Zion National Park is located in southwestern Utah, 309 miles south of Salt Lake City, and 43 miles northeast of St. George. Most of the visitors prefer to enter in this park through the south entrance next to the town of Springdale. Private motor vehicles are strictly prohibited in Zion canyon, shuttle bus service is there to serve you.
Zion National Park is a beautiful area and nothing can go beyond it’s beauty. The size of Zion is same as Yosemite but the graciousness and attractiveness of the figure is really incomparable. Zion is a wonderland of image descriptions. The height of the valley is nearly 2,000 feet and it has the floor of creamy sandstone.
Zion National Park attracts most of its first time visitors with its gigantic stone sculptures, green forests and roaring rivers and breathtaking vistas, and the first time visitors will never forget the experience in their life with the various collections of colors, a lively mixture of vermilion, magenta, cyan and azure. Zion National Park is the all time favorite destination for the tourist to experience the American West, both for the first timers and regular visitors.
The complete area of Zion National Park is more than 147,000 acres. The territory passes from desert to forest. The weather and temperature will vary from time to time; you can experience more than 100F in the summer and in winter it is often covered with snow.
Major Attractions:
Hiking is the best source to explore the entire Zion National Park. You can see many paths with picturesque views. Familiar day-hikes comprise the Emerald Pool Trail which breeze through the forest of maple, cottonwood and oak trees and numerous waterfalls to reach the scenic Emerald Pools. The most exhausting day-hike is Angeles Landing Trail; this is a 1,500 feet peak, which gives you wonderful views into Zion canyon.
You are not allowed to over night hike in Zion National Park with out prior permission from the tourism office. This park offers many backpacking potentials. Most of the land in Zion National Park is rocky and uneven, but the scenery is worth watching.
Rock-Climbing is an additional trendy activity in the park. It is an ideal place for skilled climbers, because most of the rocks are loose and climbers have to place their own protection. This highest sandstone precipice all over the canyon presenting you lots of challenging routs and it is really a heaven for skilled climbers.
Riverside Walk:
To get the real experience of Zion National Park, it is better to follow the Riverside Walk up the Virgin River. The cement path is only for 2 miles long and it is possible to see many trailside and hanging wildflowers on the way. It is better to bring hiking boots and be prepared to get wet. Because, most of the canyons are narrow for side paths forcing the hiker to get in to the river over slippery rocks. You are not bound to get permission for day hiking, but it is better to confirm the weather condition and have a word with ranger before you start, because fresh floods are common in this area.