Kelsea Callister 9/21/22 Kelsea Callister 9/21/22

COMPLETE ADVENTURE PHOTOGRAPHER + VIDEOGRAPHER GEAR LIST

Adventure Photographer and Videographer complete gear list.

Hi friends! I’ve finally made a complete list of all my gear! It’s taken me years to figure out what works best and what gear I really love using, so instead of you having to figure it all out by yourself you can look at my gear and decide what works for you! I have everything from all my photo and video gear, 35mm film gear, accessories, shoes, and other cool gear you can use for adventurous photo and video!

My gear is listed on Kit.co so check out this link to see everything!

CLICK HERE TO SEE MY GEAR LIST

Kelsea Callister 12/10/21 Kelsea Callister 12/10/21

Eloping with Family

Most of the couples I photograph ask me, can our family come? Can we have friends there? I totally see where they’re coming from! My family means everything to me and there’s no way I could have eloped without them. If you are really close with your family and friends and want to have them at your elopement, not only is it possible to bring them but it’s actually a ton of fun! Imagine having your family experience a beautiful national park wedding and super fun day with you! It will bring you all closer together and you’ll be able to share those memories forever. I’d say about half the couples I photograph bring family so it’s a common thing and something that more and more people are doing!

How can we elope but still have our family involved?

“We still want to go on an adventure with just us two to soak it all in.”

The best thing about all this is you can have both! You can do a beautiful sunrise hike with a breakfast picnic overlooking Zion all by yourself, say private vows together, and enjoy intimate moments together with your partner before meet up with everyone else. Then you could eat at an amazing Mexican restaurant with your family at the entrance of Zion, and then say your vows on top of a desert cliff with your family right there to tearfully congratulate you. You really can combine a private elopement and a wedding with your loved ones in the same day!

“My grandparents are coming and they need somewhere easily accessible, is that possible?”

Yes! There are beautiful places right off the side of paved roads that are easy for elderly and children to access. I have a whole list of spots that are perfect for families. Your whole family doesn’t have to hike up a mountain (unless they want to!) so we can cater your ceremony to include everyone who is there.

“Can we take family photos together in Zion so my parents can hang it in their house?”

Absolutely!! Family photos are encouraged and I get them at every elopement so you can have incredible scenery in your photos! And it’s a bonus because you don’t have to pay a photographer in your hometown to do it that year! Win win!

“Can we do fun activities together as a family/friends?”

Oh yeah! I was the manager of an offroad rental shop here by Zion for a while, and we did group offroading tours with families and they were a ton of fun! You can offroad on sand dunes, go horseback riding, cliff jumping, boating, go sandboarding/sledding on sand dunes (little kids love this!) and do tons of other fun activities! And this is just the Zion area, you could go white water rafting in Moab, or go skiing down a glacier in the Colorado mountains… there’s so many fun things you can do!

“I’m so glad we had our family and friends experience this day with us!”

A couple I planned an elopement for was able to share those amazing moments with her dad a few months before he died. She’s since posted those photos of her elopement day and tearfully remembered the joy she shared with her dad that day. Those moments are priceless and more valuable than you might realize. Every couple who has brought their family and friends have had a really fun time and have been glad they did it. If you’re close with your loved ones bring them along for your elopement!

Kelsea Callister 12/8/21 Kelsea Callister 12/8/21

Desert Elopement / Wedding Tips (from a local)

Are you thinking of eloping in or having your wedding in the desert? The desert is my favorite place in the world and you will love having your wedding in some of the most unique landscapes in the world. I’m mainly talking about Utah, (where I live) Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and some of California. Here are some tips from somewhere who’s lived in the desert for almost a decade!

SUNSET’S ARE BETTER THAN SUNRISES

I don’t know what it is about the desert, but the sunsets almost always outdo the sunrises. The sunsets are pink, purple, and make the whole landscape turn red and then dark purple at dusk. The colors are unmatched! The sunrises are definitely really pretty but I always choose sunset over sunrise if I can because of the unique red colors that pop at that time of the day! The red rocks are the prettiest near dusk.

HARSH LIGHT IS ACTUALLY YOUR FRIEND

In most places harsh light is frowned upon for pictures, because it’s a little harder to work with, but lemme tell ya, the harsh midday desert light looks so dang good!! It gives your photos a cool western vibe with and makes the desert mountains pop. It also showcases the warmth of the desert and it’s unique features such as arches. Taking your photos in the middle of the day is a great idea as long as you have a photographer that knows how to work with the harsh lighting.

AVOID THE SUMMER

Unless you’re totally fine with 105 degree weather and lots of sweat just avoid the summers honestly. You have to wake up super early and only do your ceremony and other activities in the morning or right before the sun sets in order to not possibly get heat exhaustion. It can get up to 117 degrees here in Southern Utah, and at that point you can’t even be outside anymore. The only outdoor activities during that time of the year is water activities so unless you want to do that I would just avoid this season entirely.

