This past May we did a series of travel posts as both a kick-off to summer and as a bit of inspiration to get out there and explore. This month we’re continuing the travel theme, but with a focus on camping!
On our most recent road trip, we spent 24 hours in Canyonlands National Park. Here’s the summary in 24 photos!
Arrival
When traveling and camping, we keep our plans super flexible. We know approximately where we would like to be and for how long, but we’re always making minor adjustments depending upon the situation. All that’s to say that we didn’t have reservations for camping anywhere around Moab. The first night we camped on BLM land. The next morning we drove into Canyonlands National Park.
To set the scene, we drove into the park at about 10am on a Thursday in late May. It was neither the peak of travel season nor a weekend.
The park is split into four districts delineated by the Green and Colorado Rivers. We entered the Island in the Sky district and went directly to the Willow Flat campground. The campground has 12 first-come-first-serve sites, and we were lucky enough to snag one!
After reserving the site and marking our territory (it’s always going to leave some belongings at the site to show others that you’re really coming back), it was time for a hike.
Mesa Arch
This is a super short hike that rewards you with amazing views… of course that also means that it’s super popular.
This hike is great for kids, and it’s a beautiful introduction to the park for everyone. The short length gives you a little introduction to the desert’s heat and dry air without the commitment of a longer hike.
A portion of the trail has tags identifying the dessert plants, which may be foreign to many visitors, and which you’ll see throughout the park. At this time of year, the cactuses and many other plants were in full bloom. Giving us so much more than just the topography to examine with a pure sense of awe.
You don’t see the grand views of the canyons until you arrive at Mesa Arch. And it’s at that point that everyone slows down to take photos. This is where we want to remind you to seek out a different perspective.
When we arrived at the arch, there was a line of people patiently waiting for their turn to photograph the arch and the canyon beyond (you can see them in the photo below). We approached the arch to the right of the line, where no one was standing and where we were rewarded by beautiful views and without the sense of urgency that comes with a line.
After taking in the views at the arch, we spent a little bit more time taking in the expansive views of the canyons before heading back to the van.
Willow Flat Campground
After a quick trip into Moab for food, we spent the rest of our evening at the campground. Having only 12 spaces and one loop made for a low-key campground experience.
Both kids are camping fanatics.
We think that Luc mostly loves the anticipation of roasted marshmallows, but that’s ok. That love keeps him requesting more camping trips, and we know that in the long run his love of marshmallows is morphing into a general love of the outdoors.
Alex has a full-on love of everything that comes with camping. The food, playing in the dirt, climbing trees, and (of course) looking for bugs.
The road leading to the campground ends at the Green River Overlook. That evening Calder and Alex biked down to the overlook while Luc and I walked. It’s nice to be able to give Alex these little introductions to biking on roads in situations where we know that the few cars that go by will be going at a relatively slow speed.
It’s particularly nice camping by this overlook because it looks brilliant at sunset, making it easy to hop down there and take in the awe-inspiring site.
Whale Rock
After a quick breakfast the next morning, we set out for Whale Rock.
Again, this is a very short hike : just 1 mile out and back. These were much more mellow than our typical weekend hikes with the boys, but they are just perfect for 1. exploring these foreign landscapes, 2. letting the boys stretch their legs and get out their energy, and 3. not exhausting us since we still had plenty of driving ahead.
We arrived at the trailhead around 9am on Friday morning, and surprisingly to us, we were the only car in the parking lot. Eventually others arrived at the trail, but that was after we were gifted a completely solitary hike to the top.
On this trail there is a 100 foot elevation gain that’s not too difficult to manage and rewards you with beautiful views of the surround canyons and of the Upheaval Dome rock formation.
One awesome aspect of hiking with kids in the desert is that you can see for miles. That means that you can see them for miles yards while they’re running off and feeling independent. 
After flying high from our quick trip to Canyonlands, it was time to hop in the van and start our long leg to CA. Our feet were dirty and our spirits were high.
