Goosenecks State Park, Utah
Markus enjoying the view of The Goosenecks at the Goosenecks State Park
To catch you up to this point in the series, we started in Vancouver and drove all the way down to California for the first stop. We then made a swing to Nevada and now we're in Page, Arizona, a few hours past The Grand Canyon. There's so much to do around Page and it served as a hub for us as we visited some of the surrounding areas. On one of these days, we were able to squeeze in two stops in Utah, the first of which we're sharing with you today: Goosenecks State Park.
About Goosenecks State Park
Type: State Park
Size: Small (the actual park and meander is large, but we're only allowed around the parking lot, which isn't very big.)
Traffic: Low
Route Type: Dirt Parking Lot & Car
Markus posing for a photo at the edge of The Goosenecks at Goosenecks State Park
Goosenecks State Park is home to The Goosenecks, a similar but arguably lesser known of another nearby incised meander - the Horseshoe Bend in Arizona. Where the Horseshoe Bend is known for its striking view and colours, The Goosenecks, as its name suggests, is known for the number of consecutive bends (or goosenecks).
The main area of Goosenecks State Park is a fairly limited. At the entrance of the park, you'll first come up to a toll booth. Once you're past the toll booth (there's a $5 day fee up to 8 people per car), you're at the edge where you can see The Goosenecks already. You can essentially park your car anywhere in the main area and walk up to the edge to see one of the most impressive views and meanders in the world.
The walls on the edge of The Goosenecks are steep and the layers are fascinating at Goosenecks State Park
While we were there, there weren't many other visitors. There were two other cars to be exact, so it was pretty quiet. We noticed there were a couple of RVs off in the distance, but we didn't make our way there. They have several campsites along the rim on a first come first serve basis where you're allowed to stay overnight. There are also washrooms in the area, which were actually pretty clean and well maintained all things considered.
Rock formations like this are extremely rare to see, so for that alone, it was worth the detour here even though we didn't stay that long. To be able to examine all the layers and the way the river carved through the rock is truly fascinating and we were glad we made the trip.
A panorama shot of The Goosenecks, but even this shot is missing some parts
They say that there are some things you can't truly capture on photo and you have to see in person. Although I'm intentionally misinterpreting the essence of that phrase, The Goosenecks is one of those things and I mean that in the physical sense. You need to be on the edge of the park to view the The Goosenecks and it has so many twist and turns that the length makes it so wide that it's physically difficult to capture the entire meander in one photo. We even tried to do a panoramic photo and even that didn't work because the meander turns a corner. The best way to capture the whole thing would probably be with a drone.
Although we weren't here for long (about half an half in total), it's worth making this trip if you're doing something that's nearby or on the way. A lot of the activities around driving distance of this area is going to take time, but The Goosenecks is a shorter one that you should squeeze into your day.
What we liked
This one's easy. The meanders here at The Goosenecks are fascinating and so unique to what we're familiar with coming from the Pacific Northwest.
The park was quiet and we liked that you can drive right up to the edge of the meander.
What we didn't like
Nothing
Our Recommendation for Reactive Dogs
Since there were only two other cars there (and none of them had dogs), Markus had no issues whatsoever. I don't know if it's always that quiet, but the area is so wide open that I don't see it being a problem.
My guess is that other dogs are likely going to be leashed up too, which I highly recommend doing if you're visiting this park with your dog. The edge of the park has a pretty steep drop off the edge down to the meander and we wouldn't want dogs to be off-leash no matter how well trained or even if they have a goat-like spryness about them.
Disclaimer
Markus is a reactive, but not aggressive dog. His instinct is to avoid other dogs and he may growl, bark or lunge if provoked, but will not attack. We normally do not have issues with leashed dogs when both sides are controlled, but we will be on guard when an oncoming dog is not leashed. There are varying levels to a dog’s reactivity and only you can decide if this park, trail or hotel is appropriate for your dog. Our visits generally will not include off-leash areas; most experiences shared on The Markus Project are within leashed or undefined areas.
Please remember that our past experience visiting a park, trail or hotel may not be the same as your experience at the same park, trail or hotel. We have no control of who visits the park and whether they adhere to park rules - like leashing their dogs on leash-required paths - or not. Please use your discretion with the information provided and with your personal knowledge of your dog’s reactivity when visiting these parks, trails or hotels.
