Zion National Park
Fun Places to Visit in Utah...
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No Utah vacation is complete without a visit to Zion National Park. If you are planning a family vacation to
Utah, then a trip to Zion should be high on your list of places to visit. Zion National Park is located in the
southwestern part of the state about halfway between St. George and Cedar City. The south entrance of
the park is at Springdale, Utah, but there is also an entrance on the east side of the park. When we visited
we entered the park through the Springdale entrance.
Lodging and food service is available inside the park, although nearby cities offer a wider selection. If you
intend to see Bryce Canyon on your trip then you may want to consider using Cedar City as your base
camp since it offers a wide range of services and it is about halfway between Zion and Bryce Canyon. This
location worked out well on our trip and allowed us to visit both parks.
For those who have visited Bryce Canyon much of your time is spent viewing the canyon from the above
plateau rim and if you are adventurous you can hike down the trails into the canyon floor. Zion offers just
the opposite. Typically, you are looking up from the canyon floor and travel along the beautiful Virgin River.
From here you have great views of the majestic peaks above which are adorned in a wide range of colors.
If you are adventurous then you can hike trails up from the canyon floor to the peaks above. When visiting
either park it is impossible to take it all in behind the wheel of your car or in a shuttle bus. You can
experience much this way, and see some breathtaking scenery, but to gain a greater appreciation you will
need to do some hiking.
Below are some pictures of Zion National Park from the Springdale entrance when we visited in June of
2008. Enjoy!
Utah, then a trip to Zion should be high on your list of places to visit. Zion National Park is located in the
southwestern part of the state about halfway between St. George and Cedar City. The south entrance of
the park is at Springdale, Utah, but there is also an entrance on the east side of the park. When we visited
we entered the park through the Springdale entrance.
Lodging and food service is available inside the park, although nearby cities offer a wider selection. If you
intend to see Bryce Canyon on your trip then you may want to consider using Cedar City as your base
camp since it offers a wide range of services and it is about halfway between Zion and Bryce Canyon. This
location worked out well on our trip and allowed us to visit both parks.
For those who have visited Bryce Canyon much of your time is spent viewing the canyon from the above
plateau rim and if you are adventurous you can hike down the trails into the canyon floor. Zion offers just
the opposite. Typically, you are looking up from the canyon floor and travel along the beautiful Virgin River.
From here you have great views of the majestic peaks above which are adorned in a wide range of colors.
If you are adventurous then you can hike trails up from the canyon floor to the peaks above. When visiting
either park it is impossible to take it all in behind the wheel of your car or in a shuttle bus. You can
experience much this way, and see some breathtaking scenery, but to gain a greater appreciation you will
need to do some hiking.
Below are some pictures of Zion National Park from the Springdale entrance when we visited in June of
2008. Enjoy!
As mentioned earlier, its difficult to experience something as expansive as Zion National Park without
getting off the beaten trail and doing some hiking. Fortunately, Zion offers many hiking trails to choose
from where you can experience more of the park. Some of these are fairly short, but still quite rewarding,
and others are longer and more difficult and more geared toward the back country enthusiast.
The Emerald Pools Trail is about 2 miles round-trip and begins near the Zion Lodge or Grotto Picnic Area.
This trail crosses over the Virgin River and continues up the canyon. It offers some very nice views of the
peaks above and has great views of the river as you travel higher up the canyon. Below are some pictures
taken along the trail in the Summer of 2008.
getting off the beaten trail and doing some hiking. Fortunately, Zion offers many hiking trails to choose
from where you can experience more of the park. Some of these are fairly short, but still quite rewarding,
and others are longer and more difficult and more geared toward the back country enthusiast.
The Emerald Pools Trail is about 2 miles round-trip and begins near the Zion Lodge or Grotto Picnic Area.
This trail crosses over the Virgin River and continues up the canyon. It offers some very nice views of the
peaks above and has great views of the river as you travel higher up the canyon. Below are some pictures
taken along the trail in the Summer of 2008.
One of the last shuttle stops on the Zion Canyon Springdale Loop is at the Temple of Sinawava. This is
well worth the short hike from the shuttle stop to see this. Especially on a warm day, it offers a great
chance to splash around in some clear, refreshing water and cool down a bit.
well worth the short hike from the shuttle stop to see this. Especially on a warm day, it offers a great
chance to splash around in some clear, refreshing water and cool down a bit.