FALL IS THE BEST SEASON BY FAR

The fall in the desert is unmatched!! It’s 75 degrees all day, super pleasant weather, you can do anything you want, it’s less crowded, and the trees in Zion National Park and Utah turned to fall colors and you can get red rock and fall trees in the same photos!! You don’t have to wake up as early for sunrise or stay out as late. Literally it’s the perfect season and it’s by far my busiest season.

VISIT MULTIPLE LOCATIONS

The desert has some of the most unique landscapes anywhere in the world, make sure you take time on your elopement day to visit lots of different spots to see all it has to offer! You can see giant desert cliff faces, go on tall mesa overlooks, visit big rivers, see saguaros, visit Joshua trees, visit arches and hoodoos, and in some desert spots you can even visit pine trees and quiet desert forest spots. Make sure you or your photographer knows lots of cool locations around you so you can get a variety of photos! Click here to see how to find cool remote spots for your elopement.

TAKE PHOTOS DURING BLUE HOUR + STAR PHOTOS

Photos during blue hour (the time after the sun goes down when the whole sky is dark blue and purple) with the desert features are some of my favorite pictures ever! Dark purple skies with saguaros in the background make for some magical scenery you won’t get anywhere else.

Also the desert skies are usually clear so taking photos with the stars is always recommended! They are the coolest photos that not a lot of people have so if you’re interested in it make sure your photographer knows how!

These are some of my top tips! You’ll love your desert elopement and if you have any questions feel free to contact me!

Kelsea Callister 12/8/21 Kelsea Callister 12/8/21

How to Find Private Spots for your Elopement (Avoid tourists!)

A big question I get a lot is, “How can we find a private spot for our elopement?” After all, it’s not ideal to say your vows and share emotional moments together with a bunch of people talking around you, babies crying, other people trying to take pictures of the landscape and watching you. Most people elope in or near national parks and they can get quite crowded, but after photographing lots of elopements I’ve gotten quite good at finding sweet spots that are completely tourist free wherever I go! So here are my top tips for finding a private, remote, but still beautiful spot for your elopement or small wedding!

WEEKDAYS WEEKDAYS WEEKDAYS

I can’t stress this enough, eloping on weekdays is by far the best time to plan it. Everyone goes hiking and camping on the weekends, and the wilderness is just more crowded than usual. If you elope in a national park on a weekend you’re going to be waiting in traffic, have long wait times at restaurants, and you might not be able to do all the things you want because of the delays. I encourage all the elopements that I help plan and photograph to do it between Monday-Thursday, and those days are usually super chill with no wait times and lots more privacy. I’ve even had popular spots at Zion be almost empty at sunrise on a Tuesday morning, but if we were to do that same sunrise hike on a Saturday it would be packed. Adventure elopements and weddings are 100% better on weekdays and I would try everything you can to plan it around then!

TIME OF DAY

The time of day is super important too. I know it’s sometimes inconvenient to wake up early for sunrise but it just gets more crowded as the day goes on. If you want as much privacy as possible for your vows than sunrise is the way to go. Most of the time we do the ceremony first thing and then we can still get beautiful sunset photos later without the concern of it being awkward during your ceremony. Plus the sunrise is peaceful and super pretty so I recommend it anyway! Generally national parks are pretty crowded at sunset so that’s probably the worst time to go as far as privacy is concerned. Between 10am-5pm are pretty crowded since that’s when most people do their day hikes so before 10am is my recommendation for avoiding crowds.

THE TIME OF YEAR

So this greatly depends on the national park or area you’re interested at eloping in. I am local to Zion National Park and since it’s one of the most popular national parks it’s pretty crowded year round, but it’s much less crowded between December-February. The summer is overwhelmingly crowded and there’s just so much traffic you might end up waiting hours if you go during peak times like the weekend. Eloping in the winter in the desert is the best time to avoid tourists, and the late spring/summer is the worst time. If you’re planning an elopement in a place like Colorado or Montana though, eloping in the winter is just going to be too cold (unless you want a snow elopement) so you’ll have to elope during the peak times of the year which means you’ll have to follow my next few tips in order to ensure you don’t run into too many tourists! Most places are the busiest in the summer so planning a winter or late fall elopement is better for privacy (you might run into weather issues though depending on the place, the desert is pretty mild in the winter so Utah and Arizona are great winter elopement locations.)

HOW TO FIND SICK REMOTE SPOTS

Ok, so now that we’ve gotten the logistical tips out of the way, let’s talk about how to actually find these amazing remote spots on your own.

Google maps and Google earth are your biggest friend!!

