We had the pleasure of visiting #ZionNationalPark in October 2020 as the first stop of our week long trip to #TheMightyFive of Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands National Parks. This blog will give you some pictures, links, and tips we learned along the way, and hopefully you find them useful/entertaining!
First things first - Getting to the Park:
The park entrance is located in a small town called Springdale which is about 2 1/2 hours Northeast of Las Vegas and 4 1/2 hours South of Salt Lake City. We originally planned to fly in to Vegas, hit all 5 National Parks, and fly out of Salt Lake City, but upon further research the price of the rental car nearly doubled when returning it to a different airport than it was rented from. So, we opted to fly in to Salt Lake City, make the drive down to Springdale, and work our way back up towards Salt Lake City.
Secondly - Where to Stay:
There are 15+ hotels in Springdale and countless more outside of town (and that's not including all of the rental homes). There are a couple of options to stay within the park. Zion Lodge is the only lodging within the park, and they sport cabins, hotel rooms and suites that are open all year long. They have one on-site restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and also have a seasonal café, The Castle Dome, that serves snack bar-type items such as coffee, espresso, and cinnamon buns in the morning and burgers, hot dogs and french fries throughout the day. Additonally, the Castle Dome serves local microbrews on the Beer Garden Cart on the patio.
Zion also boasts 3 campgrounds within the park. South Campground and Watchman Campground are located right in Zion Canyon in the main part of the park. The Lava Point Campground is about a 1 hour drive from Zion Canyon on Kolob Terrace Road. According to the Zion National Park Service page, the campgrounds are full almost every night from mid-March through late November so reservations ahead of time are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. You can make reservations at www.recreation.gov and head on over to https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/campgrounds-in-zion.htm to read more about the campgrounds and amenities they offer. If you are going to camp be sure to plan accordingly as the temperature in the summer exceeds 95 degrees and rarely falls below 65 so staying cool can be an issue.
Next - Navigating The Park: ***Please note that shuttle ticket reservations are no longer needed as of June 2021***
You CANNOT drive personal vehicles past Canyon Junction (see map below) unless you are staying at Zion Lodge. To enter the park you must use the shuttle system, rent a private shuttle (there is a list in the Zion Information Guide linked below), walk, or ride a bike. It is 3.3 miles from the visitor center where you can park to the first shuttle stop 'Court of the Patriarchs,' so having to walk isn't ideal. The shuttle ticket services are also managed through www.recreation.gov, and the cost is $1 per ticket. Each person requires a ticket to enter the park on a shuttle. Once you are inside, the shuttles run on a loop with 4 stops. Once you are in the park you have unlimited use of the shuttles from stop to stop, but once you leave the park you cannot renter the park using the shuttles. A shuttle ticket is required for each day you intend to use it. When purchasing a ticket, it is a designated timeframe, so if you purchase the 7am - 8am shuttle ticket you MUST use it to enter the park during that timeframe as you cannot use it later.
There are three opportunities to acquire shuttle tickets.
Advanced tickets ($1.00 each) will be released twice a month, on the 16th and the last day of the month, for the next month. For instance, April 1 - 15, 2021, advance tickets are released on March 16, at 9:00 a.m. MT and April 16 - 30, 2021, advance tickets are released on March 31, at 9:00 a.m. MT.
Additional tickets ($1.00 each) will be released the day before your intended visit at 5:00 p.m. (for example, tickets for February 13, will be released at 5:00 p.m. on February 12). Tickets must be purchased on-line at Recreation.gov.
Afternoon walk-up tickets (no charge) will be available from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center. These tickets are limited and are first come, first served.
Finally - What to See!:
If you have the capability we HIGHLY ENCOURAGE you to hike Angels Landing Trail and The Narrows, which are both considered strenuous hikes by the National Park Service.
#AngelsLanding is a 5.4 mile hike that has a 1500 ft. elevation gain and starts at The Grotto trailhead stop on the shuttle route. The first section of the trail is wide, fairly level, and follows the river. As you progress, there are some switchbacks that start to increase the difficulty the further you go. You will then pass through a section called Refrigerator Canyon that is very well shaded, pretty flat, and picturesque. Next come Walter's Wiggles - 21 tight switchbacks that cause you to gain elevation very quickly. Once you're through #WaltersWiggles you end up at Scout Lookout which offers sweeping views of the canyon below. There are restrooms located here, but be warned they were very unkept when we were there in late October. From #ScoutLookout it is another 1/2 mile up to Angels Landing. This is the famous section that has chains lining the way, and the views from the top are absolutely breathtaking!
#TheNarrows is the other strenuous hike that Zion has to offer. The mileage varies depending on how far you are interested in going, but it can be up to 16 miles round trip (to see all 16 miles you would need a wilderness permit and would start from "from the top"). What makes this hike so unique is that 60%+ of the hike is spent in the Virgin River! If you hike from "the bottom up" you will start at the Temple of Siniwava stop on the shuttle route, and the first mile is a pretty flat hike to bring you to the "Gateway to the Narrows".
Hiking this trail is not permitted when there is high runoff or flash flooding is a possibility, so you will want to check the weather forecast leading up to the day you plan to complete this hike. You will also want special equipment (water boots, neoprene socks, & a hiking stick at a minimum) that can be rented from several different outfitters around Springdale. It was a beautiful day when we went so we did not rent waders, but we rented our boots, neoprene socks, and hiking stick from Zion Outfitter. We also planned to be on the very first shuttle in to the park that day to ensure we had all the time we wanted to spend in The Narrows!
Zion offers other great hikes as well, so if you have the time be sure to check out Canyon Overlook trail (parking fills up fast so get here EARLY), The Emerald Pool trails, and The Watchmen Trail.
Additional Links:
Hampton Inn (Nice clean rooms and had great grab & go breakfast options)
Bit & Spur Restaurant (GREAT Margaritas)
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