly didn’t think there was too much cause for concern of being deep in water or tripping and falling.  That being said, the chances are certainly there if you don’t watch yourself.  Despite coming out safe, I would still do one layer of waterproofing for your backpack.  This can be as easy as taking a trash compactor bag (super thick garbage bags) to line your bag and then putting all your stuff inside.
• Should you bring your camera? – I guess it really depends on your level of risk.  Some will only be comfortable bringing a waterproof point and shoot and then there’s someone like me who was willing to keep the camera out and exposed almost the entire trip.  In my head, I just told myself that I had to be conscious of every step I made.  Sure footedness was key.
• Is 2 or 1 day enough? – For those not wanting to do the full top-down Narrows hike, I’d say the bottom-up day hike is honestly enough.  Everything that makes The Narrows beautiful can be found in the day hike.  That said, I loved that the first day was much more calm, serene and lacking hoards of tourists.  We were on our own pretty much that whole first day.

Angels Landing

• Gloves – Make sure you bring gloves if you’re doing Angels Landing.  I totally must’ve missed this in my research but there are portions of the hike where the metal chains are very close to the sandstone and so it is extremely easy to scratch up your fingers as you grip your way up.
• Harnesses – Don’t even bother.  In my chicken-ness I thought I could rig up some sort of rope harness with carabiner where I would clip into the metal chain.  It just wasn’t feasible at all because of the periodic poles.
• Vertigo – If you have vertigo like me, YOU can also do it.  I overcame this by just focusing on the metal chains when going up and thinking “hand-over-hand”.  I didn’t look over the edge at all.

Horseshoe Bend

• Sunset is the best time instead of sunrise.
• Vertigo – Be ready for it.
• Location, location, location – Study my panorama photo first.  I thought this particular location my tripod is planted on had the best views and felt most safe to shoot from.
• Sandy hike – There’s a good 15 minute from the parking lot to the actual spot where you can shoot Horseshoe Bend that’s quite sandy so account for that time.

Antelope Canyon

• Upper Antelope Canyon – Known for its sunbeams which is prime time during 11AM – 1PM but apparently the tour companies jack up the prices at these times.  The only way to enter in is through a tour as well so keep that in mind.  I was also told that the length of this part of the canyon is very short.  It is shaped narrow at the top and wide at the bottom.
• Lower Antelope Canyon – From my research, people seemed to enjoy the lower canyon a lot more.  The guys that run the tours there are also extremely friendly.  You don’t need to reserve in advance either so just drive up and pay when you get there.  They don’t jack up the prices during prime hours (8AM-11AM) and also offer a 2 hour photographer’s pass.  They’re not quite known for sunbeams as there is only one location for the sunbeam (hole in ceiling place) but has some pretty dramatic twists and turns.  It is shaped wide at the top and narrow at the bottom.
• Ken’s Tours – This is the tour company that everyone recommended although now there’s another company operating out of Lower Antelope Canyon
• Photographer’s Pass – This is now defunct but worth but I’ll explain how it used to work. You basically pay $50 to get a 2 hour pass instead of 1.  These 2 hours are completely unguided versus the normal pass which is guided.  To be able to get the photographer’s pass, you need to have an SLR, camera bag of sorts and a legit looking tripod.  When I say legit tripod, anything that stands up to waist height or higher is fine. Trust me, if you’re a photographer, you’ll want the full 2 hours down there.  We had JUST enough time to shoot everything we wanted to down there.
  • One of the guys in the group didn’t have a tripod so we went to Walmart to buy a cheap $15 tripod by Targus.  
• Light beam at Lower Antelope Canyon – 10:15AM ish is when the sunbeam goes through the hole in the ceiling at Lower Antelope Canyon so starting at 8 AM is a good idea.  The hole in the ceiling is midway through the canyon.

