Tweet
Zion National Park, Utah
Howdy,
Zion NP is about 2 1/2 hours north by car from Las Vegas.
Entrance fee is $25 per vehicle for 7 days. (I believe you can use the same NP entry for other nearby national parks as well. Can someone verify this?)
There is a free shuttle service in Zion Canyon that runs every six minutes during the day, stopping at all the popular trailheads and ending at the Temple of Sinawava, the end of the six-mile Zion Canyon road and entrance to the Zion Narrows. From April to October, cars are prohibited and the shuttle is mandatory. This is a big improvement over the traffic and parking hassles Zion used to experience. Bicycles also work well as there are paved trails in places and uncrowded roads elsewhere.
The Angels Landing hike is a classic, 5 miles with 22 switchbacks and a 1500 foot climb to a 5785 foot perch at the end of a narrow rock fin. (Allow about 5 hours!) It is not a technical climb, and chain handrails are provided where the exposure is most extreme (1000-foot drops on either side). Those with a fear of heights will not enjoy it, and it isn't suitable for younger kids. Those who make it to the Landing will enjoy gorgeous views of Zion Canyon.
The Zion Narrows (aka Virgin Narrows) hike is a wet hike of 4 - 10 miles in length, in water that is frigid until mid-summer. (Drysuits and other specialized gear can be rented from outfitters in nearby Springdale.) It can be done as a downstream through-hike of several days duration by hiring a shuttle ride to the "top", or as an in-and-out from the bottom, where the crowds are likely to be more dense.
Several wonderful slot canyon hikes are also possible - IF there is no possibility of thunderstorms and flash-floods! Subway Canyon (permit required) goes through a tunnel, and Orderville Canyon has several drops and pools you must traverse, ending up in the Virgin River, allowing hikers a tramp through the Virgin Narrows to finish their hike. (You might enjoy this as a long dayhike as much as doing the overnight Narrows hike. When you reach the Virgin River, turn upriver and walk as far as you like before turning downstream to hike out.)
There is only one hotel in the park, Zion Lodge, and it has cabins, motel rooms and suites beginning around $150 per night.
Two campgrounds are just inside the park entrance: Watchman campsites can be reserved; South campsites are first-come, first-served.
Nearby town of Springdale has motels and B&Bs plus RV parks with full hook-ups.
Contact info:
Zion National Park Info
www.nps.gov/zion phone 435-772-3256
www.zionpark.com
Zion Lodge reservations
www.zionlodge.com phone 888-297-2757
Watchman Campground reservations:
www.recreation.gov or call 877-444-6777
We have enjoyed Zion many times and can vouch for its being a most worthy destination. We free-camp on BLM and National Forest lands whenever we are in Utah, but don't try to free-camp in the National Parks. A no-no. Thanks for looking!
Zion NP is about 2 1/2 hours north by car from Las Vegas.
Entrance fee is $25 per vehicle for 7 days. (I believe you can use the same NP entry for other nearby national parks as well. Can someone verify this?)
There is a free shuttle service in Zion Canyon that runs every six minutes during the day, stopping at all the popular trailheads and ending at the Temple of Sinawava, the end of the six-mile Zion Canyon road and entrance to the Zion Narrows. From April to October, cars are prohibited and the shuttle is mandatory. This is a big improvement over the traffic and parking hassles Zion used to experience. Bicycles also work well as there are paved trails in places and uncrowded roads elsewhere.
The Angels Landing hike is a classic, 5 miles with 22 switchbacks and a 1500 foot climb to a 5785 foot perch at the end of a narrow rock fin. (Allow about 5 hours!) It is not a technical climb, and chain handrails are provided where the exposure is most extreme (1000-foot drops on either side). Those with a fear of heights will not enjoy it, and it isn't suitable for younger kids. Those who make it to the Landing will enjoy gorgeous views of Zion Canyon.
The Zion Narrows (aka Virgin Narrows) hike is a wet hike of 4 - 10 miles in length, in water that is frigid until mid-summer. (Drysuits and other specialized gear can be rented from outfitters in nearby Springdale.) It can be done as a downstream through-hike of several days duration by hiring a shuttle ride to the "top", or as an in-and-out from the bottom, where the crowds are likely to be more dense.
Several wonderful slot canyon hikes are also possible - IF there is no possibility of thunderstorms and flash-floods! Subway Canyon (permit required) goes through a tunnel, and Orderville Canyon has several drops and pools you must traverse, ending up in the Virgin River, allowing hikers a tramp through the Virgin Narrows to finish their hike. (You might enjoy this as a long dayhike as much as doing the overnight Narrows hike. When you reach the Virgin River, turn upriver and walk as far as you like before turning downstream to hike out.)
There is only one hotel in the park, Zion Lodge, and it has cabins, motel rooms and suites beginning around $150 per night.
Two campgrounds are just inside the park entrance: Watchman campsites can be reserved; South campsites are first-come, first-served.
Nearby town of Springdale has motels and B&Bs plus RV parks with full hook-ups.
Contact info:
Zion National Park Info
www.nps.gov/zion phone 435-772-3256
www.zionpark.com
Zion Lodge reservations
www.zionlodge.com phone 888-297-2757
Watchman Campground reservations:
www.recreation.gov or call 877-444-6777
We have enjoyed Zion many times and can vouch for its being a most worthy destination. We free-camp on BLM and National Forest lands whenever we are in Utah, but don't try to free-camp in the National Parks. A no-no. Thanks for looking!
A canvas campateer