The bright blue sky and deep reds and oranges of this park were so inspiring to the National Geographic Society that they petitioned Kodak Film Corp to name this Utah park after the popular Kodachrome film of the time.
Kodachrome Basin State Park is a small park located just past Bryce Canyon National Park, so it shares a lot of the iconic features of the more popular national park. It doesn’t have quite as many of the famous hoodoos of Bryce Canyon, but it does have nearly 70 rock spires to its name.
I found this park to be much smaller and subsequently less busy than the nearby national park. This does make camping difficult as the camping sites are first come first serve- we ended up in their overflow camping area which was much less developed than the paved campsites more central to the park but still comfortable. We did have some issues with the so-named potable water- it had quite a bit of debris in it!
Due to the size of this park, there are only five hiking trails within the park boundaries. Unfortunately, due to the extreme heat, I was only able to hike so many- there’s not a lot of shade in this park so make sure to hydrate and sunscreen appropriately!
The Nature Trail is a good start to the park. At only a half mile round trip on a flat path, it displays and explains many key features of the park. Great for families with younger kids or for those who are looking for a low-effort introduction to the area. I also enjoyed Angel’s Palace Trail, which was a loop that overlooks much of Kodachrome Basin and its surroundings. There is absolutely no shade on this trail, so I found myself really struggling before long. It’s definitely a good idea to get started on these hikes bright and early before the heat of the day really makes itself known.
There was a horseback trail riding option available on the park for those interested parties (including myself!). Unfortunately, our scheduling didn’t work out and I wasn’t able to make it on a ride, but it did look like a great experience. I’ll get ‘em next time!
Overall I liked the park, but with the limited number of hikes and the overwhelming heat- even in May- I think it’s a good idea to plan to spend only one day in the area.
I almost went here last November and after seeing your photos, I’m a little bummed that we ran out of time and couldn’t squeeze it in. It looks like a pretty place to spend a day exploring.
I enjoyed it, but was glad to have only the one scheduled day there- I couldn’t handle the sun with no shade!
Beautiful area.
So many lovely parks!