Hole In The Rock and Bryce Canyon Adventure - History, Heat, and a Few Wrong Turns (The Fun Kind)

Some adventures are measured in miles. Others are measured by how much dust ends up in your rig, how many times you ask yourself, "How did anyone ever do this with wagons?", and whether your camp kitchen survives a surprise rainstorm.

Our Hole-in-the-Rock adventure checked every one of those boxes.

We loaded up our rigs, grabbed our favorite adventure buddy, Detour, pointed ourselves toward Escalante, Utah, and did exactly what No Compass Required does best... wandered.

Day One: Heat, Sandstone, and Mother Nature's Reminder

Our first day took us to Zebra Slot Canyon, Devil's Garden, and Batty Pass Cave, before finding the perfect place to make camp.

We'll be honest... Zebra Slot Canyon won.

Not because it wasn't beautiful. It absolutely was.

Because it was hotter than a hoochie coochie.

Beckie and I officially waved the white flag before making it all the way through. Sometimes the smartest adventure decision is knowing when your body says, "Maybe not today." The canyon will still be there another day.

Devil's Garden looked like nature decided to start sculpting rocks and then got distracted halfway through. Every direction revealed another incredible formation that made us stop and stare.

Batty Pass Cave ended up stealing the show. Pictures simply don't do it justice.

After exploring, we found a great campsite, settled in, and thought we had everything figured out.

Then Mother Nature laughed.

A rainstorm rolled in just in time for dinner. Forget dancing in the rain... we were cooking in the rain. Somehow everything tastes better when you're trying to keep your stove dry.

Earlier that afternoon, a nearby wash had been completely dry.

After the storm?

It was flowing like a little river.

It's one of those moments that reminds you who's really in charge out here.

Spoiler alert: It isn't us.

Day Two: Following the Pioneers

The next morning we headed farther down the legendary Hole-in-the-Rock Trail.

Our first stop was the trail's namesake.

Standing at Hole-in-the-Rock is hard to describe until you see it yourself. Between 1879 and 1880, Mormon pioneers spent months blasting, chiseling, and widening a narrow crack in the sandstone so they could lower 83 wagons and nearly 1,000 head of livestock down cliffs toward the Colorado River.

Today, that river rests beneath the waters of Lake Powell.

Standing there in 2026, it's almost impossible to imagine what they accomplished.

One member of our group made the hike all the way down to Lake Powell. His official review? "It was hard." We'll take his word for it.

Next came Sunrise Arch......sort of.

It was blazing hot, so we embraced one of our favorite travel philosophies: work smarter, not harder. We stopped along the road, zoomed in with the camera, admired the view, and called it a successful sightseeing stop. No regrets.

The day also included a stop at the memorial honoring the 13 Scouts and adult leaders who tragically lost their lives in a vehicle accident on June 10, 1963, near Carcass Wash. It serves as a sobering reminder that these beautiful landscapes deserve both our admiration and our respect.

Our final stop was Dance Hall Rock.

Back in the pioneer days, this massive sandstone dome served as a gathering place where travelers held dances and social events during the long journey.

Hopefully whoever planned dances here understood the concept of seasons. Standing on that rock in the summer heat, we can confidently report that nobody was breaking into a square dance.

Day Three: Bryce Canyon Was Calling

Eventually every camping trip reaches the part nobody likes. Packing up.

We left our trail campsite, moved over to Bryce Canyon Pines RV Park, got everything set up, and then headed into Bryce Canyon National Park. The others in our group had never visited Bryce before. There was absolutely no way we were this close without making that happen.

Beckie and I hiked the Bristlecone Trail while the guys tackled the much more ambitious Navajo Loop Trail. They were rock stars. We happily admire their pictures while keeping our knees functional.

While they were hiking, Beckie and I did what any reasonable people would do. We went shopping.

Detour, on the other hand, chose adventure over shopping and tagged along with the guys on the Navajo Loop Trail. Apparently he figured if you're going to be a Bigfoot, you might as well earn the reputation.

When everyone met back up, Detour wasn't alone anymore. He had made two brand-new Bigfoot friends. Meet Dead End and Reroute. They're already wandering off somewhere, so keep an eye out for all three of them in our future photos and videos.

Why We Keep Coming Back

This trip had everything we love about exploring.

History that makes you stop and appreciate the people who came before us.

Landscapes that don't even look real.

Unexpected weather.

Great friends.

Campfires.

Plenty of laughs.

And just enough challenge to remind us that adventures are supposed to stretch us a little.

Every trail has a story.

Sometimes it's written in sandstone.

Sometimes it's written in muddy boots.

Sometimes it's written by three wandering Bigfoots.

Now it's time to rest up... because No Compass Required is always looking for the next trail to wander down.

Our next adventure is taking us to Yellowstone National Park, and trust us, you won't want to miss it.

Be sure to follow along on Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, and if you've been enjoying our adventures, share No Compass Required with your friends and family. Every follow, comment, and share helps us keep exploring and bringing these incredible places to all of you.

We'll see you on the next trail.