Marble Canyon into Utah
From red rocks to slot canyons and dusty buttes
We left our first campsite at The Edge of the World after three beautiful nights and drove an hour or so north to Flagstaff for our first shower and resupply day on the way towards Zion National Park.
Our first stop was the Flagstaff Walmart to pick up groceries, more sunscreen, and a windshield sun-shade (which we realized was a must after I left my makeup bag in the front seat of the truck one afternoon and some of it straight up melted). Our second stop was at the charming Historic Brewing Barrel House for local beers, enormous burgers, and free wifi for a quick email check and photo upload session.
Originally we had planned to stay for just one night at the Flagstaff KOA campground where we stayed on a previous road trip, but we were surprised by two things: first, that the KOA was charging $47 + tax/night (during the week, no less) and second, how many tiny motels right along Route 66 were charging less than $70/night.
In an impromptu decision, we opted to stay at a funky little motel for $69/night, taxes and fees included, for the simple appeal of a hot shower, free wifi, coin laundry, and a real bed. Nothing nice or fancy, but no regrets.
From Flagstaff, we drove through Navajo Nation and the Le Fevre Overlook to Marble Canyon, AZ — a stunning spot overlooking the Colorado River, abridging the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, and not far from Lake Powell and Antelope Canyon, two spots we had explored on our last car-camping road trip back from AZ.
We continued northwest through the Kaibab Indian Reservation and across the border into Utah, just after 5pm. It was too late to get a camp site inside of Zion National Park, but Taylor had done some research on dispersed camping areas near the park and we decided to try one that required a serious off-road approach.
Airing down our tires, we turned the truck into 4WD and slowly climbed a bumpy dirt road straight up the side of Smithsonian Butte, turning onto smaller and smaller forest roads and ascending from desert climes to scrub-brush forest. Along the way, I periodically had to hop out to help Taylor navigate the truck around giant boulders, avoiding deep sun-baked ruts in the road, and occasionally stacking loose rocks to create ramps for us to be able to pass. It was a slow climb, but man, was it worth it.
We had joked after our first stop at the Edge of the World that we had perhaps set ourselves up for disappointment, starting our trip off with the most beautiful camp site, and not being able to imagine anything better. But here we were, finding another awe-inspiring sight for camp #2.
As we reached the plateau, we realized that had the entire butte to ourselves, with only one other teardrop camper barely visible far on the other side. We were exhausted, sweaty, covered in dust, and absolutely euphoric about the physical beauty of this place that we got to call home for the night.
Right on cue, the sun began to drop and turned everything around us the most vibrant hues of pink, orange, and honey gold. It was truly a magical experience.
We made a small rock cairn on the cliff’s edge and scattered our dads’ ashes in another spot that they’d love. It feels so meaningful to get to bring them with us on this trip that is life-changing for us, and in many ways, directly inspired by and in honor of them.
As we climbed into the tent, the wind also picked up, and we decided that we should probably re-position the truck to angle the tent into the wind, as we were sitting largely unprotected at the rim of the butte. Thank god that we did, because overnight we unknowingly entered a high wind advisory, with gale force winds reaching 35-40 MPH…which is exactly what the tent is rated at (specifically, 7+ on the Beaufort Scale, Taylor informs me). Eek!
So our heavenly campsite ultimately came at a cost, and that cost was our sleep. The strong winds caused the entire vehicle to rock and sway, but scarier yet was the deafening noise of the tent flaps and straps beating against the structure the wind all night. It was a bit scary but we emerged, weary and unscathed in the morning, to a calm sunrise and a fine layer of red dust over everything.
Our day’s itinerary was the perfect distraction: we both get to experience Zion National Park for the first time, and check another incredible bucket-list item off of our lists. How lucky are we!?