Zion National Park
Our grandchildren, Julie (12) and Charles (10), joined us for a roadtrip to two national parks: Zion NP and Grand Canyon NP - North Rim. We started in Steamboat and drove 9 hours to the small town of Kanab, UT which is situated halfway between the two parks, among many other places of interest. We focused on just these two parks, but could have have also seen so many nearby places: Bryce Canyon NP, Lake Powell, The Grand Staircase, etc. Too many places…too little time. In Kanab, we rented a nice little VRBO and found this location to be perfect for us.
We spent two days exploring Zion. The first day was spent in the traditional Zion Canyon and the second day we went to Kolob Canyon. Both days, we mostly hiked. The weather was cool (48) in the mornings and pretty warm (85) by lunchtime, so we layered up and got an early start to beat the crowds.
Zion Canyon
The Great Arch greets park visitors entering from the east gate and can be seen from many vantage points inside the park due to its enormous size. It is not a true arch like in Arches NP, but still very impressive.
Desert wildflowers were everywhere and Don could not help himself from snapping photos of every one of them. Julie kept telling Grandad that he was not allowed to plant any more flowers!
The Zion Canyon road can only be accessed by the park shuttle system (or bikes) from March to November. We aren’t really big fans of exploring national parks by bus, but it is the only way in Zion Canyon, due to the crowds and narrow canyon roads. The shuttles started at the visitors center and included nine stops to access about 15 hikes of varying lengths and skill levels plus the Zion Lodge. We hiked The Watchman, The Grotto Trail, Weeping Rock, and The Riverside Walk. In total, we hiked about 10 miles this first day. The kids were troopers.
The Watchman Trail - 3.1 miles with an elevation gain of 636 feet. Named for the tall pointed feature watching over the park.
Weeping Rock Trail - .4 of a mile with a 98 foot climb. This short trail is still pretty steep and is named for the cave that slowly drips water.
Riverside Walk - 2.2 mile flat trail along the Virgin River.
Kolob Canyon
We spent the second Zion NP day in the less visited, southwest part of the park called Kolob Canyon. When we arrived, the rangers told us that a sink hole and rock slide had caused severe damage to the overlook road (see pics below). The 5 mile road was closed to cars at mile 3, but we could walk uphill the rest of the way, if we wanted. It was early and cool, so we decided to go for it. What a happy accident! We had this scenic road all to ourselves…no cars and very few people. After enduring the crowds at Zion Canyon, this was such a nice surprise. We told the kids that they would never see a road in Zion National Park like this again. We experienced quiet solitude and beautiful scenery while also challenged with a steep uphill climb. At the top, we were rewarded with an amazing view…and snacks.
