Utah's First National Park
 |
| Zion Natioanl Park Entrance |
As we departed Moab on our way west to Springdale, Utah, we drove across I70 along areas we had not seen before and of course it was just beautiful. We passed by Capital Reef National Park, one I was not able to work into this trip. We'll get there eventually!
We purposefully entered the area from the west to avoid going through the tunnel - more on that later. Meandering north along highway 9, we found our way to our next spot, Zion River Resort. This is a great newer RV park with small cabins, a great little store and a pool. We could walk a few blocks from our site into the main entrance and then take the shuttle into the canyon of Zion National Park.
On our first morning shortly after we made our coffee there was a brief thunderstorm. Glad it was on the 12th! We decided to drive to the east side of Zion, taking the East Rim Trail. It had rained pretty heavy all morning, so we got a late start. The skies were still quite overcast, with potential for rain by early afternoon. So, not too many pics as we kind of powered through the trail hoping to get to the overlook into the canyon. At about an hour in we reached a high point, but still nowhere near the overlook, and then it started to drizzle. So we returned to the car, and during the return hike of course it cleared up. While waiting to get through the tunnel we spotted several Big Horn Sheep. Took the time to stop and take in the sights after the tunnel on the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway. The last time we drove this five years ago we entered from the west we were towing the trailer and really couldn't stop. This drive is simply amazing! Certainly one of the most beautiful drives anywhere we've experienced.
We enjoyed a tap at Zion Brewing, located at a prime spot at the exit of the park. We returned to our RV for a light dinner, and prepared for the next day and our 9AM Angel's Landing timed entry.
Returning to this trail was the reason for this tip. We returned to the trail Tim started five years ago, the Angels Landing via West Rim Trail. When I first did this I barely made it up the first third due to fear of heights and a few extra pounds. I'm still afraid of heights (just ask Tim) but after years of hiking and shedding some of those pounds, it was very enjoyable. After Walters Wiggles and reaching Scout Outlook, I read while Tim continued to the end of Angels Landing. If you don't know, it's considered one of the most challenging trails in a national park, with breathtaking views, steep drop offs and many areas where you have to use chains to help with the climb and decent. There's one section where the sheer drop off is on both sides of you. We had the perfect day!
On our last day, we enjoyed a more mellow hike, the Sand Beach Trail. We really enjoyed our time in the area, and Tim was finally able to finish his hike. Next, we headed back to Colorado and Mesa Verde National Park.Have you been to Zion National Park? Leave your comments below! Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.
Comments
Post a Comment