Moonlight paddling in Sand Hollow State Park

Ready for something a bit calmer, we make the early morning drive to our final destination: Hurricane, Utah—about 25 miles away from Zion National Park, and home to the lesser-known Sand Hollow. Initially, we had plans to do nocturnal canyoneering in Zion, but when the weather turned, it gave us permission to settle into a slower place.

For the past two years, Sand Hollow State Park—known for its large reservoir set against red-rock cliffs—has been offering a monthly full-moon paddle in the warmer months, to complement the hiking and biking trails that families enjoy year-round.

The paddle is only available from April through September (depending on the weather) and starts at moonrise—which is just after 7 p.m. for us, when our group meets ranger Callie Mallow on the shore of the reservoir. Just on the other side of sunset, the sky still has tinges of light to it, and we can hear the gentle chatter of dozens of other people who are still swimming, fishing, and hanging out on the water’s edge as we pull our kayaks into the water. The park is open until 10 p.m., and those accompanied by a ranger can stay even later. I feel as though I’m at an after-hours summer camp, as I notice the people on piers, jumping in the water, and sitting at picnic tables nearby.

The night is relatively warm, as we make the gentle paddle out. We take pauses to float and listen to history; Mallow points at an island in the middle of the water: “a family of raccoons lives there”, she tells us.

We let our kayaks rest when we near the isle, collecting among the rippling water to watch the moon continue its rise. I hear the water brushing against my kayak, and realize my eyes are now more used to navigating these wild spaces in the absence of the sun.