Summer allows for exciting road trips
School is quickly coming to a close, and once the stress of getting through finals is over, summer break will be in full bloom. To help build the greatest summer plan, here’s a few road trip suggestions to catch the most beautiful West Coast sights.
Yosemite National Park, California
Just 285 miles north of campus, this five-hour drive is well worth the trek the moment one steps foot into the beautiful landscape of Yosemite. Every overlook in this national park looks like a grand painting that feels unreal to stand before. There’s such an abundance of activities to do in Yosemite that it’s not recommended to stay in for less than a weekend. Infinite camping spots, waterfalls, hikes and meadows fill the spaces between the woods. A group of college students will find themselves marveling at this park’s magnificent views for their entire visit. Mirror Lake is an especially popular spot and definitely a must-see to check off anyone’s explore list. The trailhead to the lake is well-marked on the far east side of Yosemite Valley and is the closest a hiker can get to the base of Half Dome. Another worthwhile experience is conquering Taft Point at sunset. With an overlook of El Capitan and the vast valley of the entire park, the view from the peak is mind-blowingly beautiful. Bring a flashlight and stay a little after dark to experience a symphony of stars above in absolute solitude.
Zion National Park, Utah
This landscape for the adventurous hosts some of the most iconic and gorgeous scenery one can experience in the West. Utah has riveting geological formations, painted with rich sandstone colors and rivers that are undeniably photogenic. The best activity to experience in the summertime is swimming through the Virgin River, better known as the Narrows. Take a swim through 2,000-foot canyon walls that are only 30 feet apart from each other. For the more laid-back adventurer, hiking the Overlook Trail is an easier option, but with a great reward. This short hike ends at the edge of a cliff with a magnificent view of lower Zion Canyon, including Zion’s famous Switchbacks, the Beehives, West Temple, East Temple, Towers of the Virgin and the Streaked Wall.
Bryce National Park, Utah
Bryce entertains travelers with many scenic views, as each point on the map of this national park is a destination stopping point. There are four sites that are highly recommended: Inspiration Point, Swamp Canyon Loop, Farview Point and Natural Bridge.
At Inspiration Point, all who look out from this point are bound to be inspired. The intricacies of the hoodoos and their formation through the erosion of the Claron Formation are simply beautiful. You get the most spectacular perspective of the main amphitheater in Bryce Canyon here, too. Swamp Canyon appears relatively small and sheltered from the overlook, bounded on both sides by fins and hoodoos, hence why you’ll get a closer and more intimate connection with Bryce’s canyon.
From Farview Point, travelers can look out over parts of Bryce Canyon and famous features in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. From north to south, the Aquarius Plateau (Pink Cliffs), the Kaiparowits Plateau (Grey Cliffs), Molly’s Nipple (White Cliffs) and parts of the Kaibab Plateau are visible. On most days, Navajo Mountain can also be easily seen. The structure called Natural Bridge, though it’s not an actual bridge, is one of several natural arches found in Bryce Canyon. This arch is particularly photogenic in Bryce: it has been sculpted from some of the reddest rock of the Claron Formation that is rich in iron oxide minerals and has a beautiful contrast to the dark green of the Ponderosa forest that peeks through the arch from the canyon below.
Crater Lake, Oregon
As the deepest lake in the United States and seventh deepest in the world, Crater Lake National Park is a view no photo could ever do justice. Formed from the collapse of volcano Mount Mazama, a lake now stands stretching six miles. Crater Lake has a number of entrances that are each only open depending on the season. Check which entrance is open before visiting and save a lot of time traveling around the circumference of the park to get inside. Surrounded by cliffs, the lake is about 2,000 feet high and has the clearest blue water on the West Coast. The centerpiece of the lake is a small island off to one of the edges that is surrounded by a heavy mantle of trees. Swimming in the lake is only allowed in the last half of June and only through the Cleetwood Cove Trail, the only point around the lake where it is safest to jump in the water. The trail is about a mile long and drops 700 feet down to the lake shore.