[in/near Escalante, UT], 1 mi. w. on SR 12, then .5 mi. on an unnamed road, following signs. The park contains colorful mineralized wood, fossilized logs and dinosaur bones. Wide Hollow Reservoir, a freshwater lake, provides many recreational opportunities. A self-guiding nature trail leads through a section of the reserve. Camping is available; phone (801) 322-3770 or (800) 322-3770
Bryce Canyon National Park, 26 miles southeast of Panguitch via US 89 and SRs 12 and 63, includes some of Earth's most colorful rocks, which have been sculpted by erosion into pillars called ''hoodoos,'' and other fantastic forms. Iron oxides give red, yellow and brown tints to the limestone, while manganese oxides lend a lavender hue
The area's difficult topography led Mormon settler Ebenezer Bryce, whose cattle grazed in the mazelike twists of the canyons' stream beds, to declare it ''a hell of a place to lose a cow.'' Bryce is not a true canyon but a series of horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters carved in the edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau by tributaries of the Paria River. An American Indian name for the area translates as ''red rocks standing like men in a bowl-shaped canyon.'' General Information and Activities
The park is open all year. The main geological features of the park are easily seen from numerous roadside viewing areas. Visitors can take a 37-mile round trip on a road that follows the high rim to many major vantage points, such as Inspiration Point, Sunrise Point, Sunset Point, Bryce Point, Paria View, the Natural Bridge and Rainbow Point, at the park's end. Hiking trails descend below the rim, affording close views of colorful formations.
The most brilliant hues in the park come alive with the rising and setting of the sun. Since the park is on an 8,000- to 9,000-foot plateau, hikers should allow for adjustment to the altitude. A variety of activities is available in the park, including Canyon
Trail Rides, which offers escorted horseback trips into the canyon daily, April through October; phone (435) 679-8665 or 834-5500. ADMISSION is $10 per private vehicle; $5 each for persons on motorcycles, bicycles or foot. Generally, the above fees permit entrance to the park for 7 calendar days from date of purchase. Annual passes are available for $20 per person. Prices may vary; phone ahead.
A backcountry permit, available at the visitor center, is $5. PETS are permitted in the park only if they are on a leash, crated or otherwise physically restricted at all times. Pets are not allowed on trails or in any of the public buildings.
ADDRESS inquiries to the Superintendent, Bryce Canyon National Park, P.O. Box 170001, Bryce Canyon, UT 84717; phone (435) 834-5322. The superintendent's office is open Mon.-Fri. 8-4:30
The entrances on the southwestern and eastern edges of Zion National Park are connected by SR 9 (Zion-Mount Carmel Highway), which joins I-15 on the west and US 89 on the east. The park's northwestern entrance is accessible from I-15, but no other road connects this part of the park with the Zion Canyon section. Desert terrain and huge, sculpted rock formations coexist with waterfalls and hanging gardens. The gigantic stone masses of the West Temple and the Watchman guard the southern entrance to the park. From a multicolored stairway, the red-brown Watchman looms 2,555 feet above the canyon floor. The 7,810-foot West Temple is one of the most prominent formations in the southern section. Just north of the southern entrance is the beginning of Zion Canyon, a spectacular gorge being carved through strangely colored sandstones and shale by the Virgin River. About a half-mile deep and a half-mile wide at its mouth, the canyon narrows to about 300 feet at the Temple of Sinawava, the narrowest portion of the canyon accessible by car and about 8 miles from the park entrance. From the west the main park road, a continuation of SR 9. climbs the talus slope of Pine Creek Canyon in six switchbacks, enters 5,607-foot Zion Tunnel (completed in 1930) and continues to ascend on a 5-percent grade. This road's construction is considered a remarkable engineering feat. The Kolob Canyon section in the northwest corner of the park contains fingerlike red sandstone canyons at the edge of Kolob Terrace. Within this area is the Hurricane Fault, where layers of ancient rock are clearly exposed. Kolob Arch is accessible via a 14-mile round-trip trail. At 310 feet across, it is one of the largest free-standing arches in the world. General Information and Activities The park and its main roads are open all year. Scenic drives include a 13-mile round trip through Zion Canyon from the southern entrance and a 22-mile round trip from the eastern entrance to Zion Canyon. A paved road from SR 9 at Virgin joins an unpaved road leading north to Lava Point and Kolob Reservoir. The unpaved road is closed in the winter. A 5-mile drive from the Kolob Canyons Visitor Center at I-15 exit 40 affords spectacular views. Vehicles wider than 7 feet 10 inches (including mirrors) and/or higher than 11 feet 4 inches must be escorted through Zion Tunnel, which is on the park road between the east entrance and Zion Canyon. The fee for this service is $10, which includes two trips for the same vehicle within 7 days from date of purchase. Escorts are stationed at tunnel entrances daily 8-8, March through October; during the rest of the year escorts may be arranged at the entrance stations or the visitor center. Phone (435) 772-3256 daily 8-7:30 to request an escort. Vehicles exceeding 19 feet in length may not park in the Weeping Rock Parking Area or at the Temple of Sinawava. Parking is available at the south end of Zion Lodge, where visitors may board a shuttle for Zion Canyon; there is a fee for the shuttle. About 65 miles of trails are open all year; those on canyon rims close due to snow or ice. Permits are required for all back-country camping and day trips going down the Narrows and its tributaries, the Subway and all canyons that require mechanical aid; a fee is charged for the permits. Tram tours of upper Zion Canyon and transportation to backcountry trailheads are available through Zion Lodge;
phone (435) 772-3212 for information. Ranger-naturalists offer talks and guided walks April through the summer each year and, most years, through October (weather permitting). The Junior Ranger Program, an outdoor learning experience for ages 6 through 12, is held at the park nature center Memorial Day through Labor Day. Guided half-day horseback trips follow the Sandbench Trail to the western side of Zion Canyon. Phone (435) 772-3810 for reservations.
