Stop #28: Gunlock State Park, Gunlock, Utah
- Denisse Storti
- Jan 13, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 17, 2024
This was a rather unplanned destination. It's not one that was on our radar, but we had some time to burn between St. George and Salt Lake City before heading to New York City for a week and upon doing some research this seemed like a nice addition to our journey. This was our second time camping at a state park. With it being low season, there were plenty of sites available at Gunlock State Park, as with Coral Pink Sand Dunes. This park was also very well kept and had partial hookups. We had beautiful lake views from our site, a picnic table, and a big fire pit which the kids had a grand time collecting wood for and roasting marshmallows. They also had a great time building their own fishing rods with wood sticks and string for fishing at the lake because kids are super optimistic that way. lol They weren't terribly disappointed when no fish bit. Rightly so, getting it all done and being by the lake was part of the fun. We only saw one person fishing on the lake, but no doubt this lake is plenty busy in the summer months with boats, kayaks, and paddle boards.
On our second day there we ventured out to Snow Canyon State Park which was quite a surprising find. The beauty of this park was visible as soon as we started approaching the area. The sandstone canyons in a variety of bright oranges and white, plus the brain like formations similar to the ones we saw at the White Pocket were stunning. We set off to do the Lava Flow trail. Not a technical trail and very family friendly. We had spectacular canyon views throughout and seeing the lava tubes up close was pretty neat for us all. We saw two lava tubes on this trail, both with big openings that we were able to get into. Perfect homeschooling field trip, if you ask me.
Following this trail and after spending some time petting a super cute dog and a deep conversation about the universe with his owner, we drove around the park. We left wanting to return. There were so many more trails and areas to explore. What a hidden gem. A super underrated park.
On the next day, we stayed a bit closer to our campground. Just below the reservoir, there's Gunlock Falls. While we were disappointed to see no water we were able to hike all the way up the rocks that make the waterfall. The kids waded in the water up above and we even found some small dunes to play in. We then drove over to The Vortex, also known as the bowl. This looked like an epic hike, similar to hiking the White Pocket but we were on the wrong side of it and also not really prepared for a long hike. We admired it from afar and returned to our campground. If planning a trip to Gunlock, Utah, make sure to add this hike to your list. The photographs look awesome.
That evening we had dinner in the nearby Kayenta village which looks like an oasis in that area. Its beauty and pristine houses and buildings stand out in the sparse landscape making it seem rather unexpected. The restaurant, Xetava was a wonderful treat. The menu was creative, the drinks were great, and our server was delightful. A wonderful way to end our stay in Gunlock.
Comments