[line]  National Park Photos

Pictures by Kirk Fratzke (September 2003) 

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The Grand Circle Tour
• Select thumbnails to view image galleries of each park •

Bryce Canyon National Park Photos
Bryce Canyon National Park
(28 Photos)
Zion National Park Photos
Zion National Park
(36 Photos)
North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park Photos
North Rim, Grand Canyon National Park
(24 Photos)



  Trip Itinerary

  Friday, August 29th
  • Flew into Las Vegas
  • Got rental car and drove north on I-15 to Utah
  • Checked into motel in Cedar City and found a place to have dinner
  • Picked up supplies at Walmart
  Saturday, August 30th
  • Got up at sunrise and drove to Cedar Breaks National Monument
  • Continued driving through Dixie National Forest in route to Bryce Canyon
  • Red Canyon had interesting rock formations (lunch at Ruby's Inn)
  • Arrived at Bryce Canyon National Park
  • Drove road to end of park and then stopped at viewpoints on way back
  • Checked into Bryce Canyon Lodge
  • Checked out viewpoints around amphitheater
  • Tried to have dinner at snack bar (not good)
  Sunday, August 31st
  • Got up early to go hiking (first was trail closed)
  • Headed down from Sunrise point to Queens Garden
  • Hiked 5 miles of Peekaboo Loop trail
  • Had lunch at Ruby's Inn and hiked the Mossey Cave trail
  • Took short nap
  • hiked down again on the Navajo Loop trail through Wall Street
  • Went into town and had pizza dinner
  Monday, September 1st (Labor Day)
  • Left Bryce Canyon and took US Hwy 89 to Zion (tree covered limestone bluff just like Mississippi River valley)
  • Arrived at Zion National Park and really enjoyed the rock formation along the Mount Carmel Highway
  • Stopped at lookout with view of canyon and then went through tunnel
  • Checked into Zion Lodge
  • Hiked the Watchman trail (very hot, no shade)
  • Had dinner and rested for a bit
  • Hiked up to the Emerald Pools
  Tuesday, September 2nd
  • Hiked up the Virgin River to the Narrows
  • Meet other hiker and went about a mile above the Narrows
  • Back to lodge for lunch and then some rest
  • Went up canyon to take some pictures (started to rain)
  • Rain created waterfall all along canyon walls, went back up to Emerald Pools
  Wednesday, September 3rd
  • Left Zion Lodge and drove Kolob Road to Lava Point
  • Camera broke and headed to St. George, UT to buy a new one
  • Hand lunch and then drove to North Rim of Grand Canyon
  • Checked into Lodge and had dinner
  Thursday, September 4th
  • Checked out all the view points on the peninsula
  • Took lunch break and hiked a little down the North Kaibab Trail
  • Went out on peninsula again stopped at Point Imperial and ruins
  • Late afternoon rain didn't make for a dramatic sunset
  Friday, September 5th
  • Mule ride day to the bottom...
  • Scariest thing I have ever done in my life!
  • Mules walk on outside of narrow trail
  • Sheer drop offs of several thousand feet
  • Beautiful at the bottom, looking up at what everyone else looks down upon
  • Rained on the ride back up, added fun
  • Had nightmarish dreams during nap of falling
  • Tried for sunset again Cape Royal
  Saturday/Sunday, September 6th-7th
  • Left North Rim and drove back to Zion
  • Checked out formations along the Mount Carmel Highway again
  • Went through tunnel again and then headed to Kobb Canyon unit of park
  • Drove to viewpoints and snapped some pictures and hiked short trail (very few people around)
  • Headed back to Las Vegas for flight home
  • Had dinner on The Strip
  • Redeye flight back to Minnesota

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