We visited Zion National Park as part of our Southwest road trip. It was the last National Park on this trip. Click here to read our experiences from the previous day. We started from Bryce and took Utah highway 12; some pull-out points were there.
The Red Canyon Arch
We entered from the east entrance of Zion National park, which took around 2 hours. The entrance fee was $35 but was covered in our Annual Pass. Here is the official website to get more information about the park.
We then took Zion-Mount Camel Highway as we were approaching zion national park, with beautiful views.
Checkerboard Mesa
There was another rock with beautiful pattern
Canyon Overlook Trail was one of the most popular hikes in Zion National Park. It was located east of the Zion-Mount Camel Tunnel and had a small parking lot. It was a moderate 1-mile round trip hike with some stairs initially.
It had some tight spots with just wooden blocks.
Looking back at the tight spot we just crossed.
We walked through a small cave with cliffs on the other side.
Scenic views along the trip.
Once we reached the viewpoint, it offered breathtaking views of the canyon and the switchbacks of Highway 9.
After the hike we continued towards Springdale, UT where we were staying for 2 nights. There is only one lodge inside the park, The Zion Lodge but several hotels options in the near by town of Springdale, UT
Most of the time, private vehicles are not allowed inside the park. You can either park the car at the visitor center or take the Springdale shuttle to the main entrance. Take the park shuttle from the visitor center to visit different parts of the park on Zion Canyon’s Scenic drive. The shuttle line may be very long during the summer.
Views from the parking lot of our hotel in Springdale, UT
The shuttle stop was right in front of our hotel, so we took the Springdale shuttle and then the park shuttle to the last stop, Temple of Sinawava, the next day.
Riverside Walk was an easy 2.2-mile roundtrip walk beside the river offering stunning views. The famous hike The Narrows also starts here, but the water current was high when we visited.
Weeping Rock Trail is a short .4-mile hike to a rock with a dripping spring.
Lower Emerald Pools Trail starts from Zion Lodge and is an easy 1.2 mile round trip trail leads to Lower Emerald Pool and waterfalls. You can continue on the trail to get to Upper Emerald Pool but it is closed when we visited.
Pa’rus Trail is a paved 3.5 round trip trail that connects the Canyon Junction Bridge with the Visitor Center.
Canyon Junction Bridge is popular for sunset pictures
The trail goes next the river and offers beautiful views along the way
In the afternoon, we decided to go to Kolob Canyons, a lesser-known section of Zion. It was 40 miles from Springdale, UT. We grabbed a map from the Kolob Canyons Visitor Center and did the scenic drive on Kolob Canyon Road, which had interpretive signs and pullouts that mark points of interest.
Timber Creek Overlook is the last stop on the scenic drive, and you can hike a short 1-mile roundtrip to a stunning viewpoint.
Zion was our last national park on this road trip. The next day we traveled to Las Vegas and stayed two nights there.
We picked short and easy hikes based on our fitness level. If you are an avid hiker, the most popular hikes are Angles landing and Narrows (weather permitting). There are many more hikes that you can add to your itinerary.
You can also include a stop at Valley of Fire State Park on your way to Las Vegas.