ZION
Driving from Las Vegas to Zion is a surreal experience. As you leave the lights and glitz of the strip (not in the daytime like when we left, but you get the visual narrative we’re painting) you are quickly transported to the desert and all it’s wonders. As we drew closer and closer to Zion and the landscape changed again and again, we got more and more excited about this journey we had planned out.
Coming into the park means driving through Springdale, which is literally outside the gates of Zion, a cute town that we didn’t have the time to explore. After getting our park pass and parking in town, we promptly set off on our first day of hiking in Zion. We took the tram to Weeping Rock and Hidden Canyon. If you hike Hidden Canyon, you will get a chance to experience what it is like to hike using chains (which is a good primer for Angel’s Landing). Weeping Rock is at the same tram stop as the Hidden Canyon trailhead and well worth the visit as well. After both of these hikes and with waning light, we hit the Archeology Trail, which is a short hike near Zion’s shops, and ended our day here.
On our second day of hiking, we got to the park ready for the first trams to take us to the stop for Angel’s Landing. After gawking our way all the way up to Scout’s Lookout, we started to realize the rest of the hike was very different and potentially very dangerous. Despite some panic and a small fall, we made our way out to the tip of Angel’s Landing before descending back down to the canyon floor. Thereafter, we hiked the Grotto Trail to the Lodge, the Upper and Lower Emerald Pool Trails, the Pa’Rus Trail and finally the Watchman Trail. It seems like the work of crazy people, and perhaps it is, but all six of those trails in a single day took us less than 12 hours, and it wasn’t like we were running (especially not on Angel’s Landing).
Zion National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Southern Paiute and Pueblo people.
Listen while you look! These buttons will link you to the podcast episode(s) for this park and gallery.
