Zion National Park



"I see my path, but I don't know where it leads.  Not knowing where I'm going is what inspires me to travel it."
Rosalia De Castro
"We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness and travel and explore and tell the world the glories of our journey."
John Hope Franklin

Entrance to Zion NP

Zion National Park

Zion National Park is located in the aouthwestern United States, near Springdale, Utah. A prominent feature of the 229-square-mile park is Zion Canyon, which is 15 miles long and up to half a mile deep, cut through the sandstone by the north fork of the Virgin River. Zion National Park is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Some services and facilities may close or reduce hours during the winter months.

My first thought, when we visited Zion, is that it reminded me of Yosemite. It has the tall mountains, the waterfalls and the valley. But while it is similiar, it has its own beauty and is different in many ways. We enjoyed exploring this park.



Riverside Walk in Zion NP

To reduce traffice and to improve the park experience, there is a shuttle bus that will take you to most of the main areas of the park. The shuttle runs from March through October. One loop includes stops in Zion Canyon and a second loop includes stops in the town of Springdale. Parking is available throughout Springdale and inside the south park entrance. The shuttle is included in the park entrance fee. It operates daily beginning at 6:30 a.m. and runs every 6 to 8 minutes during the busiest parts of the day. The last bus will leave the Zion Canyon Visitor Center at 9:30 p.m.. The complete round-trip takes a minimum of 90 minutes.

The east side of the park is still accessible by private vehicle. You may pass through the park on highway 9 by private vehicle, but you are unable to drive up the main canyon to major points of interest during the shuttle season.

The Main Canyon is the most popular section of the park. The visitor center and the town of Springdale are surrounded by this part of the park. Popular trail-heads for hiking are Weeping Rock, Emerald Pools, Angels Landing and The Narrows, all of which are found on the eight-mile scenic drive that is accessible by the shuttle.

The Narrows in Zion NP

Perhaps the most famous and one of the most challenging areas of the park is an area referred to as The Narrows. The Virgin River carves deep gorges in the sandstone and hikers may follow the river's path, but plan on walking through water most of the day. The full length of the Narrows canyon is 12.5 miles.

The park is open all year and each season is distinctively different. Spring brings the waterfalls cascading into the Virgin River. Summer is the favorite season, and the most crowded. The canyon is lush and green in the summer months. Fall has brilliant red and gold foliage which accent the stone cliffs. Winter offers moderate temperatures with crisp mornings and warm afternoons. The east entrance to the park may have heavy snowfalls during the winter months.

There are no hotels or lodges within the national park. There are many choices nearby in Springdale, Utah. The national park has three campgrounds. They are South Campground, Watchman Campground and Lava Point Campground. The first 2 are in Zion Canyon and Lava Point is on the Kolob Terrace Road. Comfort stations provide flush toilets, cold running drinkable water, and trash containers, but no showers or electrical outlets. Each campsite has a picnic table and fire pit with attached grill. Quiet hours are 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. Pets are allowed on a leash no longer than six feet. Hiking in the park with pets is allowed only on the roads and Pa'rus Trail. There are also several campgrounds nearby in the Springdale area.

There are lots of activities to do in the park. There are 4 by 4 Jeep tours available. Horse-back riding, river tubing and lots of hiking trails to explore. You can bicycle the Pa'rus Trail or Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, or kayak the Virgin River. Each day park rangers present a series of special talks, guided walks and evening programs at the Visitors Center and the South Campground Ampitheater. For more information about the park and things to do, go to: http://www.nps.gov/zion/index.htm

Zion National Park is close to Bryce Canyon National Park as well as Lake Powell, and The Grand Canyon.  If you plan a long enough vacation you could take in all of these areas in one trip.

Bryce Canyon National Park





"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time."