So I have an Oculus VR headseat, and it has a feature where you can explore Google Earth, you can even go down dirt roads and explore lots of places that would take a lot of time to drive or hike to! I’ll sit in my living room and scout locations just for fun! It’s pretty cool, but obviously I’m assuming most of you don’t have a VR! No worries, Google earth is easily accessible on your computer and you can explore so much on there. Here’s the process of how I do it:

Let’s say you want to elope at Arches National Park in Moab, but you want to find some really cool spots that are a little out of the way. Obviously inside the national park is going to be crowded at most the main spots, so you’d want to find something that’s still by the park but not an actual part of it. (Unless you’re in a HUGE national park like Canyonlands or Yellowstone, they’re so big that you can find private spots in the park itself easily) I do this with almost every elopement that I shoot because you can always go back and take pictures in the national park after your ceremony.

I found this beautiful canyon right across from Arches NP that’s easy to get to and has lots of beautiful desert walls around it by following these tips!

This next part depends on the type of vehicle you have. I generally recommend renting a 4 wheel drive vehicle with some clearance so that way you can go wherever you want, but if you only have a car and nothing that can go on dirt roads, then skip to the next part.

So assuming you have a 4x4, or even a two wheel drive as long as it has clearance, my next step is finding dirt roads on public land (I’ll talk more about that in a second) and following them to see where they go. There’s a few crucial tips with this!

1. Make sure it’s not gated!! Zoom in really close on the map and make sure it’s not blocked off.

2. If it has street view on Google Earth, then that’s ideal because you can see exactly what it looks like!

3. If not, then look around the road from the satellite view for certain distinct features. I always look for mountains and other landmarks that would make for a pretty background. You can check an elevation map as well to see how many hills or mountains there really are. I don’t like shooting in super flat areas so if it looks flat without any cool landmarks I don’t consider it.

4. The wider the dirt road and more visible it is, generally it will be in better condition. There are some super wide and nicely taken care of dirt roads that even cars could drive on, and you’ll notice them on the map because they will be the widest dirt roads on the map. They’re also usually not very curvy roads.

5. The narrower and more curvy the road it, the harder it’s going to be to drive on usually. If it’s harder to see from satellite view then it’s going to be a more technical road. If you enjoy offroading then it’s not a big problem, but if you want a road that’s easier then keep this in mind.

6. Find a few dirt roads that look promising and put a pin on them.

7. Research that general area on google (if it has a name) and see what other people have to say about that area!

8. If all still looks promising then the last step is to just scout it out the day or two before! This is so you can know if the spot is right for you and so you can see the condition of the road.

*IMPORTANT NOTE* Make sure you send someone the exact location of where you’re going and when you expect to be back for safety reasons.

I’ve found some of the most incredible cliff overlooks, amazing canyons, and crazy unique scenery that no one else will have in their pictures from following this method. The couples I help always have private ceremonies in the coolest freakin spots!! Then usually we’ll go take pictures in the actual national park later. I highly recommend finding your own spots this way.

RESEARCH

I also do a lot of research before I visit an area! Googling, “remote spots in arches national park” and stuff like that is super helpful because then you don’t have to do it all by yourself! There are lots of offroading blogs (especially for Utah) that can show you maps of cool spots that people typically offroad to.

IF YOU DON’T HAVE AN OFFROADING VEHICLE

If you only have a car and don’t want to take it down a dirt road, then the next step here is that you’re probably going to have to hike a little ways to get a good spot or drive a little farther out of the area. For example, about an hour away from Zion there’s this beautiful paved scenic byway road that goes through a patch of Joshua trees and beautiful desert mountains. You could park right off to the side of the road and say your vows anywhere around there. So trying to find paved roads that are really far away or go through remote areas is another thing I do when I know the couple has family with cars or don’t want to go down dirt roads. Look for scenic byways specifically, you could try googling, “scenic drives by moab” or something like that. There might still be some people but it’ll be way less crowded.

Honestly, if you hike any trail that requires people to hike more than 3 miles you’ll probably get some of that to yourself, unless it’s a super popular hike like Angel’s Landing in Zion (that hike is crowded no matter what). I typically don’t do longer hikes as much for elopements because people don’t want to get sweaty and tired right before their pictures, but if you’re into that I think it’s an awesome idea!! Hiking in your wedding dress makes for some of the coolest pictures!

PUBLIC LAND

Make sure the area you choose to elope at is on public land, in order to do that I use an app called FreeRoam that shows which land is private and which land is public. Also make sure you look at the permitting rules for the area which are usually easy to find on the national parks website.

