Two Days in Zion

April 15-16, 2023

It had been over twenty years since I had last visited Zion National Park, and I was overdue for a trip back.

Zion has beauty and wonders that you must experience firsthand.

First, I recommend arriving early, before 8:00 AM. After a long day of travel on April 14th, I happily slept in and arrived at the park just after 9:00, and the parking lot was full. I’ll admit I was a little frustrated. To see the main canyon in Zion, you must park and take the shuttle (from March-November). Private cars are not allowed in that section of the park.

I’m not opposed to the shuttle system. It makes sense. And I arrived at 7:30 the next day to find plenty of spots in the parking lot.

There is a section of the park where you can drive a private vehicle. It takes you through the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel and out of the park’s east entrance. Since I was unwilling to pay to park outside of the park, I opted to drive on the 15th.

In the end, it was a good plan. I stopped several times and got to enjoy the scenery and took several short walks. When I sat down for lunch, a herd of goats arrived to join me. No complaints.

But if you go to Zion, you must see the canyon.

I started by taking the shuttle to the final stop, the Temple of Sinawava. From this stop, take the Riverside Walk for about a mile along the Virgin River to The Narrows. People hike in the river through the Narrows when the water is low.

Since it was mid-April, there was no possibility of walking upstream. Water was rushing with great force. The abundance of water made for some outstanding waterfalls throughout the park, something you wouldn’t see at other times of the year.

The next stop was Big Bend. The main attraction was the Condors up at the top of the canyon.

On to the next stop.
Weeping Rock was gushing, not weeping. Again, due to the spring melt-off. It’s a short hike up and worth it to stand under the rock ledge and watch the water crash over.

I then disembarked at The Grotto for my main hike of the day. Across the road, I got on the Kayenta Trail, which took me to the Upper and Middle Emerald Pools. (I could see the lower pools but didn’t feel the need to hike down to them.)

From there, I hiked to Zion Lodge for a much-needed lunch. Sadly, the menu was limited and disappointing. But the scenery was the star of the day.

After briefly stopping at the Court of the Patriarchs, I visited the museum. The shuttle driver suggested walking back to the parking area from there. Since I had one day to take it all in, I took his advice. It was getting pretty warm by then, and I was happily exhausted when I got to my car.