Over the last couple of years we met multiple RVers who raved about the beauty of Zion NP and encouraged us to make this a “must do” stop in the course of travels. They were absolutely correct and we were not disappointed. There are no words really to describe the beauty and stunning vistas of this park.
We spent a week just outside Zion NP, in Virgin UT, which was pretty convenient to get to the park. This was handy because you can’t drive up the main route through the Zion Canyon and need to take the shuttle. Due to the park’s popularity, the visitor parking lots are full by 8am. Sooo…it was some early morning wake up calls to be on the road by 6:30 am and on the first shuttle by 7 am. Fortunately, the shuttles (which is really an ingenious way of dealing with large crowds in a narrow canyon) run every 10 minutes and you just hop on and off at different stops along the way. They are efficient and convenient and once parked and in the canyon there was no particular rush and we were free to explore at our own pace. As an added bonus, there was a terrific deal on a delicious breakfast buffet at the Zion NP lodge (stop#5) so several mornings when we were in the park before the sun was up, we enjoyed a sunrise breakfast (with the necessary morning caffeine) overlooking the red peaks of Zion.
We spent our week in Zion seeing all of the “greatest hits” which did not disappoint. Around every bend in the road or path is a different view each with it’s own breathtaking vista. The hikes each had their own charm with streams, waterfalls, snow-capped mountains, towering red rocks and mesas, or desert washes/canyons. The colors of Zion will stop you in your tracks: green trees, red cliffs and blue, blue skies. The Taylor Creek hike winds through Kolob canyon and ends at the “Double Arch Alcove”. To get there we crossed the stream about 45 times (each way). The hike was really fun and was one of my favorites. The views from the base of the canyon were no less dramatic than it would have been from the rim. Another of my favorites, was the Northgate Peaks trai. This was a higher elevation hike and took us through a forest of pine trees, over some lingering snow, through some streams to an overlook that was unbelievably stunning. While contemplating life, overlooking the sensational canyon view, we stopped to chat with another retired couple who were equally enamored with the scene. We traded stories, swapped favorite hikes, learned a lot about boon-docking and made some new Facebook RV friends who we hope to meet up with next year. You just never know!
I could go on and on about the uniqueness, beauty and majesty of this park but all I can say that it was aptly named….Zion. A place to remember!