HAVE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER DO THIS ALL FOR YOU

If this all seems overwhelming to you, no worries! I offer full planning and scouting services for my wedding/elopement photography packages and and a lot of other photographers offer that too. I know so many remote spots around Zion it’s crazy, just because I’ve lived here for almost a decade and go offroading all the time, but I’m also very good at finding these cool spots anywhere I go so I’ll usually get there a day or two before and do a bunch of in person scouting! And before that I’ll be sitting on the VR in my living room to make sure I find the best places! If you’re interested in having this process done for you contact me here! Even if you don’t book me as your photographer I’m still willing to help you out if it’s around the areas I already know! (Which is a lot of the western states)

One last thing to note, a lot of eastern and midwest states don’t have a lot of public land so this process is more geared towards the western states, but it’s still possible in other parts of the country!

Kelsea Callister 8/27/21 Kelsea Callister 8/27/21

JAM PACKED ZION ELOPEMENT & WEDDING GUIDE FROM A LOCAL!

The ultimate location guide, how to avoid crowds, what the weather is like at different times in the year, the best restaurants, hotels and airbnb’s, and fun activities to do the day after or before your elopement!

If you’re even thinking about having a Zion elopement or intimate wedding, I’m here to tell you in the first sentence of the guide to just do it! Zion is one of the most majestic, unique, and mystical national parks in the world and there’s nothing like it anywhere else. Eloping in Zion is a once in a lifetime experience and every person I’ve worked with that’s chosen this route has been so happy they did.

I’m a Zion local and have been for almost a decade, the desert is my home and Zion is my backyard! I absolutely love it here and have no plans of moving. Before I even thought about getting into adventure photography I already knew this place like the back of my hand. Some of my greatest joys in my life are offroading, exploring, hiking, camping, and getting to know this area. I own a 4runner, I’m offroading all the chances I can get, and I can confidently say that I have lots and lots of knowledge about the area that has taken years to acquire, which is why I finally decided to create a comprehensive Zion elopement guide!

In this guide I’ll talk about SO many locations, close and far, remote and popular, cliff overlooks, crazy offroads, the best camping spots, river spots, lake spots, cliff jumping spots, easy to get to spots, and extremely remote spots that no one knows about! It’s packed with information!! I’ll also talk about how to avoid crowds, what the weather is like at different times in the year, the best restaurants, hotels and airbnb’s, and fun activities to do the day after or before your elopement! When I say this is the guide of literally everything you need to know about a Zion elopement I mean it!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1 - LOCATIONS AND MORE LOCATIONS

1.1 - Popular Locations in Zion

1.2 - Lesser known but easy to get to locations in and around Zion

1.3 - Easy to get to spots around St. George (About an hour away from Zion National Park)

1.4 - Easy to get to spots in Southern Utah/Nearby Nevada and Arizona

1.5 - Remote locations around Zion - Intermediate skill level of hiking and offroading

1.6 - Extremely remote and hard to get to locations around Zion - 4x4 and high clearance required, advanced offroading knowledge recommended, strenuous hiking

SECTION 2 - BEST PLACES TO STAY

2.1 - Lodging very close to Zion

2.2 - Lodging in St. George

2.3 - Coolest Airbnb’s ever

2.4 - Best Campgrounds

SECTION 3 - WEATHER IN SOUTHERN UTAH

3.1 - Summer

3.2 - Fall

3.3 - Winter

3.4 - Spring

SECTION 4 - FUN ACTIVITIES TO DO (40 IDEAS)

SECTION 5 - BEST RESTAURANTS

5.1 - My personal favorites

5.2 - Other great recommendations

SECTION 1 - LOCATIONS AND MORE LOCATIONS

This part of the guide is probably the most important! There are so many places to choose from in and around Zion that it’s a little overwhelming sometimes! I want to help you out by cutting a lot of the research out for ya and having it all right here! We’ll start with the popular spots! All the images are mine unless specified! I’ve used a lot of other images because to be honest I don’t take my super expensive camera everywhere so I don’t have amazing photos in each and every spot!

SECTION 1.1 - POPULAR LOCATIONS IN ZION

These locations are popular for a couple reasons, mainly because they are easy to access and really really beautiful! If you’re bringing guests and have children, older parents, or just don’t want to have a lot of hassle on your wedding day then these are great spots to choose! (If you have a lot of guests or are setting up chairs or an arch, you will have to use the spots that Zion has designated for weddings, these spots are only good if you have very few people and aren’t bringing any props). They are VERY crowded especially at sunset and on the weekends so picking these spots means you sacrifice privacy, which is totally fine if you don’t care so much about that.

Zion Canyon Overlook

- One of the most beautiful cliff overlooks in the park

- 1.0 mile out and back (very easy)

- Go at sunrise if you want more privacy

- Sunset is STUNNING up there

- Multiple photo spots

Pa’rus Trail

- Beautiful trail on the valley floor near the entrance, is right by the Virgin River and has a few bridges that are really cool!

