Although our family has taken an number of great trips together, we've never made it as a group to Zion National Park -- one of my favorite places on earth. I became absolutely obsessed with Zion on my first trip there about 12 years ago and haven't been able to get enough of it since then. Although massive, its scale seems more real and easier to grasp than, say, the Grand Canyon or Yosemite. That first trip included, I've hiked in Zion three times over the last twelve or so years, the first two times with business colleagues and the third time with my daughter, one of her closest friends, and her friend's dad -- a college graduation present for the two daughters that I recounted here:
www.fodors.com/community/united-states/trip-report-fantastic-father-daughter-zion-bryce-canyon-graduation-trip.cfm
My goal has been to have all my family members hike there sooner or later, so when my recently graduated (and -- whew -- newly employed) son recently attended a business conference in Salt Lake City, I decided to tag along and expand his trip into a hiking trip for the two of us to Zion -- his first and my fourth time there. What follows is a brief description:
Tues. Sept. 25
Evening
Late evening flight into Las Vegas McCarran airport to pick up our Thrifty rental car that we will drop off in Salt Lake City. This one-way rental is expensive, but the cheapest I could find on Expedia or Kayak. My plan after Zion is to drive straight to the Salt Lake airport, turn this car in, and rent another one for a much more reasonable daily rate that we will drop off at the airport when returning home.
I'd made a hotel reservation at the Best Western Travel Inn (316 E St. George Blvd.) in St. George, Utah, thinking we'd try to get at least halfway to Zion that night. That may have been a bit of poor planning on my part. This son has not only never been to Zion, but he's never been to Las Vegas either. Vegas isn't my cup of tea, but he at least wants to take a cruise down The Strip, so I'm happy to oblige even though I know the traffic will be bumper-to-bumper, even at 10 p.m. local time. I really don't think this son would be too interested in what LV has to offer either, but not surprisingly he's dazzled by the sheer glitzy monumentality driving through that man made "canyon of casinos." It's after 11 p.m. by the time we get out of town headed to St. George, which I'd forgotten was well over half way to Zion -- and back in the Mountain Time zone too -- so we arrive there after 1:00 a.m. local time. The Best Western, however, turns out to be an above average example of that species -- clean, comfortable, and exuding a 1960s-sort of retro charm for our brief stopover.
Wed. Sept. 26
Morning
We sleep in a little the next morning, grab a quick breakfast, then take a short drive around St. George. The town seems to be a pleasant, bustling place in a dramatic Western setting framed by red rock hills and the beautiful Pine Valley Mountains to the north-northwest. My son's a photography buff, so this trip should be ideal for his hobby. We stop briefly at the large St. George Utah Mormon Temple, dazzlingly white in the morning sunlight and visible from all over the town, to snap some pictures. Near the temple, we drive past "Dixie High School." We're interested in the ubiquitous "Dixie" and "Dixieland" references that appear all over town. Apparently, the first Mormon settlers were sent here to southern Utah in the 1800s to raise cotton, so they adopted the sobriquet of that other, larger southern cotton producing region.
Now we're off to Zion and its gateway of Springdale. Our goals for the day and half we plan to be in the park are to tackle Angel's Landing this afternoon and The Narrows tomorrow. The deep blue south Utah skies herald spectacular late September weather. Knowing we'll arrive after noon and it will take some time to stock up on snacks and water for the hike and ride on the National Park Service shuttle into the heart of Zion Canyon, we decide to skip both lunch and checking in at our hotel and get right down to business.
The Sun Also Rises: 3½ Days in Zion NP & Salt Lake City
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MRand,
Looking forward to the rest!
Love your trip reports! Looking forward to more.
Viva Zion. I've also been to SLC, Wasatch Mts. and love it.
Dayle and MichelleY - always enjoy your trip reports and posts. As you can tell, I'm becoming addicted to Utah scenery. Just wish I had more time to visit Fodors forums on a regular basis, but always good to see familiar names like yours here. (Dayle, I'm also simultaneously writing a report on our latest adventure in Germany and Italy in which I'm tipping my hat to a previous report/suggestion of yours, so keep an eye out.)
Wed. Sept. 25
Afternoon
Signs on our approach to Springdale advise that the Zion National Park visitor center parking lot fills up by 10 a.m. Since it's now after noon, we decide not to risk wasting time by hunting for a parking space there. Instead, we intend to drive as close to the park entrance as we can, then take the Springdale city shuttle to the NP visitor center.
We park off the main road on the side street (Lion "Boulevard" -- the smallest one I've ever seen) across from Zion Adventure outfitters, where we change into our hiking clothes and stock up on energy snacks and water. The helpful employees at the oufitter say this is a good place to leave our car. I ask about renting their water "boots" for our hike tomorrow in The Narrows. They say if we return after 5 and before 7:30 p.m. this evening, we can rent those for the following day to avoid the hassle in the morning.
We take a short ride on the Springdale town shuttle to the very busy park visitor center, where we pay our entrance fee ($25 pass, good for the week) and connect with the Park Service's shuttle up Zion Canyon to the Angel's Landing trailhead at The Grotto stop. (Public car traffic is banned in the canyon from March through November, requiring use of the NPS buses for intra-canyon transportation.) Anticipation and impatience are getting the better of us on the slow shuttle drive through the mid-canyon to the trailhead. I'd estimate from the variety of languages being spoken on the bust that at least half of our co-riders are from foreign countries, which has been my experience on most of our trips to the national parks "out West."
