If you're looking to truly immerse yourself in the wilderness without crowds or lines, you can't do better than Bryce Canyon Country.
It was August in Texas, and fatigue had set in from seeing triple-digit numbers taunt me from the weather forecast every day for the last few months. A notification arrived in my inbox with an invite to Bryce Canyon Country in Utah. I quickly looked up the temperature forecast and was pleased to see two numbers where there had previously been three. Even better, the first number was a five. Sold.
We arrived in the sleepy town of Escalante at sunset, grabbing a tasty burger in the inviting, casual atmosphere of the 4th West Pub. Afterward, we headed to the Canyon Country Lodge, a cozy little hotel that also doubles as a great place to base in-depth trips of the region. The night would pass quickly—we awoke at 6 a.m. the next day for our first canyoneering adventure.
We went down a few county routes, passing Grand Sheffield Road, an excellent camping spot for adventures into the canyon. We arrived at a clearing where we hopped out of the trucks and into the silence and awe-inspiring sights of the Grand Staircase.
Working through the base, we eventually found our way to the slot canyon. With only so much space for falling rocks to go, the narrow size belied the importance of our helmets. We squeezed through the path to a small, luminous clearing several meters in, where one could see clouds speeding past blue skies out of a narrow gap above.
An authentic Western setting demands an authentic Western experience, which we found up the road at Ebenezer’s Bar and Grill. The rustic, no-frills restaurant offered fantastic options for comfort food, including steak, barbecue, mashed potatoes, cornbread, and macaroni and cheese. After some time conversing and dining, the lights dimmed, and the Bryce Canyon Wranglers, decked out in the flashiest cowboy finery, took center stage.
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