Zion National Park
Zion is the first National Park created in Utah and vies to be the crown jewel of the state. The Park usually gets less praise than the big three, but it’s right up there. We decided to see what all the noise was about.
After grabbing out van in Salt Lake City and collecting provisions, we made our way south. We took a pit stop at Mystic Hot Spring, a privately owned hot spring that is worth the detour if you have the time. It’s also a perfect mid-point between Salt Lake City and Zion, as well as quite Instagram friendly (which is how we found out about it).
We came into Zion through the lesser used Eastern Entrance later in the afternoon. We had time to catch great light on the Canyon Overlook Trail. It was just a mile round-trip, and well worth the hike. The vista was spectacular and the girls were getting excited for the first park of the summer.
A side note: We do actually put a decent amount of thought into how we enter parks, in what order we see the more famous attractions or view points, and what time of day we are hitting each stop. At Zion, starting with Canyon Overlook was very intentional and provided us a great teaser for what we would expect when we made it into the actual canyon.
We settled into the first evening at Watchman Campground with some hamburger helper and a campfire. We also made a quick dip into the Zion store for milk.
Zion is interesting in that it’s main entrance in the town of Springdale has a lot of facilities literally steps from the Park. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Zion has as many pedestrian entrants as cars. Even to get our milk, we technically crossed the bridge (on foot) and left the Park, only to walk back in 10 mintues later. It’s gives the Park and Springdale a cohesive feel and offers more to visitors who drive in from that direction. Immedaitely outside the Park gate you can find a hotel and spa, groceries, ice cream, a brewery with great burgers, bike rentals, and outfitters that specialize in sending people up the Narrows (more to come on that).
On our first full day in Zion we slept in and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast before renting bikes to ride up the canyon. We sauntered up the Pa’rus Trail (paved) which runs along the Virgin River from the Visitor Center. There are plenty of little stops — mini sandy beaches — where you might dip your toes on a hot afternoon. We, however, were destined to ride further up the canyon.
There is a point early in the canyon called (appropriately) Canyon Junction, where Zion Park Blvd — which connects the East Entrance with the Springdale Entrance — intersects with Zion Canyon Rd. Since 2000, in the summer the Park Service closes Zion Canyon Rd. to private cars, limiting is only to those staying in the lodge and the public shuttle. The only other way up the canyon is by bike or on foot.
Biking is common, and there are lots of electically aided bikes in use now. (The girls were not old enough to rent the e-bikes, so we were left with good ole leg power.) When biking into any canyon or valley, it’s important to remember that the road — though it may look flat — is likely every so slightly uphill. If you happen to be a pre-teen girl riding a rented bike, there is a decent chance that the hills will catch up to you.
The hills caught up to us a little, but what we were really being chased by was a thunder storm. We heard and saw it coming up the canyon. We thought perhaps we could make it to Zion Lodge for shelter, but we weren’t so lucky. We stashed the bikes and hopped on the shuttle at the Court of that Patriarchs. We hid out at Zion Lodge with popsicles, snacks, drinks, and a couple hundred stranded visitors.
After two hours we got back on the shuttle and stopped at Weeping Wall. After that we recoverd our bikes and coasted downhill back to Springdale. There we got the other shuttle — the one that runs through town — to grab some ice cream and do some shopping. Back at camp we closed the day with dinner and smores.
Everyday in Zion, we’ve been entering and re-entering the Angel’s Landing lottery with very high hopes that we’ll get the permit. No luck in the long-term lotto, nor in the first couple days in the park, but we haven’t lost hope.
The next day, may be the most spontaneous day that we’ve ever had in a National Park. We had planned a hike in East Zion. We ended up driving south from Springdale to find some tubing. On the way, we drove past a helicopter tour site. We made a u-turn, and within and hour we were touring the area in a private helicopter ride.
This is not an activity we’ve done before, and — truthfully — this is the first time Chris had been in a helicopter since being wounded in Afghanistan almost two decades earlier. But who better to expereince that with than your daughters? And what better place to do it then Zion.
