{A Vacation at Zion National Park}
WARNING: Very gorgeous landscapes and scenic views ahead. HA! 😆 But in all seriousness, Zion National Park is absolutely stunning!!!! There is not one mediocre view and I’m convinced that you can NOT take a bad photo anywhere in the park. Everywhere you look is just breathe-taking! We spent 3 short days hiking and I know we hadn’t even scratched the surface. I already can’t wait to return!
Our trip started out with a quick 24 hour stay in Vegas because, well….why not?!?! Our flight came into Vegas and knew we needed to, at least, check it out for a day. I’ll share more of that on social media soon. 😉 The next day we drove up to Springdale, UT where we stayed two nights and then finished the last leg of our trip staying in St. George, UT. Our first hiking day we explored Emerald Pools trail, then took the Grotto trail back down to the Virgin River bottom. We also walked through Petroglyph Canyon which is located on Mt. Carmel highway. You won’t find this canyon on any maps and there are no signs at the trailhead. This made for a very quiet and peaceful hike which ended with a glimpse of ancient petroglyphs from 7,000 years ago. For some reason I don’t have any images of the petroglyphs, just some video on my phone. 🤦♀️ We finished the day hiking 3.5 miles to Observation Point to watch the sunset over Zion Canyon and then hiked the 3.5 miles back in the dark. Absolutely worth it and I would do it again in a heartbeat!!
Our second day came early with a 5:30am alarm so we could catch the first shuttle to The Narrows. Since the Narrows is one of the most popular hikes in Zion, I was adamant about being out to the trail as soon as we could. The views, again, were incredible…and even better with very few people to dodge. Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience!! On our way back, the closer we got to the beginning of the trail, the more it started to look like Disney World. There were so many people to weave in and out of and, honestly, it wasn’t near as enjoyable as the walk down at the beginning of the morning. I highly, highly recommend getting to the trail at sunrise!
On our third and last day we stayed in St. George which made for a closer drive to Kolob Canyons. We loved the smaller crowds and more quiet atmosphere. First, we hiked Timber Creek Overlook trail that ended in a great view of the canyon. And last, but certainly not least, we hiked South Taylor Creek. This trail was amazing and one of our favorites of the entire trip! It’s not marked on any maps and the trailhead is a little difficult to find but the views are unbelievable! As we were hiking this dried canyon river bed, we came across some rock climbers on Namaste Wall. We stayed a while to watch them and I found it so fascinating! Which had me thinking that I need to get out of Iowa more. 🤪 Rock climbers are so bold and adventurous and seem to be without a care in the world, if only I was half as cool as them! 😆
I could go on and on about the entire trip but I will spare you the long read! 😆 All in all, I 12/10 recommend exploring Zion National Park with your best friends/family! It was an epic vacation filled with epic views, epic people and epic memories! Thank you Jonny and Jordan for inviting us on this amazing adventure!!! 🥰
The Virgin River at the beginning of Emerald Pools hike.
Scenic views along Emerald Pools hike.
Petroglyph Canyon
Scenic View along the path to Observation Point.
Observation Point looking into Zion Canyon.
Our Pinterest Photo 🤪
The Narrows
The entrance to Orderville Canyon in The Narrows.
Kolob Canyon and Timber Creek Overlook trail.
South Taylor Creek (the rock and sand is really that red/orange!)
Rock climbers at Namaste Wall along South Taylor Creek trail.
Just as he was falling. He was totally ok though! Joe caught the whole thing on video!!
I wish I was half this cool! 🤪