- 3.4 miles out and back (there are good spots literally right off the trail anywhere you park so it’s totally possible to not even hike at all)

- VERY CROWDED

- Multiple photo spots along the trail

Temple of Sinawava

- Massive rock amphitheater near the popular Riverside Trail

- 1.0 mile trail for the Riverside Walk (Not far from the Narrows)

- Pretty crowded

- You can get a permit to have a big wedding at this location

Zion Lodge Lawn

- Beautiful lawn outside the only lodge in the Zion National Park fee area

- Easy shuttle ride and it’s right by the parking lot

- Can be crowded depending on time of day and season

- You can get a permit to have a big wedding at this location

South Amphitheater

- Desert amphitheater right by the Pa’rus Trail

- Park right by the south campgrounds and it’s an easy walk

- The amphitheater itself usually isn’t crowded

- You can take photos on the popular and beautiful Pa’rus trail

- You can get a permit to have a big wedding at this location

SECTION 1.2 - LESSER KNOWN BUT EASY TO GET TO LOCATIONS IN AND AROUND ZION

Photo by Madi Rogers Photography - madirogers.com (Madi did my wedding photos so this is me!)

Kolob Terrace Road

- One of the most beautiful roads to ever exist

- Multiple trails and easy to get to spots right after the side of the road, perfect for pictures

- Technically part of Zion NP but there are almost no tourists

- If you go all the way up Kolob Terrace Road, you will hit mountain lakes and pine trees

- Never crowded

- Some of the best views of the north side of Zion are just right off the Kolob Terrace road

Emerald Pools

- 1.2-mile round-trip loop to the Lower Pool

- 2-mile round-trip visit to the Middle and Lower Pools

- 2.5-mile round-trip hike to all three pools

- Stunning waterfalls and desert pools

- In the winter the big waterfall at the 3rd pool freezes and it’s the most incredible thing to see!

- Sometimes crowded sometimes not

- Pretty easy hike all the way around

Grafton Ghost Town

- If you want super cool old western shots, this is the place to go

- The Virgin River is close by, there are lots of pretty trees and towering red rock around the old town

- Usually only see a couple people here

- Lots of buildings to choose from and there are some firepits out there too!

- You have to go down a dirt road but it’s very mild, any car could make it (in good weather)

- Drive right up to it

- Around 30 minutes away from Zion NP

Coral Pink Sand Dunes

- MILES AND MILES of very fine sand dunes

- You can rent sandboards and sleds and go down the dunes

- Surrounded by red rock and cool trees

- It’s a state park so you can drive right up to the dunes, but you’ll have to pay a fee to get in

- You’ll have to walk out a bit to get to the big dunes, it’s a bit strenuous

- About 40 minutes away from Zion NP

SECTION 1.3 - EASY TO GET TO SPOTS AROUND ST GEORGE (ABOUT AN HOUR AWAY FROM ZION NATIONAL PARK)

Snow Canyon State Park

- Very Zion-esque, lots of cool red and white rock, and towering rock cliffs

- You’ll have to pay a fee to get into the state park

- Mini sand dunes and lava tube caves make this place super unique

- SO MANY picture spots, any direction you take a picture it’s beautiful

- A large variety of hikes for all levels

- VERY CROWDED at sunset unless you hike out farther

Sand Hollow State Park

- Very similar to Lake Powell, absolutely stunning red rock with really blue water

- Beaches as good as the ocean! Very fine sand!

- MILES of sand dunes

- Known nation-wide for it’s incredible ATVing trails

- Lots of razor and jetski rental shops around

- VERY CROWDED on the weekends

Fire Lake Reservoir

- One of the most underrated spots in the whole area

- My all time FAVORITE red mountains in the whole world are around this lake

- Cute picnic tables and grass spots make this place perfect for kids and bigger families

- Amazing sand beaches

- Water temperature is great!

- Somewhat crowded in the evenings and weekends

Gunlock State Park

- Multiple seasonal waterfalls in the spring

- Beautiful blue lake surrounded by all kinds of different colors of rocks!

- You’ll have to pay a fee to get in

- Great for boating!

- Lots and lots of hikes around the area

SECTION 1.4 - EASY TO GET TO SPOTS IN SOUTHERN UTAH/NEARBY NEVADA AND ARIZONA

Valley of Fire State Park

- 2.5 hours away from Zion NP

- THE MOST UNDERRATED SPOT IN THE WORLD

- Could easily be a national park and is just as cool as most of them!

- Every color of rock you’d ever want to see! Green, purple, red, white, black and more!

- Lots of hikes for all levels

- Crazy rock faces, arches, and formations

Lake Powell

- 2 hours away from Zion NP

- It doesn’t get much better than Lake Powell!

- One of my favorite spots to ever exist is on a 3 hour offroad overlooking the entire lake and canyon!

- You can camp on the beach and rent a houseboat

- There are slot canyons you can boat through and hike through

- Cute marina restaurants, stores, and lots of really cool desert hikes

Horseshoe Bend

- 2 hours away from Zion NP

- This is one of the most photographed spots in the world for a reason

- It’s unbelievable how high up you are and how unrealistic it looks. It really looks like a painting!

