December 24 – December 27
Thoroughly exhausted after backpacking, we planned to get showers at the gas station north of Moab, but with it being Christmas Eve, it was already closed by the time we got there. Instead we had our first ever Love’s Truck Stop shower. It was not bad at all and I would totally do it again. The cashier could guess we were there for showers when we walked in and was super nice. After that we drove to the trailhead for Horseshoe Canyon, which is technically in the western section of the park, but it is separated from it. The surrounding land is BLM land so we could take advantage of free camping and also the vault toilet at the trailhead. We saw on iOverlander that people camp in the area, but no one was there on this Christmas Eve.
Another couple did arrive in the morning and dropped into the canyon right before us. It was a super cool hike with lots of Petroglyphs and a great Christmas.
We drove through the Goblin Valley area on our way towards our next stop, Capital Reef National Park.
We showed up at the Fruita campground well after dark to find it is not first come. They had Wi-Fi that was easy to get on and I was able to make reservations quickly though. The next day, after getting my normal sticker and stamp haul from the visitor center, I did the Navajo Knobs trail out and back. It was a 9+ mile day with 2k+ elevation. I ran the sections I could but it was still mostly a hike.
Hoping for a shower that night, we tried to go to the Otter Creek State Park, but the showers were closed for the season. Since we weren’t getting showers anyway, we opted for a free campsite managed by the BLM that was also right on the Otter Creek Reservoir which had clean vault toilets and no one else there. It was a super quiet and peaceful night. The next day we drove into Bryce Canyon National Park. The weather had been getting cooler and Bryce sits at around 8k feel in elevation. We got snow that day and it was quite magical, but it also made for some scary road situations.
The park does not salt their roads for environmental reasons. People were pulled over in the middle of the road scared to move, putting chains on their tires, etc. Revel Rose handled it all great, but I was still scared of other vehicles. We did the recommended Queens Garden Navajo Loop and it did not disappoint. Beautiful views and hoodoos.
Next we drove to Bryce Point and had to wait in a car line for like an hour to get a parking spot. We had planned to do the full drive south, but the roads were closed past Bryce Point.
Our next stop was Zion Canyon Hot Springs where we got the four hour pass for the 21+ pools. There was a bar in this section and just generally quieter and more chill. There were tubs inspired by different countries and the temperature and mineral content was set to what is naturally occurring is that country. There were also pools with real rock bottoms, various temperatures, and named after local features.
After soaking, snacking and sipping, we got showers and clean clothes. It was the cleanest I had felt on the entire trip. We took advantage of being close to amenities and got food across the street at River Rock Roasting Company. I was very happy with my veggie burger and some wine. We camped on BLM land in between there and Zion National Park. The road got a bit bumpy, but nothing Revel Rose couldn’t handle.
Looking back, this part of the trip feels defined by simple luxuries and quiet wins: a hot shower when we needed it most, a silent Christmas Eve under desert stars, fresh snow in Bryce, and the deep relief of warm water after cold miles. Not every plan worked out, and some roads were steeper and icier than expected, but Revel Rose carried us steadily forward. Somewhere between petroglyphs, hoodoos, and hot springs, the rhythm of the journey shifted from proving what we could do to appreciating exactly where we were. And for a few winter days in the desert, that was more than enough.