Students at Utah Tech University have some of the most popular national parks in their backyards. With soaring arches and deep canyons, now is the time to start planning your next national park trip.
Utah Tech is close to some of the most popular national parks in the country.
Arches National Park alone gets 1.5 million guests per year.
Classes like GEO 1050, GEO 1055, and GEO 2000R are ways for students to go to the national parks and earn credit. These classes enable students to have access to go the national parks and be immersed in what they have to offer.
Classes where you go to the national parks have options for day trips or week trips. For GEO 200R, students spend four days traveling to Zion National Park, the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Glen Canyon National Park.
Janice Hayden, assistant professor of the practice of geology, said it is important to get out and experience the nature we have. Hayden said we need to “preserve our resources” for the “enjoyment of the public.”
After July, Utah Tech will not require a lab credit for general education. Hayden said students will still have the opportunity to go to the national parks. The courses are one credit, and students get to explore the national parks.
Zion National Park
Price: $35 per car
Zion National Park is 51 minutes from Utah Tech and has multiple hikes ranging in a wide variety of difficulty levels. Zion National Park offers long hikes, taking you through waterfalls and displaying the land in Zion.
Some of the most popular hikes include Angels Landing and the Narrows.
Bryce Canyon National Park
Price: $35 per car
Bryce Canyon National Park is 2 hours and 26 minutes away from campus. This national park is famous for the number of hoodoos in the park. Some popular trails include the Fairy Loop trail and the Navajo Loop trail.
Glen Canyon National Park
Price: $30 per car
Glen Canyon National Park encompasses Lake Powell. The park is about three hours away depending on where you want to go. Take note the further you want to go to Lake Powell travel time can be seven hours. This National Park has beautiful red rocks and hikes for anyone.
Boating is a popular activity at Glen Canyon National Park, but it is important to take note of when you can dock a boat. With record low water levels in Lake Powell, some docks are not open at this time. You can still go boating but double-check what docks are open before you boat.
Capitol Reef National Park
Price: $20 per car
Capitol Reef National Park has 15 day hikes available. The park also has trails for serious backpackers and backcountry hikers.
Some popular routes in Capitol Reef National Park are in the Waterpocket District.
Travel time to Capitol Reef from the Utah Tech campus is four hours.
Arches National Park
Price: $30 per car
Arches National Park is the famous staple of Utah. It is five hours from campus.
One important thing to know is reservations are required starting April 1. Reservations can be made by going to recreation.gov.
With spring coming and summer approaching, planning trips to the national parks is a great way to learn about the area around Utah Tech.
