One of America's Most Stunning Parks - Zion National Park
Written: Jun 10 '04 (Updated Aug 20 '08)
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Pros: One-of-a-kind Scenery, Easy Shuttle Access to Canyon, Excellent Backcountry
Cons: Can get very crowded
The Bottom Line: The scenery is like nowhere else and for anyone you will simply be overwhelmed by the amount of scenic beauty in the park
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| jps246's Full Review: Zion National Park |
Comprising almost 230 square miles of some of the most scenic terrain anywhere, Zion National Park is a must see location for anyone traveling through the southwestern Utah region. From magnificent canyon walls of Navajo Sandstone rising vertically a thousand feet to the narrow slot canyons in the backcountry, Zion National Park is truly a national treasure.
Where is it
About 150 miles northeast of Las Vegas and 45 miles east of St. George, Utah, Zion is situated next at the headwaters of the Virgin River. The park is easily accessible from Interstate 15 and is about an hours drive from Exit 16 on the highway. The park can also be accessed from the west on Routes 89 and 9 (which travels through the park in a series of tunnels).
You have to drive to get to Zion, the closest airport with regular service is Las Vegas (though St. George has small airport you could possibly fly into with some effort) and there is no public transportation to the park.
What’s in the park?
Beyond some of the most stunning scenery in the entire country, Zion offers activities and services for just about anyone visiting the park. There are hiking and climbing opportunities throughout the park, a campground and lodge are available for overnight guests, and driving and shuttle bus tours are available throughout the park.
Hiking and other outdoor activities
Most of Zion is open to hiking and rock climbing. For those who are interested in trips that are longer than a day – a backcountry pass can be obtained from the Visitor Center for a small fee and that will allow you to camp in the backcountry.
For day hikers, there are several well-maintained and marked trails traversing the park. One of the most popular (and knee-shaking) is the West Rim Trail in conjunction with the Angels Landing Trail. After climbing the canyon walls, you work your way out onto Angels Landing, a small promontory that juts out into the canyon. In places the trail is only a few feet wide with vertical drops of about a 1,000 feet on either side. Luckily there is a guy-wire installed to help you keep your balance. Other trails are less harrowing but no less scenic and interesting. Easier trails explore grottos and waterfalls along the canyon walls, while others climb up out of Zion Canyon to the acreage of the park beyond.
For the truly adventurous, backcountry exploration of the innumerable slot canyons and wild terrain beyond Zion Canyon proper is an exciting opportunity. In places the slot canyons are several hundred feet deep, but only a few feet wide – you can put your arms out and have your hands on both walls. To get a taste of this slot canyon hiking, you can check out the Zion Narrows along the upstream portion of the Virgin River.
Rock climbers are free to scale most of the rock faces in Zion. Permits are not required for day-climbs, but a permit is required if you will be making an overnight or multi-day climb. Also some areas are closed off to hikers during certain times of the year to protect nesting birds. You should always check in at the visitor center before going on your trip.
Horseback riding is available to visitors through guided horseback tours of certain areas. Horses must be kept to the designated areas and cannot be used on the hiking trails.
Biking in Zion is limited to the paved automobile roads. Bikes are not allowed on any trail and cannot travel cross-country, except on paved roads.
When water conditions are right in the Virgin River, boaters can take a boat down the Virgin River through Zion Canyon. A boating permit is required however and for longer trips, a backcountry camping permit is also required.
Camping
There are two roadside campgrounds at Zion (in addition to the backcountry tent sites throughout the park) that are available for people looking to spend the night. The South Campground is a first-come, first-serve self-service campground and sites are $16 a night. There are no services provided to campers beyond basic restroom services.
The Watchman Campground, located across from the visitor center and near the southern entrance to the park is a larger, more improved campground. Reservations for sites can be made through the National Park Service (http://reservations.nps.gov) and sites are $16 a night, except for riverside sites, which are $20 a night. Electrical hookups are available on some sites and they are available for $18 a night.
Less rustic overnight stays
For those who don’t like camping, Zion Lodge, located about halfway through Zion Canyon is available for people looking to spend a night in Zion National Park. While located in the park, the Lodge is run by a private company and reservations and information on the Lodge can be found at http://www.zionlodge.com. There are several different lodging choices from more basic rooms in the lodge, to cottages surrounding the Lodge. The Lodge also features a full-service dining room (the Red Rock Grill) that offers lunch and dinner. A smaller café also offers food at the lodge.
Scenic Destinations
Considering the entire park is a scenic destination, it’s hard to pick out just a few places worth seeing. However, there are a few outstanding places that every visitor should see. These include The Great Arch, The Court of the Patriarchs, Weeping Rock and The Temple of Sinawava. All of these are easily accessible and viewed from the park road and don’t require hiking or climbing. However, if you really want to see the scenic beauty of the park first-hand, you’re going to have to get down and dirty – either climbing throughout the canyon, wading up the Virgin River through the narrows or exploring the backcountry.
Other Park Destinations
No visitors to Zion should miss a stop at the visitor center. It has extensive exhibits on the natural history, wildlife, human history and geology of the park. There are static exhibits and multimedia ones and movies are running for visitors to view. There’s also a great gift shop in the visitor center that beyond the typical tourist stuff, has an excellent selection of books and maps for the park.