ADMISSION is $10 per private vehicle; $5 each for persons on motorcycles, bicycles or foot. The above fees permit entrance to the park for 7 calendar days from date of purchase. Annual passes are available for $20. PETS must be physically restrained at all times and are not permitted in public buildings or on trails.
ADDRESS inquiries to the Superintendent, Zion National Park, Springdale, UT 84767-1099, or phone (435) 772-3256
Glaciers transformed the rolling hills and meandering streams of pre-Pleistocene Yosemite into the colossal landscape of the present. To preserve it for posterity, Abraham Lincoln set aside the Mariposa grove of giant sequoias in the Yosemite Valley as the nation's first state park on June 30, 1864. Twenty-six years later Yosemite became a national park. A region of unusual beauty, Yosemite National Park lies in central California on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada. The park is much greater both in area and beauty than most people generally realize; Yosemite Valley actually comprises only 7 of the 1,169 square miles of park land. The territory above the rim of the valley is less celebrated principally because it is less well-known. However, 196 miles of primary roads and more than 800 miles of trails now make much of this mountain region easily accessible to both motorist and hiker. The crest of the Sierra Nevada is the park's eastern boundary, and the two rivers that flow through the park--the Merced and Tuolumne--originate among the snowy peaks. The Merced River flows through Yosemite Valley, and the Tuolumne River carves a magnificent gorge through the northern half of the park. Though spectacular through most of the year, many of the park's famous waterfalls are often dry during the late summer months. The park can be reached by SR 140 (El Portal Rd.) from Merced; SR 41 (Wawona Rd.) from Fresno; and SR 120 (Big Oak Flat Rd.) from Stockton. With the exception of the Tioga Pass Road portion of SR 120, the Glacier Point Road and the Mariposa Grove Road, all of which are closed late fall through early summer, all roads are open year round; chains may be needed in winter. The road to Mirror Lake and Happy Isles, at the eastern end of Yosemite Valley, is closed to most cars but is served by a free shuttle bus. Southside Drive is one-way eastbound from Bridalveil Fall to Curry Village; Northside Drive is one-way westbound from Yosemite Lodge; and the road between Curry Village and Yosemite Village also is one-way westbound. General Information and Activities Yosemite National Park is open daily all year. Maps and information are available at the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center, and schedules of events are provided at park entrances and posted throughout the valley. A free shuttle bus operates in the east end of the valley daily 7:30 a.m.-10 p.m., mid-May to mid-Sept.; 9 a.m.-10 p.m., rest of year. In the winter a shuttle runs from Yosemite Lodge to the Badger Pass Ski Area. Wilderness permits, required of all overnight backpackers, are free at the Yosemite Valley Wilderness Center or $3 if obtained by phone or mail; phone (209) 372-0740. To make reservations by mail write Wilderness Reservations, P.O. Box 545, Yosemite, CA 95389. For information about wilderness permits phone (209) 372-0200. A California fishing license is required for all park waters; an annual permit costs $25.70 for residents and $69.55 for non-residents. A 1-day resident or non-resident license costs $9.20. Information about bicycle rentals is available at Curry Village and Yosemite Lodge; tour bus information also is given at these spots and at Yosemite Village and Ahwahnee Hotel. Ranger-naturalists conduct year-round nature walks that last from a half-hour to 2 hours; snowshoe walks are available in the winter. Evening programs are presented all year at the Yosemite Lodge, and in summer at Curry Village, Lower Pines, Glacier Point, Tuolumne Meadows, Crane Flat, Wawona and White Wolf campgrounds. An open-air tram offers frequent 2-hour tours of the valley during summer and occasional trips after Labor Day; reservations can be made at the Ahwahnee Hotel, Curry Village and Yosemite Lodge. Other tours depart daily in summer to Glacier Point and Mariposa Grove. Guided horseback tours of Wawona, Tuolumne Meadows and the valley also are available. A hiker shuttle goes to Glacier Point and Tuolumne Meadows. Four- and 6-day saddle trips and a 7-day guided hiking trip are available; contact Yosemite Concession Services Corp., Yosemite National Park, CA 95389. Skiing and skating can be enjoyed in winter. Curry Village has an outdoor skating rink; Badger Pass Ski Area has downhill and cross-country skiing. Cross-country ski trails lead from the Badger Pass and Crane Flat areas. Snowshoe tours are offered. Child care is available in winter for a fee at Ski Tots Playhouse at Badger Pass. During the summer the Junior Ranger Program of nature walks and classes welcomes students in grades 3 through 6;
