Belly of the Dragon

Isn't the name of this hike enough to pique your interest? All the credit for this gem of a hike goes to my friend Roni who, upon hearing we were heading to Zion National Park over spring break, suggested we tack on this small hike as well. It's just outside Kanab, UT, a quick 14 mile drive away from the East Entrance to Zion.

We still have a 2-year-old in tow, so short and interesting hikes are our go-tos (no Angel's Landing for us this year). Belly of the Dragon fits the bill perfectly; it's a brief hike through a man-made tunnel under highway 89 for water drainage. People grumble online about the "man-made" aspect, and yes, it would be rad if it was an actual lava tube or whatever would create this curious cave naturally. Still, our three boys enjoyed the fascinating scramble through the waving rocks (and so did I).

Happily for us, Google maps did a great job navigating to the dirt access road off the highway and  parking area near the entrance. There is a bit of a ledge to lower yourself (or your kids) down to reach the cave entrance. 

But the ledge is the hardest part, and now you're free to enter the dragon! The cave is short enough that we could see the light at the far end, but we ended up using our phones' flashlights for some extra visibility (and got comments from all our fellow hikers about how great our kids' light-up shoes were in the cavern).

Made it to the other side! Short and sweet. We didn't keep hiking past the cave, though supposedly it goes on for a few miles.

I thought it was well worth the stop on our way to Zion, a perfect little hike with the kids.

Hiking the Small Stuff: Bridal Veil Falls

Summer is officially winding down, and school is just two weeks away! Panicking that we haven't completed my list of "Small Hikes," I needed my husband's reminder that we can still go hiking in the fall. The weather will get better and better, and weekends are still a thing. So, you need not worry if you haven't hit up Bridal Veil Falls yet.

So, does Bridal Veil Falls count as a hike? I submit that this is a nice, small hike of sorts for little ones, albeit a wet one. It's located in Provo Canyon, and following the signs, I turned onto a small access road. The falls are a little ways down the road, and even when we seemed to be there, it was unclear where to park to get to the falls the fastest. We opted by a bridge; you've got to cross the Provo River, after all.

Once on the other side, you're on a paved path and need to watch out for bicycles and skateboards. However, just under the falls is a designated "walking zone" to keep you and the littles from getting run over. 

A short ways down the path and voila! You're at the base of the magnificent falls. We were there on a Monday afternoon in July, and it was crowded enough to require some effort to maintain social distancing.

We did not bring our water shoes, foolishly, but that didn't stop us from stepping down into the water and climbing a ways up the rocky falls.

Or, if climbing sounds too intimidating, there's a shallow pool of sorts at the base where kids splashed and played. Again, I envied the parents with the foresight to dress their kids in swimsuits and water shoes!

Meeting up with cousins for this escapade, we had kids ranging from one to ten-years-old, and all seemed to enjoy the experience. My young boys both needed ample help from able-bodied grownups (ones not carrying the baby, usually) to climb on the slick, wet rocks. Still, there aren't many child-friendly hikes in this canyon, so it was great to have an excursion they could enjoy even if they needed a strong arm to hold onto. Even with sloshing shoes, it was a success.

Hiking the Small Stuff: Mill B South Trail

For those just catching up, this summer is The Summer of Small Hikes for this little family. After all, I'd love some memories that are not strictly associated with Covid-19, right? So, our previous two hikes, Lisa Falls Trail and Temple Quarry Trail clocked in at a mere 0.3 miles. Today, today, we were going to take on Mill B South trail, and it's whomping 0.5 mile to the waterfall! Bum-bum-BUUUUUUM!

As noted before, my kids are young, and I have a baby either strapped to my front and wiggling like mad in my Ergo carrier (which I love) or strapped to my back in a thrift store pack (which I hate.) Thus, we're looking for very doable hikes that will leave our family of five with happiness, joy, and a sense of wonder at the beautiful nature in the Salt Lake Area. This means short, easy hikes.

So, Mill B South trail, up Big Cottonwood Canyon, seemed to fit the bill: a paved, shady trail that ends in a waterfall? We were in. So in.

