Tom and I enjoyed four days exploring Zion National Park in early April, while boondocking in Southern Utah. Three out of the four days we visited Zion Canyon, which is accessible from both the South and East Entrances. The other day we visited Kolob Canyon, which is accessible from Highway 15.
Our first day in Zion National Park was the Monday after Easter Sunday. We got a late start that morning and by the time we reached the South Entrance, near Springdale, Utah, it was 10am. Traffic was already so backed up at the entrance gates that attendants were letting cars pass through without checking for park passes. Otherwise, traffic would have likely backed up all the way through the town of Springdale.
Like most people entering the park for the first time, Tom and I headed straight for the Zion Canyon Visitor Center. In addition to offering the most obvious services, such as park information, restrooms, and a gift shop, the visitor center is the first stop for the Zion Canyon shuttle service. The free shuttle takes visitors to the most popular trailheads and attractions along the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, which is inaccessable to private vehicles.
When Tom and I arrived at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center just after 10 am, the parking lot was completely full with many cars driving in circles desperately hoping to find an open spot. If the parking situation wasn't discouraging enough, the line of people waiting for the shuttle snaked through a large roped section and as far back past the buildings as we could see. That was a deal-breaker for us even if we could, somehow, find a place to park our car. Rather than give up on our first day in this popular park during one of its busiest seasons, Spring Break, Tom and I headed up the one road that allowed private vehicles, the Zion - Mt. Carmel Highway.
Zion - Mt Carmel Drive
Tom and I escaped the chaos at Zion Canyon Visitor Center by 10:20 and started our drive along the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway. Traffic was relatively light since most vehicles were either parked or looking for parking at the visitor center. We enjoyed beautiful views as we drove along the highway. We passed several scenic pullouts but they were already full with more cars trying to squeeze in.
Some cars came from the other direction which leads from the East Entrance of the park. That's the route that Google mapped us from Page, Arizona, the day before. If Tom and I hadn't decided to visit and stay with our friend, near the Southern Utah border, before visiting Zion, our first sight of this beautiful, but low clearance, tunnel would have been while driving our 13' camper instead of our Jeep. And, had we not taken this unexpected drive in our Jeep, we may have followed Google's suggestion for our trip home. Our camper would probably make it because an attendant at each end of the tunnel closes traffic in one direction to allow high profile vehicles to drive down the center of the road. However, it wouldn't be an enjoyable drive as we attempt to stay centered just enough to keep our AC unit from being ripped off the roof.
Highlights
I always enjoy tunnels, especially when I'm not worried about them ripping our camper off our truck. The drive through the Zion-Mount Carmel tunnel was longer than I expected. It has several openings that let in natural light. After exiting the east side of the tunnel, we continued driving until we reached another short tunnel before the Many Pools Trailhead. We would have continued through that tunnel but there happened to be an open spot in a pullout on the other side of the road just before the tunnel. And, since we were driving our Jeep, we could easily whip around and snag it!
We'd been driving for more than an hour, by this point, and looked forward to getting out and stretching. We found a short trail that led down to a dry wash. Walking along the wash and looking up at the mountains gave us a taste of the Zion experience without the crowds. As we started our drive back toward the South Entrance, we caught a glimpse of young Big Horn Sheep along the highway.
Photos
You can view photos from our Zion - Mt Carmel Drive on the Carpe Diem Facebook page by clicking on the image below.
River Walk
After an adventurous day away from Zion National Park, off-roading to Lost Spring Mountain, Tom and I returned to the park for an early start.
We arrived at the visitor center around 7:30am and were happy to find a parking spot. The shuttle line was already starting to form but was relatively short. We didn't have much of a plan for the day but decided to ride the shuttle to the farthest stop on the Zion Canyon Scenic drive then work our way back. The farthest stop is called Temple of Sinawava, a natural amphitheater named for the coyote spirit of the Paiute nation. This stop is also the trailhead for the River Walk, a 2.2 mile (3.5 km) out-and-back walkway along the river. The paved River Walk leads to the popular Narrows trailhead.
Highlights
Wild turkeys greeted us as we exited the shuttle at the Temple of Sinawava.
Many people riding the shuttle with us early that morning were wearing waders in anticipation of "hiking" The Narrows trail which is, essentially, walking upstream in the Virgin River. We enjoyed watching them start up the river and agreed it would be fun to return some time on a hot day. But, that morning was hovering around freezing and, with the Spring runoff, those people could be wading waste deep in cold water. Tom does that fly fishing in Colorado. He didn't see any fish in the Virgin river so he just didn't see the. point. I would have loved to see the canyon and take pictures but figured I'd be too cold and too busy fighting the current for that! In any case, we enjoyed the beautiful morning walk along the Virgin River. It was a great warmup for our next stop on the shuttle!
