Arrive early at Zion National Park for the best parking. There’s a hike for all skill levels here and a mandatory shuttle that takes you to all of the points of interest.

Zion National Park Highlights on Friday, September 1, 2017

• Emerald Pools
• Riverwalk Trail
• Watchman Trail
• Weeping Rock
• Court of the Patriarch

Zion National Park is an easy two hour drive from Bryce National Park. We arrived before the 7 am sunrise and as we drove the windy road came across two big horned sheep crossing the road before the tunnel. I was lucky enough to whip out my iPhone fast enough to catch a video! Similar to Bryce Canyon, Zion costs $30 per car and is tied for the most expensive Utah national park (buy the Annual National Park Pass). Unlike the other parks, Zion has a mandatory shuttle that takes approximately 80 minutes to complete a full loop. If you’re like us and arrive super early, you’ll be able to find a parking spot in the park. We parked on the main path by the Canyon Junction shuttle stop (#3). If you want to see the shuttle route, check out this site: https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/upload/MG-Spring-2017-ZION-WEB.pdf

After parking, we walked along the Virgin River for a little bit. There’s a wide paved path along the river where you can take beautiful pictures, see unique bugs and catch the morning bikers go by. From here we took the shuttle from Canyon Junction (#3) to Zion Lodge (#5). We went to the road and followed the signs to the Emerald Pools. The walk is quite steep and the lower and upper falls were our favorite. When you leave the middle level emerald pool, take the Kayenta Trail. This will take you to the Grotto (#6) and gives you fabulous views of the Virgin River. Keep your eyes peeled – we looked down at the river and spotted a deer standing in the water taking a drink. We saw tons of wild turkey at the Grotto. There’s also a place to fill up your water bottles and use the facilities here. If you’re up for the challenge, you can complete the strenuous hike up Angel’s Landing.

As it neared lunchtime, we took the shuttle to the last stop, the Temple of Sinawava (#9). There are lots of places to sit here and eat lunch, just be weary of the squirrels trying to steal your food. The Riverside Walk is a paved and easy two mile round-trip walk that starts here. The walk ends at the Narrows, which looks beyond incredible if the weather is right. If you’re considering this as part of your adventure, I would recommend this site which offers the appropriate rental gear.

It seemed like everyone we saw was wearing the Adidas hydro lace canyoneering boots and had hiking poles* to keep steady while wading through the water.

We needed a break to catch our breath so we took the shuttle to the Visitor Center (#1). If you haven’t gotten a park map and newspaper yet, this is a chance to get them. It was nice to sit in the air conditioning, eat our snacks and re-hydrate. From the Visitor Center, we walked to the Watchman trailhead. This hike has many switchbacks and limited shade in the afternoon, but it quickly became our favorite hike of the day. We saw lots of birds, butterflies and the views from the top are unmatched. When you reach the top, there’s a sign that points to an extra loop – take it! You won’t regret it. Considering it was the heat of the day when we hiked, we didn’t see many others on this trail, but we got lucky at the end and saw a grey fox!

Thankfully, the continuous shuttle gives you the opportunity to see almost everything along the main path. We took the shuttle to Weeping Rock (#7). It’s an extremely steep climb, but probably takes less than 45 minutes round-trip and is a cool point of interest. From here we took the shuttle to the Court of the Patriarchs (#4) and found another easy to see point of interest. The three sandstone peaks are named Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. You can read more about them at the viewpoint or hear about them on the narrated shuttle ride.

As the day neared sunset, we headed back to Canyon Junction (#3) to watch the sunset with others along the bridge over the Virgin River. Like the other national parks, watching the lighting change on the oversized sandstone rocks is a site worth photographing. We made the drive out of Zion National Park and were lucky to find a last minute deal through Booking.com for Sun-n-Sand Motel about 35 minutes away and in the direction of the Grand Canyon. I love Booking.com because you can make your reservation and pay once you arrive. If you use my link to make a booking, we’ll each get $20. We were lucky to book the motel for under $80. The motel was nice, clean and offered a free breakfast (think cereal, donuts, coffee, etc.). It’s also in a little town called Kanab that offers a grocery store called Glazier’s Market and gas stations.

Wake up with us tomorrow at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, our fifth of seven national parks.