Panguitch is a small city with less than 1,800 people in southwestern Utah located near Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. Panguitch is a Paiute word meaning “big fish” because of the local trout. Our main reason for staying here was to see Bryce Canyon.
Panguitch, Utah
This is the first time we stayed here. It’s about a 30-minute drive to Bryce Canyon National Park. This time of the year all of the closer RV parks were closed for the season.
Henrie’s Hitch-N-Post RV Resort, Panguitch, Utah
They were undergoing a remodel, so they moved us into the new section. There were only about 4 other RVs here. Henrie’s had 50-amp electric, sewer, water and WIFI which at times was fast enough to stream. The sites were pull through, wide and quiet but there wasn’t much landscaping. A cold front came through. Our nighttime temperatures were in the 20s and daytime in the 30s. We had about an inch of snow that was mostly gone after half a day.
Cowboys Smokehouse Café, Panguitch
Cowboys restaurant is one of the best dinner options in Panquitch. We talked to the waitress, who is also a rancher who owns over 600 head of cattle. One of hers is what they were serving that night. Because we were in cattle country and the prices were amazing, we couldn’t resist ordering a couple of beef tenderloin fillets. We rarely eat red meat anymore, but couldn’t resist. They were perfectly cooked and delicious. Even their kids worked there, which is allowed in Utah at age 14. The parents thought it was a great idea because of the life lessons learned.
Flying Goat Cafe
We really enjoyed this little cafe. Good food and friendly staff and locals. I think we talked to everyone in the place. We enjoyed the halloween decorations. We had chicken salad sandwiches that were delicious.
Red Canyon, Utah
Located between Pangutich and Bryce Canyon is a beautiful canyon just to drive through with a couple of small tunnels with clearance for trucks and RVs. There are numerous hiking trails that in the winter, can be used for snowshoeing or cross country skiing.
Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
We’ve been to Bryce Canyon a number of times.
It’s wonderful to see it during the different seasons. Because of the winter storm and low visibility, we only had one day to visit it. We usually book a minimum of a few days at a location just for that reason.
The rim of Bryce is at about 8,000-9,000 feet elevation. It’s not really a canyon, more of an amphitheater. The geologic features, called hoodoos, are formed by frost weathering and erosion to form stunning red/white/orange sedimentary rock formations.
Cedar Breaks National Monument is a nearby similar amphitheater with hoodoos. There are elk, mule deer, pronghorn, black bears, badgers, porcupines and bobcats, but we didn’t see any during this visit.