phone (209) 372-0200. For recorded information about camping, roads, weather conditions and recreation, phone (209) 372-0200. Campground reservations are available through the National Park Reservation System, (800) 436-7275, 9450 Carroll Park Dr., San Diego, CA 92121. The visitor center in Yosemite Valley has exhibits and audiovisual programs and is open all year. The adjacent Indian Cultural Museum deroutepicts the history of the Miwok and Paiute. The visitor centers at Big Oak Flat and Tuolumne Meadows usually are open June through September. The Wilderness Center, in Yosemite Valley, provides detailed information about the park's back country and wilderness areas.
The center, open daily 8-5 with extended hours during the summer, contains a variety of displays for hikers and climbers as well as trip planning information, including guide books and maps; phone 372-0200 for additional information, or 372-0740 for back country reservations.
ADMISSION to the park is by $20 private vehicle fee, good for 7 days. Note: Chains might be required at any time during winter months. PETS are not allowed on the trails or in public buildings and accommodations and must be leashed at all times. Cats and dogs are permitted in Upper Pines in Yosemite Valley, the west end of the campground at Tuolumne Meadows, and at White Wolf (Section C), Bridalveil (Section A), Crane Flat (Section A), Wawona, Hodgdon Meadows and Yosemite Creek campgrounds. Dogs can be boarded in Yosemite Valley from late May to mid-October.
ADDRESS inquiries concerning the park to the Superintendent, P.O. Box 577, Yosemite National Park, CA 95389. Phone (209) 372-0200
The entrance to Capitol Reef National Park is 5 miles east of Torrey on SR 24. Named for reeflike cliffs capped by white sandstone formations resembling the U.S. Capitol, the park contains a spectacular section of the Waterpocket Fold. The fold extends some 100 miles southeastward from Thousand Lake Mountain to Lake Powell and graphically illustrates the way the Earth's surface was built, folded and eroded. Numerous eroded basins or ''pockets'' that can hold thousands of gallons of rainwater are contained in this uprising.
Near the visitor center, brightly colored tiered cliffs rise 1,000 feet above the Fremont River. Pre-Columbian Indian petroglyphs can be seen on the surrounding canyon walls. Amid Capitol Reef's red rock are orchards where fruit may be picked in season. Visitors also can see the remains of Fruita, an early Mormon pioneer settlement.
Hondoo Rivers & Trails offers 1-day and longer four-wheel-drive and horseback tours into the park and the surrounding canyon country; phone (435) 425-3519.
General Information and Activitie
The park is open daily 24 hours; services are reduced in winter. Several trails and drives provide scenic views of the park; a backcountry use permit is required for overnight trips. A trail near the campground leads to Cohab Canyon, where another trail continues to the canyon rim. A nature trail along SR 24 about 2 miles east of the visitor center goes to Hickman Natural Bridge. A 25-mile scenic drive to Capitol Gorge leaves SR 24 at the visitor center. Several fairly easy hiking trails also lead from the vicinity of the visitor center.
ADMISSION is $4 per private vehicle; $2 each for persons on motorcycles, bicycles or foot. Generally, the above fees permit entrance to the park for 7 calendar days from date of purchase. Annual passes are available for $50 per person. MC, VI
PETS are not permitted on park trails; they are allowed in other areas only if on a leash, crated or otherwise physically restricted at all times.
ADDRESS inquiries to the Superintendent, Capitol Reef National Park, HC 70, P.O. Box 15, Torrey, UT 84775; phone (435) 425-3791.