We got up early so we could get to Zion before all of the crowds. We actually arrived there at 8:30 am, and by that time, all of the Visitor and Shuttle parking lots were completely full. I can't believe the number of people there, as well as in the town of Springdale, which is at the park entrance. The town is 100% touristy, catering to the Zion park attendees. Without a doubt, this park is WAY more crowded than Arches was.
The Shuttle system takes you to the Scenic Drive, up a canyon and stops at 5 different waypoints and trailheads on the way to the end of the road. It actually stops at a 6th one on the way back. These shuttles come every 4 minutes, and are actually double bus shuttles. So they move lots of people.
There is also a road that goes through a different section of the park, the Zion-Mt. Carmel Hwy. It goes up a mountain side, with 7 or 8 tight switchbacks. It then goes through a mile long tunnel under the mountain, and finishes up through more canyons and vistas, at the east side of the park. There are many pullouts along the way. So, we decided to drive that road, as parking wasn't an issue. VERY SCENIC. Wonderful red/orange/white colors, spotted with green scrubs and trees. HUGE mountain formations. At the end of the road was the Checkerboard Viewpoint. This looked at two or three jutting mountains that were etched with very distinct checkerboard lines.
It was also the trailhead for the East Rim Trail, an 11 mile trail that headed back over to the main section of the park, through the back country. We walked about 1 mile in and turned around and came back. It was different and interesting to be walking in the wilder park of the park. The trail was mostly sandy, and it went through some canyons, over rocky outcroppings. Interesting. Nice hike.
We stopped at the Canyon Overlook Trail, and thought we'd try to walk it. Everyone coming down from it said it was worth the climb. However, the placard said the trail was not for people afraid of heights and that there were narrow ledges, some of which had no guard rails. We hiked up to the rim of the canyon, holding on for dear life to the rails, but at the first narrow ledge without a rail, we bailed. Not for us. Live and Learn.
By the time we returned to the Visitor Center, around noon, we were able to find a parking spot. So we ate our picnic lunch at the visitor center and boarded one of the shuttles. It took us to the end, the Temple of Sinawava, and the Riverside Walk. This mile and a half "walk" went along the river that cut the canyon. Nice walk through the canyon, up and down. It ended at "The Narrows", which is where the canyon walls are only 20 feet apart. The trail went through the river to the other side, and continued on for many miles, but that was enough for us. Lots of folks were playing in the water. The canyon walls were really high, all along the way, and made for a beautiful hike.
We boarded the shuttle and got off at the next stop, Big Bend. There were some park naturalists there with a telescope trained on two California Condors, perched on the cliff side. Apparently, they tag and track every condor in the park. When they started, there were only 50 condors, and now there are 500. Above the condors, at the top of the cliff, is the Angels Landing Trail. Now this is a crazy trail! It ascends 1500 feet to the top of the mountain cliff, then the last 1/2 mile goes along the peak to the top. It is so narrow, that there is a chain going down the middle of the trail, so that people going both ways have something to hold on to, as the drop off is so steep on both sides! I asked if there were ever people falling off the peak, and they said yes, many, over the years. Now why would anyone want to walk that trail? As you would have it, that night, we got some new neighbors at the campgrounds, and he said he walked it last May. Go figure.
The next stop was at the Lodge, where we had a cup of coffee and Peter his ice cream. By this time, we had had enough, so we took the shuttle back to the Visitor Center. At 4pm, the parking lot had many sites, so we will plan our return trip here for the later afternoon.
Zion National Park is different than the Arches, Canyonlands, Captiol Reef and Bryce Canyon parks. More big mountain formations creating incredible views. Not many formations. So it is striking, but it is also SO CROWDED everywhere, that it detracts from the natural beauty. Even Arches wasn't nearly as crowded. Of course it is a much larger park, so the people are more spread out.
Back at the RV, we just relaxed for a while, and then chatted with our new neighbors. Dinner, and a game of Cribbage. No TV as there was no internet, and we had already watched the DVD's we had brought. So we read. Good sightseeing day.
Zion-Mt. Carmel Hwy photos:
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| Narrow ledge without rails \ |
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