The helicopter ride detour did not stop us from making it to the tubing activity. We floated for 90 minutes down the Virgin River (outside of the park). It was a blast and highly recommended.
We followed the tubes with a 4.2-mile hike called Wildcat Canyon to Northgate Peaks in the Kolab Terrace part of the park. Access is up the Kolan Terrace Rd. north from Virgin, UT. (There are many entrances to the Park and not all are connected).
On the drive home we found some service and checked email to find out: We won Angel’s Landing for tomorrow!
We had to be on the trail before 9am, so we woke early to prep took the shuttle to the Grotto and made our way up “Walter’s Wiggles.” When we hit Scouts landing there was no hestation from the girls, we were ready to take on the chains. (This is where the permit is required.)
We did pause for an extended break when a Park Ranger pointed out the California condor perched across the way on the cliffside. The reactions from other visitors were so mixed. Some people didn’t get it and kept walking. But the girls know how rare this sighting is — perhaps from how big of a deal we made about seeing a condor at Pinnacles last summer. The Ranger let us use his scope, and after we’d had our fill of birdwatching, we were headed up.
Angel’s Landing is dangerous, but not scary. Meaning that you don’t want to be nonchalant about the hike, but if you’re responsible and relatively capable, you’ll be fine. The girls were flying up, only slowed down by hiker jams.
After some rest at the top and a ton of pictures we went back to Scouts landing. Here we briefly split up so Chris could head up the West Rim trail for a couple miles to get other views of Angels Landing and the Narrows from above.
Lunch and we scampered back down everything we’d climbed. At the bottom we were not the only hikers who stripped of shoes and socks to relieve weary feet in the cold Virgin River.
That night, the girls got a special treat. A shower at Zion costs $12, so we decided to visit the spa and do a 30-minutes facial (which was only a bit more expensive) and use the facilities to freshen up. A little motivation and reward for young girls who like to hike, but don’t always love it!
The next day we chilled at camp, visited the Nature Center — where we bumped into a Ranger we met the year prior at Sequoia — completed Junior Ranger requirements, and then checked into the Cable Mountains Lodge for the evening because one of the girls wasn’t feeling well.
Zion ended with a trip to urgent care (we’ll spare the medical details, but everyone was fine in the long run). This was a fine outcome, as the Narrows still wasn’t open.
The Narrows is a 10-mile round trip hike up the Virgin River from the end of the main Zion Canyon. It’s very famous and very popular. Each year the opening of the Narrows depends on the rivers height and flow rate. We checked every day that we were there and we thought we were on pace for an opening, but that small thunderstorm we encountered messed up the pace of the lowering of the river.
We resupplied in Hurricane, followed by one last stop at the Kolob Canyons Visitor Center. We’d hoped for a chance to hike Taylor Creek, but we decided to wait until everyone was feeling better.
Onto Bryce Canyon!
End Note: During another part of the trip (without the girls), Chris was able to return to Zion and complete the Narrows. Grabbing the second shuttle of the morning meant that hiking began at 6:45am. On this day less than 15 people made it all the way to Big Springs — the end point for day hikers hiking “bottom-up".” On the way back it becomes evident that thousands of people find their way at least part way into the Narrows, so being in a the select group that did the whole thing feels pretty good.
Those of us who made Big Springs trekked over 10 miles round-trip, 80% of which is in water. GPS tracking is pretty unreliable in the canyon, so it’s best to just keep walking until you get to the end. At points water was over six feet and to getting through a couple tough spots took a leap of faith.
Renting equipment, including poles, from the outfitters near the Springdale Gate is a must. The full journey has to be one of the harder day hikes in the National Park system, but the great thing about the Narrows is that anyone can enjoy it if they can walk the first (dry) mile and not worry about being a little wet. The best payoff may have been the return hike, which is downstream. There is enough air in a water proof pack to serve as a bit of a floatation device, so you can just launch yourself into the shallow water and float past all the other hikers who are trying not to get to wet.
It is a stated goal of our to take a trip just to the Narrows in one of the next few summers so that they girls can enjoy this amazing hike too.