- You’ll have to pay a fee to get in

- 1.3 mile easy hike

- One of the best cliff views I know of

Monument Valley

- 4 hours away from Zion NP

- This is where Forrest Gump stops running!

- This is the epitome of desert buttes, red rock, and towering mesas

- Multiple movies have been filmed here

- This land is incredible and truly majestic

SECTION 1.5 - REMOTE LOCATIONS AROUND ZION - INTERMEDIATE SKILL LEVEL OF HIKING AND OFFROADING

Joshua Trees

- 1 hour away from Zion NP

- There are in fact places that look just like Joshua Tree National Park!

- About 10 minutes down a dirt road off a more remote exit

- This place is FULL of joshua trees and high desert cliffs, there’s even a slot canyon!

- This is a spot I protect, because this spot could EASILY get overrun by tourists guaranteed if word gets out about it. If you truly want to elope in the joshua trees, which I’ve had couples do and it’s beautiful, contact me and I’ll give you the information to this place. Email me at hi@kelseacallister.com!

Gooseberry Mesa (Entering from the same side as the town of Apple Valley)

- ~1.5 hours away from Zion NP

- Cliffs, cliffs, and more cliffs!

- Crazy panoramic views of Zion from above!

- You’ll have to go down a dirt road for a little while, but it’s usually pretty tame

- Lots of mountain biking trails up here

- You can rent a mongolian yurt on top of the mesa and sleep up there!

- One of the best overlooks around

- Very secluded

Hellhole Hike

- 1.5 hours away from Zion NP

- 3.4 miles round trip, hiking through lots of rocks and washes

- This is the hike to my favorite red mountains in the entire area!!

- When it rains hard there are multiple waterfalls here!

- The hike goes back into the most incredible canyon

- Not crowded and very secluded

Taylor Creek Trail

- 1 hour away from Zion NP

- 5 mile round-trip hike

- Beautiful river hike through a lesser known part of Zion National Park

- Secluded and not crowded

SECTION 1.6 - EXTREMELY REMOTE AND HARD TO GET TO LOCATIONS AROUND ZION - 4X4 AND HIGH CLEARANCE REQUIRED, ADVANCED OFFROADING KNOWLEDGE RECOMMENDED, STRENUOUS HIKING

Arizona Gorge Overlook

- 1.5 hours away from Zion NP

- 1-2 hour offroad

- Goes through some narrow canyons where you’ll be up on 3 wheels occasionally, diff locker will be super helpful but you can do it without it.

- You’ll see some remote sinkholes, remote river camping locations, and you’ll arrive at one of the most remote desert overlooks on top of a huge cliff!

- The offroad is a lot of fun and technical in spots!

- EMAIL ME AT HI@KELSEACALLISTER.COM FOR DETAILED DIRECTIONS AND MAPS

Signal Peak

- 1 hour drive away from Zion NP

- 6-8 hour hike

- 9.1 mile round-trip extremely difficult climb up to the highest peak in the entire area

- BEST VIEW OF MY LIFE

- You can see almost all the way to the grand canyon, and all of Zion from the top of this mountain!

- You’ll pass by granite towers and the coolest mountain landscapes on the way up

- Signal peak is on Pine Mountain, one of the largest lacoliths in the world (Google it)

- This would be an incredible adventure for an elopement, but you have to have good fitness and endurance to complete this hike

- EMAIL ME AT HI@KELSEACALLISTER.COM FOR DETAILED DIRECTIONS AND MAPS

Birthing Cave

- 1.5 hours away from Zion NP

- 1-2 hour offroad from there

- 30 minute hike from the end of the offroad

- Technical offroading, climbing up rocks, extremely remote, make sure you have your maps downloaded or have a GPS

- Amazing red rock landscapes that are untouched, lots of desert wildlife, passing through lots of different types of rocks, and more camping and hunting spots than you could imagine!

- You’ll arrive at the Birthing Cave which has ancient petroglyphs and is on top of a mini cliff. It’s super unique!

- EMAIL ME AT HI@KELSEACALLISTER.COM FOR DETAILED DIRECTIONS AND MAPS

This is just a SMALL fraction of all the spots I know around here, if you’re coming in to visit (even if you’re not eloping with me) I’d be more than happy to talk to you and tell you where to go! Tour guiding is one of my greatest joys! Just contact me!

SECTION 2 - BEST PLACES TO STAY

This part of the guide will give you all the details on the best places to stay around Zion, I have some remote airbnb’s and campgrounds in here too! Lots of options!

SECTION 2.1 - LODGING VERY CLOSE TO ZION

These are all incredible lodging options that are right outside the park, they’re expensive but you can’t go wrong with any of these! One of my personal favorites is the Driftwood Lodge! There is a river right behind it and they have chairs near it so you can go relax!

