I know it begins with a 'P' & it's in Arizona??

[paulhillion]

I'm off to Arizona next week & there's a particular place I'd like to visit. It's an often photographed place where there are great swirls of coloured sandstone. I know it begins with a P? something like Priar or Pyre???

Any help?

Thanks.

[robertwgross]

In Arizona? Paria Canyon Wilderness, in the north near Utah.

---Bob Gross---

[paulhillion]

Thanks for your help Bob, shortly after posting I did a bit more searching on Google & managed to find it. It appears you have to apply for a hiking permit to visit & unfortunatly they seem to be fully booked for around the time I'll be visiting. I'm still going to drive down to that area as I'm sure there'll be plenty more sights to see.

Regards.

[robertwgross]

It seems like just about every park or wilderness area around there has a different set of use rules. Some of the wilderness areas have daily trailhead quotas that affect overnight use only. Some have quotas that affect dayhikers as well. Some have do-it-yourself permits, and some have no permit requirement at all.

Sometimes you get to the ranger station and discover that they won't let you head in on the trail that you had picked out, but they can let you use a different trail nearby, so it pays to ask questions when you get there.

Also note that there are many American Indian tribal areas around there, and they have their own separate set of rules and permits. In some cases, you are only permitted to enter if you have a local guide.

---Bob Gross---

[jukas]

One thing to keep in mind if you're going to be hiking or exploring in Arizona, know when you are on an Indian Reservation, and when you are on BLM or National Park land.

On the Res, they have their own laws, and police forces, and you can quickly get into trouble for things that are legal outside of the res. Add to the mix that a lot of them don't like us angelos and you can have a very bad day very fast.

Rules and regs on BLM land are pretty lax, but be aware of whatever differences there are when you step foot into a national park. For example, while Arizona is a open carry state, you can carry a sidearm in a car while in a national park, but if you step outside the vehical while carrying one you technically have broken the law and can be charged with a felony.

If you end up in Southern Az expect to see a heavy border patrol presence, and factor in that you may end up being stopped, detained and questioned into your time schedule especially if you have out of state plates.