The Zion Nature Center offers visitors a chance to explore the nature of the canyon with ranger lead presentations and programs. The center is located near the South Campground and information on programs can be found at the visitor center.
The Zion Human History museum recently opened, about a ˝ of a mile north of the park entrance and features exhibits that showcase both the Native American and historic human history of the park area.
In The Grotto, visitors can take in the beauty of the Canyon and enjoy a picnic lunch. At the Temple of Sinawava, visitors can put on their walking shoes and follow the Virgin River north into the narrowing canyon along the Riverside Walk.
For those looking for a driving destination – the path of Route 9 through the park is an interesting an exciting drive. It passes through tunnels and clings to the steep walls of Canyons as it makes its way through Zion.
Fees & Getting Around
Like all National Parks today, Zion requires the payment of a day-use fee to get into the park. The park charges $20 per vehicle for a 7-day pass. Individual passes for motorcyclists or bikers are available for $10. Year-long passes are available for $40 and a National Parks Pass, which gets you into all National Parks (and other NPS properties such as Monuments), is available for $50. There are also discounted passes for those with disabilities or who are senior citizens.
From April through October the main canyon road is closed to vehicles and visitors must use the shuttle bus system that runs from the visitor center to the Temple of Sinawava. These shuttles run about every 20 minutes and stop at all the major sites along the way. Route 9, which turns off the park road and travels up and out of the park is open to vehicles year round. The shuttle system is quite good though and not much of inconvenience. Driving in the park used to be a hassle with the crowds and the huge amount of cars – it could take hours to get to the head of the canyon – on the bus it only takes about 20 minutes or so.
My Experiences
Zion was my first western National Park that I visited and I was simply blown away. I had thought that driving from Vegas had somewhat indoctrinated me to the scenery and landscape of the area, but as we came around the corner and entered Zion Canyon, I was hanging out the window my mouth open in wonder. The walls of the canyon climb almost vertically for over a thousand feet. The reds and whites of the Navajo Sandstone and other rock layers glisten in the sunshine and the natural wonders of the world are surrounding you. Zion really is a one-of-a-kind destination.
Before we even setup our campsites, we hurried to the Grotto and began the climb up to Angels Landing. The first half of the trip, up the Canyon walls was simply amazing - the higher and higher you climbed the more and more of the Canyon and the terrain beyond you could see. Once we reached the trail to Angels Landing, it was even more impressive – you could stand on the edge of the canyon and look straight down to the Virgin River, way down below. The trip out to Angels Landing was nerve-wracking, especially for someone somewhat afraid of heights like me (you better believe I had a strong grip on that wire and was staring directly in front of me). However, all the sweat and nerves were worth it when you got to Angels Landing and it seemed like you were standing out in the middle of the canyon. You could look down towards the mouth of the canyon and north into the Narrows. Beyond the canyon on all sides, the backcountry of Zion extended away from you.
We stayed at the Watchman Campground which was a pleasant enough campground. The sites are well maintained and laid out so campers are not located on top of each other. The tent sites have space for about 2 tents each and most sites can fit a small trailer or RV. The river sites, while I didn’t have one, are definitely worth the few extra dollars – they are a little further apart from each other and you can enjoying sitting out and watching the Virgin River. The campground fills up very fast though and you need to have reservations – we booked about a month in advance and there were only a few sites left when we did – and that was in early April. I imagine in the summertime the campground is booked up months in advance.
On my first visit there was no shuttle bus service and we could drive throughout the canyon which was nice, but there were a lot of cars and the going was slow. During my second visit, 2-years ago, the shuttle service was up and running and the difference was amazing. There’s no traffic on the park road beyond the buses and some park vehicles and thus the trip up is very relaxing on the bus. The canyon itself is quieter, since cars are not going up and down the road and the crowds are more thinned out because people are shuttling between locations.
There can be large crowds in the park, especially in the later spring, summer and fall. However with the new shuttle system, this is more manageable than when you used to sit in traffic jams on the canyon road. Be prepared for some crowds at the various lookouts and destinations, but in general – except for those places, the crowds shouldn’t be quite as bad as they used to be.
For More Information
The National Park Service maintains two websites for Zion National Park. The first at http://www.nps.gov/zion/ gives basic information on the park, along with maps and reservation information. Another NPS site at http://www.nps.gov/zion/home.htm gives more detailed information on the park, including backcountry information and information on other outdoor activities in the park.
Final Thoughts
You will be amazed by Zion National Park.
The scenery is like nowhere else and for anyone, from someone driving through to someone exploring the backcountry, you will simply be overwhelmed by the amount of scenic beauty in the park.
Plan for at least a full day of exploring the park, no matter what you are planning – preferably longer and enjoy one of America’s must stunning National Parks.
Looking to hike the Zion Narrows?
Need a map of Zion National Park? Consider the National Geographic/Trails Illustrated Map for the park.
Other Southwestern US Destinations
Walnut Canyon National Monument (AZ) / Wupatki National Monument (AZ) / Meteor Crater (AZ) / Sunset Crater (AZ) / Red Rock Canyon (NV) / Quail Creek State Park (UT) / Snow Creek Canyon State Park (UT)
Recommended:
Yes
Best time to go: March-May
Recommended for: Anybody
Review Topic: Overview
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