TL;DR - New camping rule: don't arrive to an unknown camp spot after midnight without a reservation unless you're in the back country. Check out Sandy Hollow state park, George Barker park in Springdale.

Welcome to the desert! Arches, giant scenic vistas, blistering heat, and cool and refreshing rivers. The desert can offer an abundance of activities, well beyond what you're thinking. Probably one of our favorite trips; we were able to do a lot of hiking, much needed relaxing, and eating of delicious camp food. Zion can be exceptionally busy, so getting there ahead of crowds is extremely important. We found that one hike a day was more than enough, considering the heat. Its also interesting how many people rent river boots, where sandals are perfectly valid and appropriate footware for the canyon. Oh, and I also should mention that the narrows should be a big priority for you when visiting Zion. I missed it the first two times, and it was a huge highlight for this go around. Enjoy some desert!

Running on a few hours of sleep at Arches National Park

Lizards were abundant in Zion National Park

A condor on the Angels Landing hike in Zion NP

The Overlook Trail in Zion NP

Bryce Canyon NP is full of Hoodoos, and we found some

Descending into Grand Canyon National Park for Skeleton Point

Another vista for Grand Canyon NP