Zion National Park Guide

Zion National Park: What Kind of Park is it? 

When I visit a new park one of the first questions I ask myself is what kind of park is this? How will I get around? Is this a park where you drive up to a sight, walk around and then drive to the next spot? Or is this a park where you just hike to the notable spots? Zion is one of those parks where you rely on a shuttle to get around. The park is basically laid out like a subway in a major city, each stop has to it’s own attractions and is labeled appropriately in each shuttle.

Zion is a park located in the remote southwest corner of Springdale, Utah. Don’t get this confused with Kolob Canyons, which Google Maps might take you to if you enter it in your GPS coming from the north. This is a cool, but seperate part of the park that doesn’t include all the iconic hikes like Angels Landing and The Narrows. 

Zion is basically a huge canyon in the middle of the desert. The rock walls that surround the park are so tall that the human eye has trouble finding the end points of these rocks. Be prepared for some neck strain in this park because the visuals that surround you are very impressive. What makes the park so beautiful is The Virgin River that cuts through the center of the canyon. 

Key Attractions

People usually come to this park to experience the following hikes: Angels Landing, The Narrows, and The Emerald Pools Trail. You have probably already heard of the iconic “Angels Landing” hike because of how steep and dangerous it is. This hike now requires a permit to hike and most people carry a digital copy of the permit on their phones. If you are not good with heights or have health conditions I would caution against hiking Angels Landing. However if you want to hike angels landing it is shuttle stop #6 “The Grotto.”

The Narrows

Length: 16 Miles
Shuttle Stop: #9 Temple of Sinawava

The Narrows is one of those hikes that everyone wants to do. It is the very last shuttle stop (#9 Temple of Sinawava). This hike if often closed due to flooding so check with a park ranger or Zion Visitor Center (Shuttle stop #1) before gearing up. The Narrows Riverside Walk is where you walk in a river that is surrounded by tall canyon walls. You will see people with sticks, hiking poles, booties and other gear to help them wade through the current of this hike. I believe you can get some booties and a hiking stick at The Zion Lodge (shuttle stop #5). 

I didn’t rent any gear, but I had some good waterproof hiking boots which did just fine in The Narrows. I grabbed a large stick to help me with my footing while walking up to The Narrows, which proved to work just fine. The water will be fairly cold if you do not have water booties, so be prepared for some level of discomfort. The full hike is around 16 miles, but most will only make it a couple of miles. Water can get up to chest height in portions of the hike so be prepared to get wet. I saw someone in waders, which I thought was a good idea. 

Emerald Pools Trail

Length: 3 Miles
Shuttle Stop: 6 The Grott (Kayenta Trail)

This is perhaps my favorite trail in the park. It doesn’t require hiking up a steep rock cliff. The hike is usally off stop #5 (Zion Lodge), but the trailhead was closed at this stop so you have to take shuttle stop #6 (The Grotto) and take the Kayenta Trail to access The Emerald Pools. 

The hike slowly descends into a small canyon enclave where water runs from the top of rocks and onto the trail itself. It’s a strange phenomenon, water hitting you in the face as you hike through a desert canyon. You will walk through winding staircases of rock and enter strange rock formations that look like caves. It’s a rather hard place to describe so hopefully the picture below does a better job of describing this hike. 

Pa’rus Trail

Length: 3.2 miles
Shuttle Stop: #3 Canyon Junction

The Pa’rus Trail is an easy, yet memorable hike in Zion. I really debated whether or not to hike this trail because it seemed kind of lackluster on my All Trails app. However, upon the first few minutes you are rewarded with some impressive rock formations and a nice paved trail with bridges and The Virgin river running through the area. It’s the type of hike you want to do after a long day in The Narrows or up on Angels Landing. 

One thing you will notice throughout the park are the amount of lizards and big beatles running wild. I have never seen such big beatles before, kind of scary looking in my opinion. I was always on the alert for rattle snakes, but never ran into one so I wouldn’t be too worried about them on this high traffic trail. 

Angels Landing

Length: 4.3 Miles
Shuttle Stop: #6 The Grotto

Angels Landing is the most iconic hike in Zion National Park. Everyone wants to hike this one, yet I did not. You need a permit to hike this one and people tend to download the permit on their phone in case a ranger comes across their path on the trail. 

This trail is not for the faint of heart. Steep drop offs on all sides are common on your way up. There are chains to guide you through various sections, yet people have died hiking this trail. You will be rewarded with the best views of the park once you complete this trail so it is worth the trek. 

Food & Bathrooms

So I think this park does a decent job when it comes to accomidations considering it’s in the middle of the desert. Shuttle stops 1,2, 5,6,7 all have bathrooms. However if you want something to eat you will need to stop at The Zion Lodge, which is shuttle stop number five. Here you can grab a burger, hotdog, icecream, or pizza. There are benches and outdoor seeting at the Zion Lodge, which makes for a nice mid-afternoon refueling spot. 

Conclusion

Overall Zion National Park is rather unique when compared to places like Yellowstone or Rocky Mountain National Park. You might compare it to The Grand Canyon in some respects, but it’s very unique. 

This park has some of the most impressive rock formations I have ever witnessed. It’s worth the journey to southern Utah to witness this desert oasis. It’s decent in terms of hiking, yet I was a little bummed out by the short distances of most hikes in the park.  I believe you can see everything this park has to offer in one day if you arrive by 7am or earlier. The shuttle system is pretty well run and you won’t have to wait more than 10 minutes for a shuttle on most days.