I have wanted to visit Zion for more than 10 years when it was recommended to me by a co-worker. I got close in 2015 but bypassed and went to Moab and then Arizona.
We spent the night at a hotel in Park City, Utah. The drive to this National Park took about 90 minutes. The parking was quite challenging, even for a weekday. We parked about 3 miles into the town, paid the 15$ fee at a machine, then caught one of the free shuttles.
The America-The-Beautiful pass I purchased last year still had a month of time left so we got into the park for free. We took the shuttle all the way to the back of the valley to a location called The Narrows. I loved the views of the steep cliff sides of the valley. Our goal for the day was to explore and do a few miles of hiking.
The 1-mile hike to The Narrows from the Temple of Sinawava shuttle stop was easy, although a bit crowded. At one point the trail transitions to a rocky river requiring waders (available for rent back at the park outfitter). We opted not to hike in the water as there were other stops we wanted to make.
Returning to the Shuttle, we rode to the Grotto stop. Danica randomly selected the Kayenta trail, heading to the Emerald Pools, and then the Lower Emerald Pools trail to the Lodge shuttle stop. We hiked about 3 miles up the cliffside and enjoyed the views and the waterfalls. I loved the view to the South!
