ZION CANYON NATIONAL PARK, UTAH

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Zion Canyon National Park is vastly different from Bryce Canyon. At Bryce the road takes you along the top of the canyon and you look down onto the Hoodoos. At Zion you drive through a long (1.4 miles), dark tunnel and then on down a very windy road into the canyon itself. Because of the high volume of visitors they have, Zion Canyon is only accessible by shuttle bus. These shuttle buses are free and run about every 6 minutes, stopping at all the view points along the way so you can get on and off the shuttle as much as you want and stay as long as you like at each point. So rather than looking down into the canyon, you are actually at the very bottom of the canyon, looking UP. We chose to take the shuttle right to the end of the route, Temple of Sinawava, and then work our way back. Pictures are not easy to get because of the narrow canyon and available light. Also, a picture does not give you the feel for the vastness you experience by being there with the great walls extending up above you for hundreds of feet. As we learned just recently, the canyon can become a dangerous torrent of rushing water in a matter of minutes, even when the sun is shining there and the storms are miles away. This summer 7 people were killed while hiking in the canyon and the water came rushing through.

There are many hiking trails within the park and we did our fair share of walking, Dwain more than me. While I sat and waited for him in a cool, shady place, I would get to visit with other women who were doing the same thing - waiting for their husbands. Once again I got to chat with some interesting people.

So this is the last of the canyons on this journey and the end of this blog. Now we head over to Oregon to visit with our families there and then on to home.

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Photos

Zion National Park
Road into the park gate

Zion National Park
Approach to the long tunnel

Zion National Park
Entering the tunnel

Zion National Park
Another group of bikers

Zion National Park
Great walls of red rock

Zion National Park
Bridge across the river canyon

Zion National Park
Nice to see water and green trees

Zion National Park
Spring water running down the face of the rock

Zion National Park
People wade and play in the water

Zion National Park
"The view is pretty good from here."

Zion National Park
Walking along the path

Zion National Park
The wild life is quite tame.

Zion National Park
The great white throne

Zion National Park
Going down, or coming up out of the canyon

Zion National Park
Checkerboard Mesa

Zion National Park
Close-up of Checkerboard Mesa

Comments

[Fay K at TCR]

Thanks
Enjoyed the whole tour, thanks!

[Fay K at TCR]

Thanks
Enjoyed the whole tour, thanks!

[Fay K at TCR]

Thanks
Enjoyed the whole tour, thanks!

[Caroline Craddock]

Looks like a wonderful trip!
The photos are fantastic! Sounds like you two are having a wonderful trip. We have enjoyed reading your blog and seeing your photos. Drive save!