Everywhere we’ve been on this trip, the geology has been shaped by millions of years of erosion. Zion National Park is another location where the effects are visible. It’s hard to believe that the tame looking Virgin river that flows through the main canyon at Zion is responsible for cutting through over two thousand vertical feet of rock, but regular flash floods carry out tons of rock year after year. The canyon continues to widen and deepen until some day, millions of years from now, it will be all washed away. In the meantime, what a great place to hike!
While at Zion, we hiked 12.4 miles on four different trails. We started off with a “not for those with a fear of heights” route to Angels Landing. The trail winds through steep switchbacks up the valley side and then goes along a half-mile crest where the trail is very steep as well as only a few feet wide in places. One trip or slip and you’d fall 1,500 feet to the canyon floor. It makes for a thrilling 40 minutes. It’s surprising only 6 people have died on the trail since 2004, especially since we saw a girl hiking in sandals despite multiple signs warning you to wear proper hiking boots.
In the 1990s, Zion attracted 5,000 vehicles a day. The problem is that Zion only has 450 parking places. As a result, in 2000 they started prohibiting all private vehicles from the park from April through October. Free shuttles drive a circuit up and down the canyon and stop at access points along the way. They can get a bit crowded at the end of the day when everyone is exiting the park, but it’s a good system and helps keep the canyon clear and quiet.
Just outside the mouth of the valley near the visitor center is the town of Springdale, Utah. It’s a small town with many restaurant options, which is a nice change from many national parks that only have a couple dining options and nowhere to eat late. We started the mornings with great breakfasts, pastries and coffee at the Mean Bean Coffee House and refueled afterwards with Mexican food and large pitchers of beer at Oscars cafe and pizza at the Flying Monkey. The proximity to services combined with the absence of vehicle traffic perhaps gives Zion the best balance of nature and civilization of the parks we visited on this trip.

Neil at the end of the trail on Angels Landing.