Kodachrome State Park Utah

It was a long, slow drive to Kodachrome State Park from Alamosa, Colorado on day three of our adventure. We pushed our little 4 cylinder Honda up and over 10,865 feet of elevation at Wolf Creek Pass summit. She was not happy about that! 

The entrance fee to the State Park was included with camping. We meandered through the park until we found the adobe hut we'd reserved. It was small, only ten by twelve feet with a big high bed. Our tiny home had solar electric and a propane heater and fire pit. It was cozy and very private. Our closest neighbors were in the campground a short walk away. Dave cooked dinner in a cast iron pan on top of the fire pit. Each night we were in bed by 9:00, watching the sky darken through the floor to ceiling glass doors on two of the hut walls. 

Beth showing the way home

Adobe hut at Kodachrome

Our deck with propane fire pit

Beth inside the hut

This is going to be FUN!

Dave got up in the middle of the night and woke me to see the Milky Way. I peeked out again later, just in time to watch a shooting star. Each morning, we enjoyed beautiful sunrise views from the adobe hut. The sun set below the canyon rim each evening while we sipped coffee on our little deck. We quickly learned that Utah is a magical place with much to see!  

Sunrise over Kodachrome

Sunset at Kodachrome

We spent two days hiking the trails at Kodachrome State Park. Our first hike was a good 10 miles along the Panorama Trail which consisted of hoodoos and amazing rock formations. We passed the Ballerina Spire, and the Hat Shop, before slipping into the small slot canyon called the Secret Passage. The highlight of the hike was the Panorama Point Viewing Area. We climbed to the top and were rewarded with an expansive view of Kodachrome Basin and Bryce Canyon, some 30 miles away. We met a couple from Minnesota at the overlook and chatted about the many popular hikes available across America. They told us about hiking Hut-to-Hut adventures which are available all over the world. We'd like to look into this further.

Entering the Panorama Trail

Our view entering the Panorama Trail

Hiking amongst the Hoodoos

Ballerina Spire

Detour to Secret Passage

Entering the Secret Passage

Exiting the Secret Passage

Panorama Point

View across the valley

Looking across at Bryce Canyon

View of Kodachrome State Park

Our adobe hut is under the mountaintops

Panorama Overlook View

On top of Panorama Point
Grand Canyon in the distance

Angel's Palace Trail was a beautiful but challenging hike. It brought us to overlooks of Kodachrome Basin with deep drop offs and gorgeous views of hoodoos and spires. This was not just a walking trail; we had to do a bit of rock scrambling. It was a popular 1.5 mile hike. We met a gal who recommended that we check out the Mossy Cave Trail on the north end of Bryce Canyon National Park. She described it as "unlike any other trail in Bryce Canyon,"  with a waterfall that flowed into a gorgeous, clear green river. It turned out to be one of our favorite hikes.

Vast views on Angel's Palace Trail

Hoodoos in the Canyon Angel's Palace

Deep drop offs on Angel's Palace

Spires on Angel's Palace

We took the long drive out to Chimney Rock, the tallest of 67 sand pipes in Kodachrome State Park. It towered over us 170 feet high. Geologists are uncertain of the origin of these rock formations. It's possible they were cracks in the earth filled with sediment that hardened over time. Eventually the softer rock eroded leaving behind the spires. The road to Chimney Rock was terrible and riddled with potholes. The Honda took another beating on this barely passable drive.

View around Chimney Rock

Dave dwarfed by Chimney Rock

Beth at Chimney Rock

On our last evening in the adobe hut, we met three gals from Minnesota tent camping. They noticed our Minnesota license plate and stopped to chat. They'd hiked the Grand Canyon a few years back and offered us encouragement. The hiking community is friendly and supportive. 

We spent our last day at Bryce Canyon. We enjoyed everything about our visit to Kodachrome State Park which offers horseback riding, camping, hiking and amazing sightseeing and stargazing. We hope to return soon.