An impressive National Park, Zion is definitely one that should be on the top of your list to see in Utah. Enjoy it’s dramatic landscape and breathtaking views while admiring the land carved by water and time. There are activities for all ages, the adventurous and the cautious. Not convinced? Read below for compelling reasons to drop everything and go to Zion National Park right now!
1.) Rock Climbing/ Mountain Ogling
Zion National Park is the perfect place to get your dose of spectacular rock climbing opportunities-if you’re into that sort of thing. Even if you have little to no experience, you can take excursions with certified guides or if you are experienced, you may go out on your own. Would you rather just observe? Two of the highest points in the park allow you to ogle at the beautiful, breathtaking mountainous views, Angels Landing and Observation Point. Angel’s Landing is the highest mountain you will see in the park. It got it’s name because people believe it is so high, only Angels can land there. To get to the top, it is about a 5 mile round trip hike. The beginning of the trail is easy, but as you get to the top, the trail does get a bit strenuous so be prepared. Observation point is another great place for a lookout. The trail is about an 8 mile round trip.
2.) Walk through a canyon full of water
The most famous section of the park are The Narrows. The Narrows is the slot canyon located at the North end of the park. Bring your water shoes, because your going to get wet! On our trek to The Narrows, we got caught in a hail storm! It was incredible how dark and eerie it got.
Crowds of people were retreating away from The Narrows and groups of us were hiding under rocks towering over the trails to stay dry. Thankfully it wasn’t a full on rain storm or we would have been in trouble. Pay attention to the weather, the canyon floods very easily. (Side note: another great slot canyon to hike through is Oneonta Gorge in Oregon. Post to be published soon for more information.)
3.) Free interactive tour of the park
There used to be a scenic byway with public access stretching from the South entrance of the park to the North entrance. Now you must park your car at the one end of the entrance and take a tram to get to your destination within the park. The byway still exists, making it a perfect tram ride to see a lot of the sites such as Angel’s Landing. The tram has a recording to let you know about everything you are seeing. You will learn a little bit of history and the most popular places to hike within the park as well. It’s a great addition and makes not being able to drive down the byway anymore seem not so bad.
4.) The perfect adventure travel destination
No matter what you’re looking for, Zion is the perfect place to offer all kinds of adventure. Whether it’s getting caught in a hail storm, rock climbing, hiking, or camping, Zion has it all. As mentioned earlier, rock climbing tours are offered by certified guides if you are more comfortable going with a team or you may go by yourself. Canyoneering trips are also available inside Visitor Services. Canyoneering are guided tours which include skills such as rappelling or swimming.
5.) Spectacular scenery and diverse landscapes
One of the trails we walked down took us to the Weeping Rock. It was unique and almost peaceful to see a rock that is always weeping. That is just one of the things you may see on your trip to Zion. The park offers a wide array of high plateaus, sheer canyons, and massive cliffs. These cliffs and canyons have beautiful colors and unique shapes for the perfect photograph. It is also a bird watchers dream here. Take a hike up to Observation Point and you may be able to spot a bald eagle.
Enjoy 🙂
-Crystal & Shane