Zion National Park

Zion National Park! This park was originally called “Mukuntuweap National Monument” when it opened. The name “Zion” comes from a quote by Isaac Behunin who exclaimed “A man can worship God among these great cathedrals as well as in any man-made church - this is Zion!”. With an endorsement like that how could we not be excited?

We arrived at Zion with a goal and a destination in mind: Angel’s Landing! This 2.7 mile hike takes you up approximately 1,500’ and along a narrow spine of rock less than 10’ wide in many places to the epic overlook that grants a view of Zion Canyon as well as the Great White Throne. We started this hike at approximately 12:45… time was tight. We hiked vigorously up the steep incline, the switchbackes of Walter’s Wiggles, and up the final chain assisted ascent to the top! We arrived right around 2:00!

Let me just say, Angel’s Landing is absolutely worth the burning lungs and gelatinous legs that result from the climb required to reach this point. You are standing in the confluence of 3 canyons, there are amazing peaks on all sides, and the river runs along the base of the tower on which you stand. Having a camera is nice, but you can’t take a picture that takes in all directions at once, which is really what you want when you are here! We did our best though, and just took some time to eat a Cliff bar and enjoy soaking in the glory of the natural cathedrals of Zion.

Eventually it was time to leave. Sadly, but with full hearts we headed back towards the pickup. The trip down went a bit faster than the trip up, and around 3:00 we got back to the cars, filled our water bottles, and headed out of the park. Our route out took us along the Zion-Mt. Carmel highway which provided some beautiful scenes of the park as we made our way towards the next adventure.

Personnel:
We are pretty sure that there are personnel staffing this park, however we didn’t see any. So… keep your eyes open for these elusive park wildlife.

Climate/weather:
So good! Once again we were graced with beautiful blue skies and cool weather that makes hiking extremely palatable. When we started the hike we felt like shorts were an option, but when we reached the top we were VERY glad for long pants. Layering is a must this time of year.

Facilities/signage:
The bathrooms at The Grotto were window lighted during the day, but the windows were dusty and small, and it was dim inside. There was running water and soap, and the bathrooms were clean and stocked. There were also water spigots outside. There was also a bathroom on the trail up to Angel’s Landing that looked nice (from the outside anyway). The entrance sign was unique and different, but it didn’t feel like an epic NP sign, we expected more from Zion. The signs inside the park (both driving and hiking) were pretty solid and unremarkable.

Hiking experience:
The trail was steep, narrow, and a bit terrifying in places (so glad for the chains in several places!) and ABSOLUTELY worth it! There are also MANY other places to hike here, we could have explored for days, and plan to do so in the future!

 

 

Driving experience:
Driving through the main part of the park is beautiful, but parking is VERY hard to come by, even in November. If you are coming during peak season it is probably best to park outside in the town of Springdale and take the shuttle to see the sights. The Zion-Mt. Carmel highway is worth driving over (preferably on your way to Bryce Canyon) as it provides some beautiful views of The Great Arch (among other things) as well as taking you through a few tunnels on your way out of the park.

Camping options:
There are 3 campgrounds in the park (South campground is first come first served) as well as backcountry camping (permit required) and several lodging options within the park as well.

Hammockability:
There are many amazing places to hammock here. It may be cold in winter, and warm in summer… oddly enough, so plan your hammock situation accordingly.

Scenery:
How do you even describe the scenery here. Let me check my thesaurus… awesome, fascinating, marvelous, incredible, prodigious, shocking, stunning, surprising, unbelievable, wonderful… None of those words really fulfill the feeling of the scenery here. But they try. You should probably come and see it for yourself.

Nearby food:
There are food options at the lodge areas in and around the park, as well as plenty of places to eat in Springdale just outside. Or you can bring your own and eat on the trail while looking over the park in all its glory!


We had VERY high expectations for this park before we came. We were not disappointed! In fact… they are even higher for a return trip than they were before we got here. We don’t have any specific plans for what to do when we return except that we want to strap on a backpack full of provisions go explore for days, weeks, maybe months, (probably not years… but who can say!)! There really isn’t a way to express with words (or even pictures) the incredible feel of this park.

Next stop: Bryce Canyon National Park, our last park in Utah, let’s finish this state strong!