Zion National Park – Your ultimate guide for the trip
We visited Zion National Park as our third stop in our National Parks trip and the first National Park we visited in Utah. It’s really hard for me to put my experience in words as for how breathtaking the park is, unless you have visually seen the tall long cliffs, waterfalls and picturesque landscape for yourself, you cannot understand and appreciate the beauty of Zion National Park. But, hold on, let me try my best to share my story and convey its elegance through my photographic captures of this underrated National Park in Utah. We reached the park around 8 AM and we took the park shuttle to visit the park. We viewed all the viewpoints in the Zion Canyon scenic drive and we couldn’t any famous trails as it is closed because of the weather conditions – Angel’s Landing, The Grotto, Upper, and Middle Emerald Pool. It was so hot and we were completely drained, hence we didn’t attempt to do any other hikes – Observation Paint and The Narrows, both of which fall under strenuous hikes and only experienced hikers can do. Hence, know your limits!
Zion National Park – What is it?
Zion National Park is the first National Park in Utah with narrow slot canyons, red cliffs, sandstone formations, rivers, and waterfalls. Zion National Park is located along the edge of the Colorado Plateau. The rock layers have uplifted tilted, and eroded, forming a feature called the Grand Staircase, a series of colorful cliffs stretching between Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon. The bottom layer of rock at Bryce Canyon is the top layer at Zion, and the bottom layer at Zion is the top layer at the Grand Canyon. The Virgin River cuts through the sandstone on the return journey carrying rocks and pebbles along with it, widening and reshaping the Canyons that define Zion. The highlight of the National Park is an expansive Canyon which is 2000 feet deep on an average.
What is Zion known for?
The Zion Canyon National park is widely known for its trails – Angel’s Landing and The Narrows. Angel’s Landing hike is one of the strenuous hikes in the park where you climb over 5700 feet through cliffs, narrow canyons and chain-guided path for a spectacular rock formation – Zion and its surrounding area. No wonder why it is called as “only an Angel could land on”.
The permit. The trail is often prone to flash flooding, hence always check in the park website or at Narrows is a strenuous hike where you will be walking and swimming in the knee down water in the Virgin River and the trail requires visitor center to plan accordingly.
Due to the storm on July 11th, 2018, the hikes – Angel’s Landing, The Grotto trail, the middle and upper Emerald pool was closed.
The Zion National Park consists of two main regions – Zion Canyon and the Kolob Canyon. The Zion Canyon is the most visited canyon in the park and the park offers free shuttle across the scenic road through the months – late April to November and is closer to the town – Springdale.
The other region of the Park is the Kolob Canyon – located in the northwest corner of the park off of Interstate 15, this five-mile scenic drive climbs past the spectacular canyons and red rocks of the Kolob canyon and ends at the Kolob Canyon’s Viewpoint.
The Kolob Canyons road is closed for the renovation project for 2018 from May 2018.
Zion National Park – How to access?
The park offers a free shuttle for the scenic road inside the park from the months – April to May. Private vehicles are not allowed inside the park and you can access the park with you vehicles between the months – November to April. The parking inside the park is very limited and is usually full during the prime seasons. The park offers two shuttles – Zion Canyon shuttle which starts at Visitor center and Springdale shuttle which takes you from Visitor center to the small town – Springdale. The park shuttle operates for every 15 hours and you can jump off from the bus at any viewpoint for further exploration.
FAST FACTS:
- The scenic drive runs through the Canyon junction from South Entrance to the Temple of Sinawava with 9 major viewpoints.
- The major scenic viewpoints can be visited by the park free shuttle. The shuttle is fast and comfortable. Check out the park shuttle here – https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/conditions.htm
- Ensure to carry enough water bottles as you might get exhausted because of the heat.
- The food outlets are available in the viewpoint – Zion Lodge (viewpoint 6) and you will find some of your favorite food joints in Springdale.
