A collection of travel and adventure stories

Zion National Park Trip

Description and Directions >>

Description:
Zion National Park is located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin and Mojave Desert provinces in Utah. The park offers 229 square miles of sculptured multi-colored canyons and cliffs, river and waterfall views, trails, and meadows. The Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is a 6-mile road through the canyon floor. During the summer months, this road is only accessible via a shuttle.

Activities:
hiking, camping, picnicking, sightseeing

Directions:
The Visitor Center at the Kolob Canyons entrance is accessible from I-15, exit 40. I-15 passes west of the Park and connects with UT-9 and 17 to the Park. US-89 passes east and connects with UT-9 to the Park. The Zion Canyon Visitor Center is a short distance from the Park's South Entrance adjacent to Springdale.

From April through October, the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive (a park road off Rt. 9) is accessible by shuttle bus only. Rt. 9, which traverses the park from east to west, is open year-round to private vehicles.

Story Date 5/14/2003
Publish Date 4/13/2004

Story Perspectives >>

According to Mikala: Zion Canyon in Utah is a very dramatic place to experience, with massive golden and red canyons and cliffs located throughout the park.

As soon as we entered the park, we were awestruck by the enormity of the rock canyons. They are just so amazing to see.

During this trip, we took a ride on the park shuttle that goes along Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. During this time of the year, no cars were allowed access to this road, so the only way in was on the shuttle. This was OK, since the shuttles run very frequently, and there are many stops where you can get off to explore. We got off on most of the stops to enjoy the different views and take different short hikes.

At the Big Bend stop, we noticed a few climbers hanging high up on one of the canyon walls. This was a pretty exciting sight to see.

We continued on to the end of the road at Temple of Sinawava and walked along the Riverside Walk. This is a very easy walk, but it was pretty crowded with people. At the end of the walk, the trail to the Narrows starts, but you have to be prepared to hike through the river and get wet. We spent some time in the meadows along the Virgin River. It was very peaceful.

On the way back, we stopped at the Zion Lodge to have lunch. The lodge is pretty interesting and blends into the background. The area around the lodge is gorgeous green meadows leading to trails along the canyons.

We drove along Highway 9, where there are many lookouts with views of the canyons beyond. We also took a trip outside the park to Kolob Canyons, where we could see the back side of the canyons. All of it is very beautiful.

I wish we had longer to explore the park. There are so many hikes that lead to different aspects of the park.