Zion National Park

Zion National Park is in Springdale Utah, located in the southwestern tip of the state. It is nestled in between the Great Basin, Colorado Plateaus and the Mojave Dessert. It stretches 15 miles long and is 3,000 feet deep. Zion was initially inhabited by Native Indians as far back as 8,000 years ago. The original name given by the Indians was the Mukuntuweap National Monument. In the late 1800’s the area was re discovered by Mormons. When the national park service decided to open the park to the public, they felt the name would affect visitation. They were concerned no one would visit a place that was hard to pronounce. So they re- named it Zion as this was a word frequently used by the Mormons. It officially became a national park when president Woodrow Wilson signed its certificate on November 19, 1919.

Zion National Park

Zion National park is one of the most beautiful parks in the United States. One of the most unique features of this park are the beautiful red rocks made of Navajo sandstone. Zion is also famous for its beautiful narrows and canyon formations. Another unique feature of this canyon is the Virgin River. It runs throughout the entire park. The Virgin River is a part of the Colorado River, it runs through Arizona, Utah and Nevada. The rushing sounds of the water is one of the many features that makes this park so tranquil and relaxing.

The Virgin River inside Zion National Park

What to expect when you get inside the park?

While there are many activities to do, one of the more popular things to do is hiking. There are about 18 hiking trails in the park. When you enter the park there is a handout that clearly labels the easy, moderate and hard trails. However if you want to check it out before you go, here is a link. https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/upload/hiking_guide_12_21_16.pdf The most famous and deadliest hike in Zion is Angels landing. The Mormons named it Angels landing, because they said the view was so amazing and so high up, only Angels could appreciate it.

There are 9 tourist stops in Zion National Park. But if you don’t feel like walking, don’t worry there is a free shuttle to take you to each place. There are gift shops and plenty of places to eat. Zion is very kid friendly with several camping spots for families.

Zion National Park

While many of the other National parks tend to get more attention, Zion is surely a place you should place on your list. It will not disappoint. For more pics of Zion, go check out my gallery on my website. Go to the menu and click travel and scroll down and click on Zion National Park.