- There is no connectivity inside the park; hence I highly recommend you to grab a park map from the visitor center to know about the trails and hikes
Zion National Park – Facility hours
- The park is open for all the seasons and the park has entry fees – $35 per vehicle.
- The facility hours may vary according to the season, hence please check the facility hours in the park website here – https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/conditions.htm
- To avoid the park fees and if you are planning to visit multiple National Parks in the year, then I highly recommend you to purchase the annual pass here – America the beautiful pass. The cost of the pass is $80 and it is valid for 1 year from the date of purchase. The park is accepted in all the parks managed by NPS and Federal Lands.
Zion National Park – Where to stay?
There are a number of options with the basic amenities to stay in and around the park. We stayed in an Airbnb in the town – Glendale and it is 45 minutes away from the park. There are a number of lodging options available in the nearby town – Kanab. If you love adventures and camping, then there are campgrounds available inside the park – Zion Watchman Campground and Zion South Campground.
Another option for stay is in Springdale. The town has campgrounds for rent, hotels and dining options. And also, it is very close to the park and shuttles are available at various spots inside the town to Park’s visitor center.
Zion Canyon National Park – Must Do’s
- Take the park shuttle and visit the viewpoints of the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive
The park shuttle is the most convenient way to visit the park and I highly suggest to arrive at the park in the early morning to avoid the crowds and also to park your vehicle in the Zion Parking lot. The Parking lot inside the park is very limited and also, there are a number of paid parking lots available in the town – Springdale.
The park has 9 viewpoints
- Visitor Center
The shuttle starts from the visitor center and operates for every 15 minutes during the prime hours. Watch out for the Zion Canyon Shuttle. Also, one can get the amazing view of the Watchman Canyon near the entrance to the Visitor Center.
- Museum
Zion Nature Center available in the viewpoint is open for public and also, don’t miss to watch the Orientation film when you are here. The museum also features rotating art exhibit. Restrooms and water filling stations are also available.
The back part of the Museum offers a breathtaking view of the Towers and Temples of the Virgin and Bridge Mountain. The Pa’rus trail which connects the Museum and the Canyon junction is accessed from here.
- Canyon Junction
The Canyon Junction is the starting point to the Zion-Mount Caramel Highway. Only the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is not accessed by private vehicle but the Mount Caramel Highway can be accessed using your own vehicle.
- Court of the Patriarchs
The red rock cliffs named after the Biblical characters – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The three peaks can be viewed from the roads itself but if you need a good view of the peaks, hike to a nearby viewpoint – a short trail which takes you up the trees.
- Zion Lodge
Zion Lodge was built initially to accommodate the viewers visiting the park and still remains as the historic lodge nestled in the Zion Canyon. Restaurants, water filling stations, and restrooms are available. The Emerald Pools trails and Grotto trail is accessed from here.
The lodge has giant shady trees and offers a perfect picnic spot for enjoying your lunch overlooking the canyons.
- The Grotto
A shaded picnic area among the cottonwood trees from where the Grotto trail can be accessed. You can also get views of the Virgin River and Angel’s Landing.
- Weeping Rock
The most beautiful and surprising part of the park is the Weeping Rock – dripping springs from the canyons and the hanging gardens. The natural spring water flows through the park creating a waterfall and the amount of water increases as per season. A short hike takes you to the springs and hanging gardens in the Hidden Canyon. It’s also a perfect spot to get a water shower amidst the hot sun.
- Big Bend
A sweeping bend in the Virgin River with towering cliffs. The big bend can be viewed from the bus stop itself. You can also view the Virgin River, Angels Landing, and the Great Throne.
- Temple of Sinawava
Temple of Sinawava is the gateway to The Narrows and you can walk along the Virgin River. The Riverside walk is the paved pathway with many side trails which takes you closer to the water in the Virgin River. Most of the parts of the river along this trail are shallow and hence makes it a perfect for kids. A perfect picnic spot near to the River in the hot sun.
