Zion National Park
Zion National Park is a canyon with steep red rock walls and a scenic valley at the bottom. The park is located in southwestern Utah, in the colossal desert southwestern region of the United States. The canyon was discovered by the Mormons and was named for one of them, Isaac Begunin, who had a property here called “Little Zion.”
Video: Zion National Park
General Information
Zion National Park is a striking collection of rock formations carved primarily from the primary native rock, Navajo Sandstone. The high cliffs, gloomy blocks and deep chasms of the park are stunning, shimmering in all opens, from flaming red to delicate pink, they resemble fairy tale castles. The sun and the seasons play with the colors in Zion Park, constantly changing them.
.Zion; www.nps.gov/zion; Highway 9;7-day vehicle pass $25;Visitor Center: 8 a.m.-7 p.m. May-September, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. April and October, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. November-March
.When going to visit the canyon, keep in mind that the scenic road can be traveled by car in late fall and winter. The most scenic route to the park is through the East Entrance. You can park your car at the Zion Canyon Information Center or at the entrance to Springdale Township. During the rest of the year, only National Park tour buses are allowed here. Accordingly, the tour will take considerably longer, about 2 hours. The bus route also includes two hiking promenades to Weeping rock and along the Emerald pools trail.
.Zion National Park is especially beautiful after a heavy rain, when waterfalls from the cliffs carry their moisture into the Emerald Ponds or channel it along the one-mile-long paved Coastal Trail. This is the terminus of the Zion Narrows Trail, a challenging 26-mile hike. Zion Canyon’s river trails along dripping key water and verdant hanging gardens of mosses, ferns and sponges provide life-giving coolness to escape the heat. Climb the 4-km steep trail to the Angel Shelter, a ledge above a canyon so narrow it takes your breath away.
.Zion is justifiably proud of its many striking natural attractions. Chekerbord Mesa is an imposing block of sandstone towering over the road, its surface seemingly squared by wind and water, and in Canyon Verkin, a natural arch connects two cliffs. The highest point of the park, West Temple, rises to an elevation of 1158 meters. Towers-of-the-Virgin, the Virgin Tower, is a group of sharp cliffs stretching along the west wall of the canyon, and the Temple-of-Sinavava natural amphitheater offers magnificent views of the surrounding cliffs and hills.
.Another well-known attraction in Zion National Park is Weeping Rock: water from a spring high on the slope flows down the rock and drips like tears from its ledges. A similar phenomenon exists at Handing-Gardens, but there the water does not run off, but is sucked up by plants clinging to the rock slopes. The swift waters have washed out caves in the rock in which many birds, small mammals and insects have taken up residence. In some of the larger caves, archaeologists have found items from ancient Pueblo Indian settlements.
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In total, the park has over 160 kilometers of hiking trails (you can hike into the middle of nowhere) and camping.
.If you don’t have a lot of time, the 9.6 km Scenic Drive (Scenic Drive), which penetrates into the heart of Zion National Park, is your best bet. From April to October, you’ll have to board a free bus (6.45-22.00) outside the visitor center, but you can get off at any stop along the way and walk the trail. The famous 8.6-mile Angels Landing Trail is awesome: a real vertigo inducer (1,400 feet elevation, steep descents), but the views of Zion Canyon are phenomenal. Allow four hours for the round trip. To hike through the Narrows (June through September only; the trail is 25.6 miles long), hop on a hiker bus with a remote-area permit from the Visitor Center (book in advance through the website). Alternatively, walk the trail from Riverside Walk 8km to Big Springs, where the canyon narrows, marking the end of the road. Remember that whichever direction you go, most of the time you are traveling along the Virgin River bed.
.Reserve a site at Watchman Campground, a poplar-shaded campground on the riverbank near the canyon (Tel: 800-365-2267; http://reservations.nps.gov; Highway 9; tent sites $16, RV sites with amenities $18-30) well in advance. At the neighboring South Campground (tent and RV sites $16), sites are occupied the day of arrival. Both campgrounds have a total of nearly 300 sites.
. The “rustic” Zion Lodge Motel (Tel: 435-772-7700; www.zionlodge.com; rooms and cabins $160-180), which is in the middle of the scenic byway, offers 81 well-appointed rooms and 40 cabins with gas fireplaces. Each lodge has an attached porch with a marvelous view of the Red Cliffs, but there are no TVs in the rooms. The hotel’s comprehensive restaurant, the Red Rock Grill (breakfast $10-15, lunch $8-20, dinner $15-30; 7 a.m.-2 p.m., hours change in December-March), also has amazing views. You’ll find many more restaurants in the city of Springdale, near the park boundary..Please note: There is an entrance fee to drive through the park on Highway 9, even if you’re just passing through. If you are with a residential RV on a trailer, you will also have to pay an additional $15 (escort fee) when you pass through the 1.8 km long Zion-Mt Carmel Tunnel at the east entrance.
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