Since we don’t have family nearby, to get out of the city we typically spend Thanksgiving exploring via a road trip and 2025 was no exception.
After a chilly night above St. George without a fire and coming in at dark due to the early sunset, we headed out to our first stop: Cedar Breaks
The snow at Cedar Breaks was deep and made the cliffs even more gorgeous, though freezing wind made it a short trip to the viewpoint and back.
Next up was Bryce Canyon, which was significantly busier but luckily we managed to snag parking and take Lucy on one of the only spots she could hike along the rim. It was almost impossible to stop taking picture as every direction was incredibly majestic, especially with the snow outlining the jagged red, tan, and pink edges. Then, we hit up the end of the canyon drive before turning around and exiting. It’s definitely all views only on one side – a true canyon!
To finish off the packed day of National sites, we drove through Zion. As the park does not permit dogs, and can only be entered via shuttle, we simply enjoyed the Zion scenic drive along with probably hundreds of others. That said, it wasn’t too bad and the slow traffic lent plenty of time to take in what might be some of the most stunning views at any National park. Having been to Zion Canyon before it’s great too, but to be in a car and see this without “entry” is a treat. The pictures truly don’t do it justice.
The next day, we decided to check out a local state park: Snow Canyon. While the park was very cool, it was extremely crowded after our first early hike and $15 which is pretty steep for a State Park. Afterwards, we did a quick (free) hike and decided to head home all the way back to LA rather than spend all of the next day driving – but not before some of the BEST Hawaiian food we’ve ever had, St. George is definitely a gem for food!
Trip type: Car Camping
Distance: ~8 miles
Altitude Gain: ??
Length: 2 nights
11/27-11/29/25