Ghost Calico Town
On Thursday, April 21, starting from Bakersfield on state freeway CA 58, we headed north on the interstate freeway I 15 through Las Vegas, Nevada, and through a small section of Arizona to Springdale, Utah; a total of 437 miles. My brother tells me that no-one in the whole of the USA would find the Mojave desert interesting but I did. The flat plains were dotted with Joshua trees and distant snow tipped mountains were sometimes broken by the circling of wind turbines. We visited the tourist attraction of Calico - this ghost town took us back to how life was in the late 1800s during a silver mining boom. Further down the I 15 the bright signs of Vegas beckoned and broke the stillness of the desert, however, we wanted to reach our ‘pot of gold’ - Zion N.P. by dusk. As our road cut through the mountains and the rock colours changed from greys and browns to the rustiest of reds characteristic of Zion, we knew we were close.
Map showing route from Bakersfield to Zion National Park
Passing through Las Vegas
We spent two nights at Zion Canyon Campground which was very well located near the National Park entrance and like Yosemite National Park we again had the convenience of visiting the town and the park by free shuttle bus.
Zion Canyon Campground
Heading towards Springdale, Utah