John Lubbock

Entrance to the park

I love visiting our national parks.  I have never been to a national park that I didn't find something I loved about the park and that area of our country.  I visited Bryce National Park quite a few years ago, in conjunction with a visit to the Grand Canyon.  They are actually not that far apart.  When we did our trip we spent a week and were able to take in the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell and Zion National Park along with Bryce.  This was a good way to see several national parks at one time. Most people never go to the north rim of the Grand Canyon, but it would be easy to add it to a trip that took in these other parks, because it is very near to them.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park is located in southwestern Utah. Bryce Canyon in not really a canyon, but a collection of giant natural ampitheaters along the eastern side of Paunsaugunt Plateau. Its distinctive geological structures called hodoos are formed by frost weathering and stream erosion of the river and lake bed. The red, orange and white colors of the rocks provide spectacular views for park visitors. Bryce sits at a much higher elevation than nearby Zion National Park. The rim at Bryce varies from 8,000 to 9,000 feet. Bryce was designated a national monument in 1923 and became a national park in 1928. The park covers 35,835 acres and receives relatively few visitors compared to Zion and the Grand Canyon, largely due to its remote location.



Bryce Canyon National Park

The park is open 24 hours per day throughout the year. There may be temporary road closures during and shortly after winter snow storms until plowing is completed and conditions are safe for visitor traffic. Road maintenance may require brief closures of individual areas at other times.  The best time to go to the park is in the spring, summer or fall, as winter can be harsh and there will be less facilities available during the winter months.

There are many things you can do while in the park.  There are ranger programs, such as their daily Geology Talks, and guided rim walks.  Ever wonder why the rocks are red? Where we got the name hoodoo? What's a deer's favorite food? The magic of Bryce Canyon sparks the imagination and wonder in park rangers as well as visitors. Ranger programs are a great way to expand your exploration of Bryce Canyon. They're free too!

Full moon over Bryce NP

There are also evening programs which offer an in-depth look at some of the compelling stories and interesting resources that Bryce Canyon protects.  They even have a Full Moon Hike where you can join the "Dark Rangers" for a nocturnal adventure. These highly popular hikes are only offered during the full moon. Flashlights are prohibited and "lug traction" footwear is required. Tickets can only be obtained at the visitor center the morning of the hike on a first come, first served basis.  There are also Astronomers Tours available.  During the winter months they also do ranger led Snowshoe Hikes.   Check at visitor center for topics, start times, and locations.

You can drive along the rim area of the park which is about 18 miles long.  The last lookout point is Rainbow Point.  There are 13 lookout points along this road, where you can pull over and look out over Bryce Canyon.  You can also hike into the canyon on various hiking trails.  Pets are not allowed on any unpaved trails in the park, so if you have a pet with you then you will be staying above the canyon area.

Natural arch in Bryce Canyon NP

There are 2 campgrounds inside Bryce Canyon National Park, they are North and Sunset Campgrounds. Both have restrooms with flush toilets, and drinking water. During the summer months coin-operated laundry and shower facilities are available at the general store nearby. There are no hook-ups in the campgrounds, but a fee-for-use dump station is available for RV users at the south end of North Campground.  North Campground has 13 RV sites available by reservation and 86 RV and Tent Sites available on a first-come, first-served basis. Sunset Campground has 20 Tent Sites and a Group site available by reservation and 80 RV and Tent Sites available on a first-come, first-served basis.  So if you don't have a reservation, then get there early, because they do fill up.



Bryce Canyon Lodge

There is one lodge within the national park.  The Bryce Canyon Lodge which also includes cabins.  The lodge, cabins and motel are all part of the Bryce Canyon Lodge and has 114 rooms available.  The lodge is open only between March and November - the actual dates vary from year to year.  There is a dining room at the lodge which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  There is also a gift shop available at the lodge.  Reservations are recommended.

The most popular place to stay in the area is just outside the park entrance and is very convenient for those visiting the park.  It is the Best Western Ruby's Inn and Campground.  The place is a very popular stop for visitors to the park, and they also have a nice restarurant. http://www.rubysinn.com/.  We did not stay there, we actually stayed in one of the cabins that we got through Bryce Canyon Lodge.  Our cabin was right on the rim, and in the morning I could walk out the door of my cabin and be overlooking the rim.  We had our dog with us, and she was allowed to stay in our cabin.  We did visit Ruby's though, and had dinner there our first night.

For more information about Bryce Canyon, their fees, and things to do while in the park, go to: http://www.brycecanyoncountry.com/


My next posting will be about nearby Zion National Park.  They are close enough to each other that they are a natural to combine.