The parking lot is small, but we followed the lead of others and found parking on the shoulder along the road. Back at the lot, we found a nice, broad, paved trail flanked by trees. This "Mill B South Trail" is, apparently, the start of a longer "Lake Blanche" trail.

Despite its stroller-friendly nature, I again had Gummy Bear on my back, which, in the end, was fortuitous. Though the trail is short and paved, the boys found it a wee bit steep and claimed they were tired. Still, we made it to the waterfall without too much trouble (or grumbling).

After throwing some rocks in the water, the boys magically regained their energy and wanted to head up the rocky trail towards Lake Blanche. My hunch was right; they prefer clambering over rocks to walking on pavement. However, we weren't sure how far to go with the little ones; they obviously wouldn't make it all the way to the lake. However, there's a bridge a ways up that made a nice turnaround point, complete with a bench for sitting and snacking.

Overall, it was a lovely hike with lovely views, lovely trees, and lovely flowers.

 

Hiking the Small Stuff: Temple Quarry Trail

Well, folks, we not only survived but thrived on our Lisa Falls Hike, and less than a week later, we were at it again! We again took to Little Cottonwood Canyon near Sandy, Utah, to try our next baby-preschooler-six-year-old-friendly hike: Temple Quarry Loop. It has its own dedicated lot, but we missed the turn and parked at one nearby, figuring we'd just walk over. It's nice to know there's nearby parking if the lot is full; however, that's a busy road to cross with kids, so dad brought the car down to us after the hike was over. Lesson learned.

Here's the deets: Temple Quarry is a paved loop only 0.3 miles long. The elevation gain is 19 feet, so this is a mellow, peaceful circle. Did I mention it is paved? Yes, this appears to be a stroller-friendly hike!

Stroller-friendly, that is, if you stay on the path. The concrete loop is interspersed with signs and placards that give the history (and insanity?) of quarrying and dragging giant blocks of granite for the Salt Lake City Temple to the valley using wooden carts and oxen. However, there are also dirt trails off the main trail that lead to the nearby river, and our boys loved scampering up and down those to the water's edge. Again, they love water. Throwing rocks in the water will amuse for a very long time...

The vistas and wildflowers were beautiful in late May.

The hike was yet another win, and we plan to go back, maybe with grandma and grandpa. We suspect they'll enjoy the history and beautiful views (and their knees will hopefully like the even, paved trail.)

Hiking with (Very Small) Kids: Lisa Falls Trail

Covid-19 is clogging up our national parks with stir-crazy, outdoors enthusiasts, but that’s not a problem when you live 20 minutes from the mountains. No, the greatest challenge to hiking in the mountains with children is… the children.  I find that people use the term “family-friendly” loosely on hiking websites and apps; perhaps their families consists of robust, fit teenagers. Mine has a baby, a preschooler, and a six-year-old along with my husband and myself, and though I want to instill in them a sense of wonder for nature and a sense of reward for accomplishing hard things, most hikes are too difficult for our set. Well do I remember the many hikes of my childhood, and I hated them all. They were simply too arduous for a kid.

So, are there excursions in the Salt Lake area we can realistically do with my short-legged companions and a baby strapped to my back? The answer appears to be yes, and this is our summer to discover them.

Our first hiking attempt? Lisa Falls Trails. Here are the deets: it’s a 0.3 mile out and back hike with 121 feet of elevation gain. It’s located in Little Cottonwood Canyon, and Google Maps did a pretty good job telling us when to pull over and park. There’s no dedicated, paved lot, perse, but there was plenty of gravely parking off the road. We were initially unsure where to find the trail head, but we followed more knowledgeable hikers to the correct spot.

Water is, apparently, a great incentive for my children, and luckily there are many hikes in the Salt Lake area that culminate in a waterfall. This one is a rocky climb which, come to find out, is exactly what my boys enjoy. Scrambling over rocks is much more enjoyable for them than walking on pavement. We appreciated the late morning shade that lasted up until the falls themselves. Our attempt was in late May, and though the trail itself didn’t seem overcrowded, there were groups of people gathered at the top. Social distancing was more difficult at the actual falls. Thus we didn't stay too long; a few quick pics, and we were back in the trees, enjoying the scramble back down.

Kids are parents alike found this a short and sweet winner.