Zion Lodge - The only “in-park” lodging you can get!
Cable Mountain Lodge
Driftwood Lodge
Majestic View Lodge
Flannigan’s Inn
Cliffrose

SECTION 2.2 - LODGING IN ST GEORGE

St. George is just an hour away from Zion! It’s the biggest town in the area. Here are some great places to stay!

The Inn at Entrada
Inn on the Cliff (One of my favorites, super good restaurant here)
Tru by Hilton St. George
Desert Garden Inn
Red Lion Hotel

SECTION 2.3 - COOLEST AIRBNB’S EVER

Zions Tiny Oasis (MY ALL TIME FAVORITE)
Zion Glamping Adventures
Under the Eaves Inn
The Historic Rose Cottage
Cowboy Hideout

SECTION 2.4 - BEST CAMPGROUNDS

Watchman Campgrounds & South Campgrounds (right in Zion national park, but very crowded!
Zion Ponderosa Ranch Campgrounds on the east side of Zion
Lava Point Campground
Camping on top of Gooseberry Mesa at the Gooseberry Mesa Yurts!
Snow Canyon State Park Campgrounds

SECTION 3 - WEATHER IN SOUTHERN UTAH

The weather in the desert is honestly pretty ideal most of the year! That’s another reason I love living here, but there are a few things about the weather you need to know based on what time of the year you are planning on eloping here!

SECTION 3.1 - SUMMER

The summer is definitely our worst weather here, in most places in the U.S. it’s normally pretty ideal to elope in the summer but honestly it’s probably one of the worst times you can come to the desert! It’s nice because the days are long, the sun rises at about 6:15am and sets at around 9:30, it’s awesome!! But almost every day in the summer we are around 100 degrees, and in July and August it frequently gets about 110+. This year (2021) we had unprecedented heat waves and hit almost 120. Trust me, you don’t want to be outside at all during those temperatures, it feels like you walk straight into an oven!

August and sometimes late July also bring our famous desert monsoons! It hardly ever rains here, but when it does, it freakin POURS. Our monsoons are spectacular storms, with more lightning than you’ve ever seen and the biggest black clouds! It’s actually super cool and if you get the chance to witness a desert monsoon I’d consider yourself lucky! But it can impede on an elopement, especially because flash floods here during the monsoons are frequent and dangerous, so you have to keep that in mind.

All of that being said though, most of my couples actually elope here in the summer and there’s no problem with it! It’s super fun because we can go cliff jumping, boating, swimming, and do lots of cool water activities! Just be prepared to wake up super early and stay out super late, because sunrise and sunset are the only reasonable times to elope here, so you don’t burn up or get heat exhaustion during the day. That’s why I have people go to the lake in the middle of the day so they can cool off! There’s still tons to do and the weather isn’t bad at sunrise and sunset, and the summer nights are really nice! Don’t rule out coming here just because it’s the summer!

SECTION 3.2 - FALL

COME ELOPE IN THE FALL! This is my top recommended season for eloping in Southern Utah, the weather couldn’t be better! Late September to mid November is such pleasant weather! It can sometimes be a little chilly in the mornings, but the days are around 70 degrees and feels so good! We don’t get fall trees here much, but there are a few places where you can see fall colors with the red rock and it’s crazy cool! You can wake up later for beautiful sunrise shots and don’t have to stay out as late for sunset shots! There aren’t as many tourists here either! Honestly this is the best time of the year to elope, I highly recommend it!

SECTION 3.3 - WINTER

If you are thinking of eloping in the winter at all, you’re limited on locations nationwide because a lot of northern national parks close certain locations in the winter, it’s stupid cold, and there’s deep deep snow everywhere. The desert is by far the most ideal location to elope in the winter! It legit DOESN’T snow here! We get snow maybe one or two days a year, and let me tell you what, if you’re lucky enough to witness snow on the red rocks you would never regret that. I’ve said a lot of things and places are beautiful in this guide today but this is actually and honestly one of my TOP sights to see. Snow in Zion is unlike anything else so honestly if it did snow on your wedding day I wouldn’t be disappointed! We get minimal snow here so even if it does it’s not deep at all. Maybe an inch or two. The winter can get deceivingly cold here, especially when the sun isn’t out, but a lot of the time during the middle of the day I wear short sleeves and sandals, it’s great! The winter in the desert is way nice because you won’t have to worry about super bad weather ruining your day!

SECTION 3.4 - SPRING

The spring is also SO pleasant here, just like the fall I highly recommend it! The only reason fall is recommended slightly over spring is sometimes we get spring storms and a decent amount of rain for a bit and that can ruin elopement plans, but it’s not too frequent and honestly so so nice most of the spring. The weather is like 70-80 degrees! The coolest thing about the spring is the desert actually starts to get GREEN. This is the greenest you will ever see it here and it turns the desert into a beautiful sight to see! It’s fresh and there’s lots more water in the spring which makes our river and lake shots even cooler! I highly recommend the spring as well, it’s a great time to come here!

