Zion National Park

Zion National Park

Zion National Park is a large park with many different things to see and do. There are hikes that will take you to high places and hikes that go through streams and canyons! We only had a day and a half to explore this large park and therefore we had to pick and choose what we thought was worth exploring. I would suggest spending 2-3 full days here if you want to experience everything. One important thing to note is that Zion National Park cannot be explored in a car, as driving through it is not permitted. You must walk, bike, or take the shuttle system. Depending on the time you go, the shuttle can be very busy and so plan up to an extra hour of wait time to get on the shuttle. 

Tips:

• As always START early! If you are taking the shuttle you may have to wait up to an hour to get on the it. We went around 9AM and waited for about 45 minutes to get on.
• Bring your wallet! There are a few little places to eat and shop along the shuttle route. It is worth getting an ice cream cone or burger! 
• Research a nearby hotel to stay at. We stayed at Flanigans Inn and it was a 5 minute walk to the park, which was a game changer! Being able to walk to the shuttle and not have to find parking was very convenient and helpful! 
• Bring everything you will need for the day. Once you are in the park you do not want to have to take the shuttle then walk/drive to get back to your hotel! 
• Of course, water and sunscreen are a must!
• Check out the NPS webpage for weather alerts and closings. This was helpful for us, as we found out one of the hikes we planned to do (Angel's Landing) was closed due to maintenance. 

Zion Canyon Scenic Drive

The shuttle system takes you through what is called Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. It starts at the visitor center and goes all the way to the end of the park. There are 9 stops along the way with various hikes and things to see at each stop. The shuttle bus also has a tour guide that explains each stop and the different parts of the park and history behind it all. I recommend doing the Canyon Scenic Drive from start to finish to learn about the park and see some incredible views. We were doing The Narrows hike that was at the very end of the park, so we were able to do the entire drive without getting off. It was a wonderful way to get a feel for the park!

The Narrows

***Highly Recommend 

Since we only had a short time in Zion National Park, we were only able to pick 1 long hike. We were debating between Observation Point and The Narrows. Since we have done many hikes to the top of a mountain, we decided to try something new and we went with The Narrows. 

The Narrows takes you on an upstream hike through the narrowest section of Zion Canyon. Depending on what time of year you go, the Virgin River can be very cold and cause hypothermia if proper gear is not worn. You are in the water the ENTIRE hike with high canyon walls surrounding you on all sides! This was unlike any hike we have every done! It was fairly easy and very enjoyable! This hike can take 4-6 hours depending on how far you decide to go.

Gear:

We went in early April when the water was only 39 degrees, so we had to rent dry gear for the hike. Fortunately when I had researched this hike, everyone suggested renting dry gear the night before as they sell out fast! We rented our gear from Zion Adventure Company and I could not have been happier with this company! They were reasonably priced and very knowledgeable about the different hikes in the park. They close at 8PM and open at 8AM and can be very busy! We rented the dry pants, shoes, and socks. We did not rent the entire wet suit and after doing this hike I do not think the wet suit is necessary. You also get a water stick to help you navigate through the water, as well as to help you know how deep the water is in various spots. The water can get deep in random places and you don't want to go in water that go above your dry pants or you will be quite chilly the rest of the hike! This stick came in quite handy for me as I am short and I was able to avoid the deep spots! The shoes they give you are AMAZING! Even if you go in the summer and you do not need to rent dry gear, I would still recommend renting the shoes and socks! They saved my life! The grips on the shoes are incredible and make walking through rocks and water easy!

We brought our own gloves that we wore the first part of the hike, as it is mostly in the shade and it can be chilly! I wore leggings under my dry pants, a long sleeve shirt, a jacket, and a rain jacket. I found this amount of clothing to be suitable. I wasn't cold at all and even shedded a few layers by the end of the hike. Sam brought a backpack with lunch and water. We put our phones in small dry proof pouches in the back pack. We didn't go in areas that went above his pants so everything stayed dry anyways. But if you do happen to step in a deep spot or chose to float down the stream, the waterproof pouch may come in handy!

Starting the Hike:

The trailhead for The Narrows starts at the Temple of Sinawava, which is at the end of Zion Canyon Scenic Drive Road (the last stop on the shuttle). This is the last place to use the bathroom! There are no other bathrooms on the trail. We arrived and started hiking at 10AM and the crowds were not too bad. We were by ourselves most of the hike, but we could see people in front of us and behind us. I would not suggest going after 10AM, it gets very busy! 

The first part of the hike is the Riverside Walk. This is a nice gravel trail along the river, that many people choose to do who are not hiking The Narrows. At the end of the trail, is where you get in if you are hiking the Narrows. We chose to carry our gear and put it on right before we got in the water, so we wouldn't get too warm. Other people put it on at their hotel, it is whatever you feel most comfortable doing. 

Hiking The Narrows:

Hiking The Narrows is pretty easy to navigate because there is nowhere else to go but up and back down the river, making it impossible to get lost! I was nervous going into this hike since I had never done anything like it. But after the first 1/4 mile I got the hang of navigating the rocks and soon felt like a pro! If you can do the first 1/4 mile, you can do the whole thing! The rest of the hike is pretty much like the first quarter mile in terms of navigating the river. When we went, the water was flowing at 99 cfs which is relatively quick, but we found it pretty doable. This hike will be closed if the water flow is above 150 cfs (which it was when I checked a few days before we went). You can find this information on the homepage of Zion NP. Since the hike can last anywhere from 4-6 hours, it is smart to bring a lunch! We stopped and enjoyed the views on some dry rocks while eating lunch. Obviously there are no garbage cans so anything you pack in you must pack out.