We're finally on the trail by 1:30 p.m. and although it's a warm day, we keep a pretty good pace up the switchbacks until my son gets his first jaw dropping view down the canyon. From there on, we stop about every five minutes so he can snap more pictures. (Dad isn't too unhappy either -- this is my fourth time up to Angel's Landing and each time seems just slightly more taxing than the previous one.) I've described the Angel's Landing hike in my previous Zion trip report:
"The trip to the top of Angel’s Landing has six segments: (1) a brief, gradually ascending hike over the Virgin River to the base of (2) the first set of switchbacks on the West Rim Trail. These switchbacks level off into (3) the cool shade of Refrigerator Canyon, leading to another set of switchbacks — (4) the famous 21 (or is it 22?) turns that are Walter’s Wiggles:
www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/pages/angels-landing-ef_jpg.htm
— which then elevate us onto the natural sandy platform of (5) Scout Lookout. At this point, Angel’s Landing still looks high above us, attainable only via what seems, at first view, (6) a precarious ascent of a thin ridge of rock falling away both to the left and the right in sheer sandstone cliffs."
This day is a fantastic day for doing the hike -- just enough clouds to keep the colors in the deep blue sky and the black, rust, orange, and white rock walls constantly changing. It's a little warm in the sun, but when we reach Refrigerator Canyon, we're quickly cooled off by the breeze rising from the canyon floor. Fortunately, the popular trail doesn't seem to be too crowded, and I'm getting that sensation I've had going up to Angel's Landing in the past:
"Part of it of course is the dizzying sense of exposure that the final scramble up to the top offers. Yet it’s not the most exposed hike or scramble I’ve ever done. In fact, the hike itself isn’t all that long. It’s the relatively short burst of intense exertion, immediately topped off by the dang 360 degree view. Holy cow. When you stand on that knife edge of rock, looking as far as you can see up and down the length of Zion Canyon past the Temple of Sinawava to the north to Springdale in the south — it’s an unparalleled adrenaline rush. Not only does it make me thankful to be alive, but proud of this country’s spectacular natural wonders and a National Park Service that would preserve such a glorious place. In this day, the chains assisting hikers to the top seem like some throwback to an earlier era where risk-taking was more of a given. (There have, unfortunately, been a few fatalities on the Angel's Landing hike over the last few years.) But it’s really something that everyone who’s interested should try, even if they have reservations. Just START EARLY and TAKE YOUR TIME."
There's not much more I can say add now (except that we didn't get the early start), but each time I hike Angel's Landing it's every bit as spectacular and exhilarating as the last one. If I could get to Zion once a year, I'd be sure to do this hike every time. Maybe I can retire and be a Zion park ranger and get paid to do this.
Today we hang on the summit for about an hour, just soaking it all in. Again, I'm pleased by the small number of hikers up top, even though this must be prime canyon season.
No doubt Angel's Landing requires focus and attention to potential risk, but with care it can be done by anyone in reasonably good shape (and by the view of things, a few who aren't). I realize experienced mountaineers wouldn't consider the hike/scramble much of a challenge, but if you've ever wondered what it is that draws people to climb mountains, the feeling you get while doing Angel's Landing must be a good clue. If you've ever thought about hiking it but haven't, don't hesitate any longer. Tell the boss you've got to take a few days off, and get yourself to Zion. The longer you wait, the longer you're depriving yourself of one amazing, unforgettable life experience.
Hot, sweaty, and maybe a little dehydrated, we hike down and shuttle back to our car. We'd like to get checked in at the Zion Park Inn, clean up, and then return to scarf down some chicken enchiladas at Whiptail Grill, which is right across the street from our parking spot next to Zion Adventures. However, the outdoor tables at the grill appear to be filling up quickly. If we leave now, we'll probably miss the spectacular late afternoon light and sunset on the towering orange rocks of The Watchman immediately to the east.
We make a spot decision to just go to dinner "as we are." Good thing for the other patrons it's almost exclusively outdoor seating. We get a great table for prime Watchman-viewing and order ice cold beers that are just what the doctor ordered. "Quaff" is a great verb and it's exactly what we do right now.
Then we ask our waitress for some of those amazing enchiladas that I remember so well from our dinners there two years ago. Afternoon wanes into evening. The cool air begins to revive us and The Watchman becomes -- very literally -- a natural palette on which the sunlight paints a stunning array of hues.
Unfortunately -- no, on second thought, fortunately -- our waitress forgets to turn in our order. Now we "have" to sit through the sunset with the stunning contrast between the changing shades of the orange rock and the deepening blue sky. Then, as twilight begins to set in, we get an unanticipated treat -- a full moon that rises by grazing along the brooding Watchman's uneven crests. The food, the beer, the air, the scenery -- it just = pure contentment, setting the stage nicely for The Narrows tomorrow.
MRand,
You capture the whole Zion experience so very well. Great report writing!
I'm following your Europe report too
Great trip!!! More, more.
aND PHOTOS?
I am sure Angels Landing is "The Hike" my daughter remembers as the best one we've done to date(and we've done most of the major ones in the western national parks). I certainly always compare it to other hikes that I think are good. The Narrows ranks right up there too though.
The spaghetti squash enchiladas are my favorite at The Whiptail.
Looking forward to the rest of your report.
I so need to get back to Utah, keep it up.
Thanks for reporting and seeing the pictures will be wonderful.
How fun! You just brought me back a month to our time in Zion and our delicious dinner at Whiptail. Can't wait to get back.
I love Utah trips reports! Thanks!!!