Utah And Arizona Trip Resources

• Great Narrows hiking pages
• Zion Adventure Company Trip Planner – We picked up physical copies of this map from their store and it came in handy during the hike.  The other info is also very useful.
• The Wave lottery system info – It would’ve been super cool if we could’ve included this in our itinerary as it was on the way but the lottery is near-impossible. In case you want to plan for it, make sure you know the ins and outs of when to submit.

How to Organize The Logistics

We used a combination of local tour providers for the trickier hikes, as well as arranging a few things on our own.

• We rented a car to pick up at the airport, this made it easier to get to the park and then we used the park shuttle buses for transport once inside. Booking your car rental in advance is the best way to get a deal, start with Discover Cars and RentalCars to find the best deals. You can also save money through car rental coupon codes in a lot of cases.
• Zion Adventures took care of us at The Narrows as we were able to rent everything we needed from them as well as detailed information to complete the 2 day hike.
• For the photography at Lower Antelope Canyon we booked via Ken’s Tours and organized a photographers pass which we picked up before setting off.

I hope you found this itinerary helpful for your own trip to Utah and Arizona. If you have any questions, make sure to drop a comment below!

Travel Resources For Your Next Trip

If you’re in the process of planning your trip and putting together your itinerary, these are genuinely the best resources that the Going Awesome Places team stands by 100%.

Credit cards: Don’t get burned by hidden fees on top of terrible exchange rates. When we travel now, we use the Wise Card. Simply load it with the currency you need before you go and use it as a regular VISA or their digital wallet card. Use their free app to track how much you have and top up when you need to.

Flights: Of all the booking search engines, Skyscanner is the most helpful and easy to use thanks to their Everywhere feature. Kayak is also another that’s we will often check as well.

Car Rental: If you’re looking to save money, these car rental coupon codes will be a true game-changer. Otherwise, DiscoverCars and RentalCars are great places to start.

Airport Parking: You’ll need a spot to leave your car at the airport so why not book a spot at a discount. Use code AWESOME7 to get at least $5 off at Airport Parking Reservations or Park Sleep Fly packages.

Wifi Hotspot: We’ve been a huge fan of wifi hotspot devices such as PokeFi (use code GAP24300) because their rates are are hard to beat and it works globally. Solis is another that we recommend. Pros are that you can share the wifi with your whole group but cons are that you have to invest in a device and you have to charge it every night.

eSIM: Lately, we’ve really loved using eSIMs. We’ve tested several over the years and we have access to a few special promotions.

• AloSIM – Use code GOINGAWESOMEPLACES to save 15%
• KnowRoaming – Use code GAP10 to save 10%.
• Airalo – Use referral code WILLIA9500 to get $3 USD credit on your first purchase.
• Ubigi – AWESOME10 to save 10% on your first order.

Hotels: Our go-to is Booking.com because they have the best inventory of properties including hotels and B&Bs plus they have their Genius tier discounts. Expedia is also worth using especially with their One Key rewards program which is basically like cash. The exception is Asia where Agoda always has the best prices. Always do a quick check on TripAdvisor as well.

Vacation Rentals: Your first instinct will be to check Airbnb but we always recommend checking VRBO as well if you’re looking for a vacation rental (now eligible for One Key).

Tours: When planning our trips, we always check both Viator and GetYourGuide to at least see what’s out there in the destination that we’re going to. They often have different offerings and prices so check both.

Travel Insurance: Learn how to buy the best travel insurance for you. This isn’t something you want to travel without.

• HeyMondo – Popular insurance provider for frequent travelers and comes with great coverage and special perks.
• RATESDOTCA – Search engine Canadians looking for the cheapest insurance including multi-trip annual policies.
• SafetyWing – A perfect fit for long-term nomads.
• Medjet – Global air medical transportation.
• InsureMyTrip – Best for seniors, families, and those with pre-existing conditions.

If you need more help planning your trip, make sure to check out our Travel Toolbox where we highlight all of the gear, resources, and tools we use when traveling.