- Do Day Hikes
If you have a day for the park, then I would highly recommend you to do easy and moderate day hikes. We couldn’t do Grotto Trail as it is closed due to the recent storm. We did Emerald Pools Trail but only the lower as middle and upper Emerald Pool trails are closed again due to the storm. It’s a great hike for everyone, even for beginners. The hike is worth the time and you will end up watching a short spring and emerald pool. There are actually three pools in the trail and the second & third being the most spectacular to view. The Lower Pool trail is paved for a shorter distance and then it consists of steep climbs on the unpaved way.
Ensure to carry water bottles and also watch out for the Pronghorns on the sides. We also did the Weeping Rock trail which is again accessed by everyone and leads to the Weeping rock & Hanging Gardens.
- Drive the Zion-Mount Caramel Highway
The highway runs through SR -9 between Zion’s Main Canyon and the Mount Caramel. It is a stunning way where you can view swirling, otherworldly rock formations, mounds, towers, hoodoos, and hilltops. You can also view layered strata rusty red, orange, cream, yellow and brown color the landscape that is dotted with desert pines, sagebrush, and wildflowers. Water, wind, and ice have shaped the landscape over millions of years into this beautiful scenery.
You will also pass through one of the major historical attraction, the famous Zion-Mt. Caramel Highway Tunnel which was built in the 1920’s and it is over 5000 feet long. The tunnel doesn’t have any viewpoints but you can get a glimpse of the canyon through windows in the tunnel. One should remove sunglasses and switch on lights inside the tunnel. Beyond the tunnel, there are many scenic spots and overlooks which really tempts you to pull off and enjoy the view. There is a trailhead once you are out of the tunnel – Canyon Overlook Trailhead – which includes step carved into the sandstone and there is almost no shade on the way.
Another attraction that you will come across on the scenic way is the Checkerboard Mesa, named after the unique crisscross pattern in the rock which resembles Checkerboard. The Mesa is viewable from the overlook itself but you can also take a hike up the Checkerboard Mesa to view the horizontal and vertical fissures in the rock.
- Visit Kolob Canyon Area
The Kolob Canyon is located 40 miles north of the Zion Canyon and a 5-mile scenic drive along the Kolob Canyon Road gives you a view of the crimson canyons and gain access to various trails and scenic viewpoints. The canyons of Kolob are designated as Wilderness and are protected for their pristine and primitive environments. The Kolob Canyons is usually less crowded and quieter than the Zion Canyon area.
We couldn’t visit the Kolob Canyons as the area has been closed for the construction from May 2018.
- Drive Kolob Terrace Road and view Lava Point
It’s a steep 20-mile scenic drive that starts in the town of Virgin and climbs north from the desert washes into the aspen-covered plateaus of the higher elevations of the park and provides access to the Lave Point at the end. Vehicles pulling trailers are not recommended for the drive.
If you are adventure seeker, do strenuous hikes
- Angels Landing
- The Narrows
- Observation Point
We took the shuttle from the park’s visitor center and we visited all the viewpoints across the Zion Canyon Scenic Way. We walked along the river in the Temple of Sinawava and we did Lower Emerald's pools hike. We wanted to do the Grotto trail but it was closed because of the recent storms in July 2018. Never miss out the orientation film in the Zion Museum. It is highly recommended to know about the history and geology of the park.
We stayed in Glendale and we drove from East through the scenic way – Zion-Mt Caramel Highway and we pulled over every lookout to view the red canyons and cliffs. The Checkboard Mesa on the way is a must watch on the way. Watch out for the tunnel. We really loved the scenic way, its wilderness and the rock formations across the way.
By the time, we completed all the viewpoints, it was almost 3 PM. Since many of the trails which we planned to do were closed, we decided to return back to the Glendale and enjoy the rest of the day at home. Also, the sun was so hot and we wanted to get relief from the scorching sun.
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Thanks,
Karthi
Facts gathered from the Park Website and the Pamphlets. The pictures in the post are clicked by me. The content and the pictures in the post belongs to the author. Reproduction and distribution of the content/pictures without prior permission from the author are prohibited.