SECTION 4 - FUN ACTIVITIES TO DO

I tell all the couples that I work with that they should do something fun on their wedding day! Why only have the ceremony when you can explore the majestic area you’re in! I’ve had couples cliff jump, rock climb, kayak, and do lots of other fun things that they’re interested in! It also makes for some sick pictures!! Here are just some ideas to get your brain going on things you can do here!

Cliff jump on top of a waterfall (I know a cool place where you can do this!)
Have a breakfast picnic by the joshua trees
Rock climb at sunset
Rappel down a red cliff
Rent a boat
Rent an ATV and go 4 wheeling (I used to be the manager of the offroad rental shop here, I can get you the best razor they have!)
Feed llamas (yes you can actually do this here)
Have a picnic in the mountains by the pine trees (yes we have pine trees here about 45 mins away!)
Walk around main street and visit local shops
Visit Duck Creek, a little mountain town we have here with really unique restaurants and shops
Visit some waterfalls
Go on a river hike
Tube down the Virgin River
Go offroading
Visit the Kayenta Art Village, the cutest art galleries surrounded by red rock cliffs!
Eat at any of the Springdale restaurants that are all super cute!
Have a campfire at night and eat smores!
Play card games
Visit a ghost town (we have a couple)
Go on a scenic drive
Hammock by some pine trees
Read books by a quiet river
Visit the rock shops in Springdale
Rent mountain bikes
Visit Arizona (the border is very close)
Go camping and look at the stars
Rent a telescope and look at the galaxies in the sky
Swim under the stars all alone in a desert oasis
Go snowboarding at our ski resort 1.5 hours away!
Sledding up in the pine mountains
Go snowshoeing
Offroad in the snow
Have brunch at a local crepery (one of my favs!)
Eat at a local retro burger joint
Hike with your dog
Drive on top of a mountain
Visit aspen trees about an hour away
Visit multiple desert rivers and water spots
Visit a hidden pool in Zion no one knows about that you can swim in (if there are no algae blooms)
Go on a helicopter tour over Zion and even Lake Powell! (I know the guy that owns the helicopter tour company, I can get you hooked up!)

SECTION 5 - BEST RESTAURANTS

There are SO many fantastic local restaurants, some are more well known than others. If you want some freakin good food you’re in the right place! I’m going to start with my all time favorites!

SECTION 5.1 - MY PERSONAL FAVORITES

Red Fort - St. George

I have no words for this place. It’s heavenly, beyond anything you’ve ever had, if you like Indian cuisine. They have the BEST garlic naan bread and incredible curry of all types. The atmosphere of the restaurant honestly feels like you’re in the middle of India, and the waiters are dope! I’ve never tipped anyone so much. HIGHLY RECOMMEND 10/10

Costa Vida - St. George & Hurricane

I eat at this place probably the most frequently of any other place! It is the BEST mexican food. My personal favorite is getting their grilled chicken salad with beans, cilantro rice, the best and thickest tortilla, and their tomatillo sauce. It really is bomb!! This restaurant has been my favorite for a long long time since I have a soft spot for mexican food! 10/10!

Alfredo A’s - Hurricane & St. George

The ultimate adventure stop since it’s open 24/7! I’ve eaten so many breakfast burritos here at 2am and have some of the best memories here! Their breakfast burritos are literally to die for and they are so big! If you want something to fill you the whole day come here! They have carne asada fries, and so many other authentic mexican dishes. 10/10!

Viva Chicken - St. George

The BEST sauces I have ever tasted!! This place is Peruvian and actually really healthy too! Dipping their chicken in their red sauce and getting their sweet potato fries and quinoa is so so good! 10/10 as well!

SECTION 5.2 - OTHER GREAT RECOMMENDATIONS

Oscar’s Cafe - Springdale
Switchback Grille - Springdale
MeMe’s Cafe - Springdale
Zion Pizza & Noodle - Springdale
Sakura - St. George
The Ocean - St. George
Bella Marie’s Pizzeria - St. George
Maverick Gas Stations - Everywhere (They have BOMB burritos and a mini grill restaurant inside of it)
Iceberg - St. George
Twisted Kitchen (Vegan) - St. George

CONCLUSION

I hope after reading all this that you’re stoked to elope by Zion! The desert really is special and there are so many experiences you can create here. Zion elopements / small weddings are my specialty so feel free to contact me about anything! I’d love to photograph and help you plan your day, and I also have an AWESOME team of vendors I work with so I can get everything covered for you. Reach out to me on my contact form here or email me at hi@kelseacallister.com. My Instagram is @kelseamcallister and you can message me there too!