Photos
You can view photos from our River Walk on the Carpe Diem Facebook page by clicking on the image below.
West Rim Trail
After our early morning walk along the river, Tom and I took the shuttle from Temple of Sinawava to the Grotto, which offers access to the Angels Landing trail. We had tried to get permits to hike the Angels Landing trail but unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, the it was closed for maintenance. Still, we wanted to see how close we could get to this famous, death-defying trail.
From the Grotto shuttle stop, Tom and I crossed the Virgin River via the foot bridge and started up the West Rim Trail. The entire West Rim Trail, out-and-back is about 30 miles.
Highlights
We only intended to go about 4 miles out-and-back on the West Rim Trail to get as far as the Angels Landing trailhead near Scout Lookout. The trail is beautiful with spectacular views all along the way. We took a long break at Scout Lookout with scary views of the Angels Landing trail then decided to hike another mile or so along the West Rim trail until it started descending steeper into the valley... What goes down must come up and we still had a long hike ahead of us back to the Grotto shuttle stop. As we made our way back down toward Scout Lookout, we had amazing views of Walter's Wiggles, the steep switchbacks we had ascended on our way up to Scout Lookout.
The trail name "West Rim" doesn't sound very exciting but Tom and I were thoroughly impressed with beauty on the section that we hiked along this trail. We were also very surprised that most of the trail is paved. We'd have preferred dirt because it's more natural and easier on the joints. But, given the high traffic and steep walls, it's understandable why it might be easier for the park to maintain it with pavement.
Photos
You can view photos from our hike along the West Rim trail on the Carpe Diem Facebook page by clicking on the image below.
Taylor Creek Trail
Tom and I had heard from several friends that live near Zion National Park, that the northwest part of the park, Kolob Canyon, isn't nearly as crowded as Zion Canyon. And, since we were getting a late start that day, we decided to give it a try. We made a quick stop at the Kolob Visitor Center to fill our water bottles then headed to the Taylor Creek Trailhead about 2 miles past the visitor center.
Highlights
We practically had the trail to ourselves as we followed the dirt path along Tailor Creek. The 5 mile out-and-back trail leads past two historic cabins and ends at a beautiful double-arch alcove. Enjoy the echos as you talk... or sing to your hiking buddy. For the best effects, have one of you in the alcove and the other out front!
Photos
You can view photos from our hike along the Taylor Creek trail on the Carpe Diem Facebook page by clicking on the image below.
Kolob Canyons Road
After hiking the Taylor Creek Trail, Tom and I drove to the end of Kolob Canyons Road to experience the canyon from above. The added drive from the Taylor Creek trailhead is only about 3 miles each way and well worth it.
Highlights
Kolob View Point at the end of the road as well as each of the pullouts along the way offers spectacular views of the canyon. We found plenty of parking and photo opportunities without the crowds like Zion Canyon.
Photos
You can view photos from our drive along the Kolob Canyons Road on the Carpe Diem Facebook page by clicking on the image below.
Emerald Pools via Kayenta Trail
Tom and I got an early start to hike Kayenta trail to the Emerald Pools. We parked at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center just before 8am on a Saturday morning and were pleasantly surprised to see there was almost no line for the shuttle. We had a brief dusting of snow overnight and it was still quite cold so maybe people were waiting for it to warm up. Tom and I were dressed for winter and ready to enjoy our last hike in Zion before heading off to our next destination, Bryce Canyon.
Highlights
The air was crisp, the skies were blue, and the trails were practically empty as we started our hike up Kayenta trail to the Upper Emerald Pool. From there we made our way down to the middle pool then followed a loop from the upper Emerald Pools trail to the Lower Emerald Pools trail. As we made our way back towards the Kayenta trail, we finally reached the Lower Emerald Pool. While Tom and I weren't particularly impressed with the Upper and Middle Pools, the Lower Pool was worth the entire hike. Of course, we could have reached the Lower Pool in half the time had we just skipped the Emerald loop trails. But, the journey is as much fun as the destination. And, this particular journey resulted in a beautiful 4.3 mile hike!
Photos
You can view photos from our hike to the Emerald Pools on the Carpe Diem Facebook page by clicking on the image below.
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