One of the great things about this hike is that you can make it as short or as long as you want. The place where they tell day hikers to turn around is called Wall Street Canyon. We didn't make it that far because honestly we found most of the hike looked the same! At one point you will come to a split in the river. To go to Wall Street you should go to the left. We decided to go to the right instead. There were no people and we enjoyed the isolation! There were many small waterfalls to the right and we had a fun time navigating ourselves over these waterfalls, just seeing how far we could go. Eventually, we reached a point where we couldn't get over the waterfall because it was too deep and we turned back around. We then headed back down the trail the way we came. Be sure to bring a map along with you. It is helpful in showing where you are at and how much farther to go because there are no markers on the river itself. On our way back, we were pretty warm and we even saw people floating down the river. If you go in the summer when the water is warmer, I highly suggest just laying on your back and floating down the river in the places that are deep enough!

Overall, we LOVED this hike! It was different from anything we had ever done and we highly recommend giving it a shot!

Biking Zion National Park

Since we were visiting over spring break, the busiest time of year, the shuttle bus was very crowded and took hours to get on. So we decided to rent bikes for 25$, for a half day, from Zion Adventure Company and explore Zion on 2 wheels! We started at Zion Adventure Company and biked to the trailhead of Emerald Pools. Given more time we would have biked the entire park! It was an amazing way to explore Zion! You bike on the same road as the shuttle bus, but it is so much better than the bus. It's quicker, more scenic, fresh air, no crowds, and the ability to stop whenever you feel like it! 

Biking Tips:

• You MUST pull over whenever a bus is behind you. The buses cannot pass you unless you pull over. We didn't have any issues with this. We only had to pull over a total of 3 times. 
• Your bike comes with a sticker guide on how long it will take you to bike places, as well as a lock so you can stop and do hikes. The furthest point in the park takes about an hour and a half to get to (45 minutes via the shuttle bus) so biking is definitely an efficient way to do it!
• Going into the park is all uphill and can be tiring. But going back is all downhill and takes half the time!

Pa-rus Trail

The Pa-rus Trail is the trail you will first start on when biking. It is a paved trail that takes you to the main road. This trail is beautiful, peaceful, and surrounded by mountains! Even if you do not rent bikes, I suggest walking this trail! 

Emerald Pools

After biking to the Emerald Pools, we locked up our bikes and started the 1-3 hour hike to the pools! We did all three pools-lower, middle, and upper. You can do all or one of them but I suggest doing them all. It is a fairly easy hike, family friendly, and only took us an hour and a half. 

We really liked this hike. It is a collection of short trails with pretty views of small waterfalls rolling from the cliffs to form several pools. The water flow of the waterfalls was light when we went, but can be heavier depending on the time of the year. You can actually put your head or hands in the water flowing from one of the waterfalls and it felt very refreshing! This hike is simple but beautiful, often described as "an oasis in the middle of the desert." 

Biking Zion National Park is an amazing way to experience all Zion has to offer! I highly recommend it!

Zion Drive - Zion Mount Carmel Highway (route 9)

This is another part of Zion National Park that you are able to drive your car on. We drove out of the park this way and it is definitely worth doing. The views feel very different from those on the Canyon Scenic Drive. There are several tunnels you will drive through which is kind of fun. There are many places to stop for pictures and we even saw some people hiking on the rocks. Definitely worth at least driving through!

Canyon Overlook Trail

This trail is right on the Zion Mount Carmel Highway. We did not have time to do this hike, but it is rated #6 on TripAdvisor and is easy to access with quick parking. It takes about 30 minutes and provides a great introduction or conclusion to the park. Is supposed to be the best short hike in the park with some great views!

Other Hikes in Zion 

Since we were limited on time, we were not able to do these hikes. However, they are highly rated on TripAdvisor and supposed to be worth checking out!

Observation Point 

This was on our list to do, but we decided on hiking The Narrows instead, as it was unlike any hike we have ever done! However it is rated #1 on TripAdvisor with great reviews! This hike is considered a strenuous hike, with many switchbacks, that can take 4-6 hours round trip. The views at the top are supposed to be some of the best views in the park and less crowded than Angel's Landing. You gain about 3000 feet in elevation and can see Angel's Landing from the top.  Check out TripAdvisor for more information!

Angel's Landing

Check out this video before doing the hike to make sure you can handle it! (Note: The video below was not made by me. I just found it on youtube and it helped me realize this hike was not for me!)

This hike was also on our list of things to do, but it was actually closed due to maintenance when we arrived at Zion. It reopened the next day, but after doing some research and watching the above video link, I decided it was much too dangerous for me! This hike is NOT for children or for people even remotely afraid of heights. There are many spots with VERY exposed cliffs. The first half of the hike is just switchbacks that are not scary, just tiring. After the switchbacks, you will come to the chains that are screwed into the side of the cliff. This is the part of the hike that can get dangerous. The chains are only on 1 side of you and it is very narrow with drop offs on both sides. This hike can get very busy and there is no room to pass so it can get tricky and nerve wrecking. A couple we met at our hotel did this hike and got scared half way through the chains and decided to turn around. They said it is worth just doing the switchbacks and turning around at the chains, as the views even up to that point are beautiful. This is a very popular hike and many people do it, so it is a doable hike, you just have to know your limits! It usually takes about 4 hours round trip. Check out TripAdvisor for more information!

Final Thoughts

There are many things to see and do at Zion National Park! Overall, we decided to give it 4 out of 5 stars! A must see on The Grand Loop roadtrip!

Check out the video below for the highlights of our visit to Zion!