Zion National Park

Utah's most popular national park, with 2,000 m red-and-white sandstone canyons. The ridge trail to Angels Landing and wading through the Narrows are the most thrilling hikes in the American West.

Zion National Park lies in southwest Utah, about 260 km from Las Vegas, a roughly 2.5-hour drive. It is a must-stop on the Grand Circle of the American West and one of the three most visited national parks in the United States, with about 4.5 million visitors a year. Its centrepiece is Zion Canyon, cut by the Virgin River. The canyon is 800 m deep and flanked by giant Navajo sandstone cliffs such as The Watchman and West Temple. From March to November, private cars are banned from the Scenic Drive inside the canyon. Instead, take the free shuttle bus from the visitor centre, which runs every 5 to 10 minutes, to the main sights in order: Court of the Patriarchs, Zion Lodge (the Emerald Pools trail, 1 to 2 hours round trip and suitable for families), The Grotto (the starting point for Angels Landing), Weeping Rock, and the final stop, Temple of Sinawava. From there, the Riverside Walk runs 3.5 km round trip and ends where you enter The Narrows. There are two signature trails. Angels Landing is 8.7 km round trip with 450 m of elevation gain. The final 800 m follow a ridge only 1 m wide, where you climb holding on to chains. Since 2022, a permit must be obtained through a lottery on recreation.gov, with a 6-dollar application fee per person. The Narrows involves wading upstream in the Virgin River, with cliffs 300 m high on either side and a narrowest point of only 6 m. The round trip to Wall Street takes about 4 to 6 hours. You can rent wading boots and walking poles in Springdale for about 30 dollars. Water temperature stays around 10 to 15°C all year, and the trail closes when there is a flash flood risk during the rainy season. Other highlights include the Zion–Mount Carmel Highway on the east side, which passes through a 1.8 km tunnel to Checkerboard Mesa. The Canyon Overlook trail on the far side of the tunnel (1.6 km round trip) offers the easiest view over the canyon. RVs must pay an escort fee to pass through the tunnel. Entry costs 35 dollars per vehicle. Accommodation: Springdale, just outside the park entrance, has many hotels, but they are expensive in peak season. Zion Lodge inside the park must be booked several months in advance. Notes for peak season (March to October): the visitor centre car park fills by 8 am, so park in Springdale and take the free town shuttle to the park entrance. Mobile phone signal is poor inside the park. Afternoon thunderstorms in summer can trigger flash floods, so check the flood warning level at the visitor centre before entering The Narrows.

Zion National Park

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