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John Cletheroe's
USA and Canada Holiday Hints |
The scenic drive is now closed to all private vehicles but access is provided by free shuttle buses. All other parts of the park remain open to private vehicles. The shuttle bus routes are listed in detail later on this page.
There are various stopping points along the scenic drive, all of which are well worth exploring. This page lists a few highlights.
Stroll along the excellent Riverside Walk which starts from the parking area at the Temple Of Sinawava at the end of the scenic drive. This trail used to be called the Narrows Trail, although that name seems to be reserved now for the section beyond the fording of the river. The Riverside Walk leads you into the extremely narrow gorge of the Virgin River; beyond the ford the canyon narrows still further I believe. Up to the ford the trail is paved, almost level and easy. However, in summer it is best to hike this trail fairly early in the morning when most of the route is still shaded from the full heat of the sun. There are warnings posted about it being extremely dangerous to cross the river when it is flowing strongly. Photograph (61KB).
Walk the Emerald Pools trail. You start by crossing the footbridge opposite Zion Lodge (near the horse corral), or alternatively the footbridge opposite the Grotto picnic area. From either footbridge there are excellent views of the river and the vegetation on its banks. Then the trail rises (the slope is not too severe) for some really excellent views. Beware of an unguarded sheer drop at one place on this trail where it passes close to the top of a waterfall which drops over a cliff - keep children under close control here.
Walk at least part of the Angels Landing trail. Starting at the Grotto (north of Zion Lodge) you cross the footbridge and immediately turn right (north). After a short distance alongside the river the trail begins to climb and shortly rises very steeply via a set of hairpin bends (switchbacks). From the footbridge to the bottom of the hairpin bends is about half a mile; a walk this far if no further will give you an excellent view of the people ascending and descending the climb. At the top of these hairpin bends you are rewarded with a magnificently beautiful view over Zion's main canyon. The trail then flattens out and passes for about half a mile through Refrigerator Canyon, a very narrow canyon which is usually somewhat cooler than the surrounding area due to it receiving far less sunlight. There are some caves on one side of trail which the adventurous can climb into - I'm not sure how far they lead. At the end of Refrigerator Canyon the trail ascends Walters Wiggles, a second set of very steep hairpin bends. Photographs of Walters Wiggles appear on various postcards and posters sold in the gift shop at Zion, and also on a jigsaw puzzle. I only made it to the bottom of Walters Wiggles, but I'm told that from the top there is a short walk to Scout Lookout, where an even more superb view is to be had. Beyond there the trail passes over a narrow and dangerous exposed rock, with enormous drops on either side and chains for safety, to its terminus at Angels Landing. The trail is paved at least to the bottom of Walters Wiggles. Angels Landing is some 1700 feet above the river.
The Grotto is an excellent place for a mid-day picnic, with plenty of tables beneath shading trees.
Drive along the main road east up to and through the tunnel for yet more excellent views. The tunnel is about a mile long and fairly narrow. Large vehicles cannot pass in the tunnel, leading to delays, usually of only a few minutes, for them and other traffic. East of the tunnel, Checkerboard Mesa is well worth a stop, with its unusual markings of horizontal and vertical lines.
Visit the separate Kolob Canyons section of Zion National Park, accessed from I-15 between St George and Cedar City. You drive up to a magnificent view of the canyons.
From the town of Virgin, a road runs northeast for about twenty-five miles to Kolob Reservoir. This road passes through two parts of Zion National Park, but the reservoir itself is outside the Park. The road is paved to within about a hundred yards of the reservoir, from which an unpaved road extends around almost its entire perimeter, giving access for boating. The view of the reservoir is well worth the trip. According to the official Park map this road is closed in winter. The map shows far more of the northern part of this road to be unpaved than is actually the case.
Winters in Zion Canyon are relatively mild and temperatures often exceed 40 degrees Fahrenheit. There is very little snowfall in the canyon itself but snow does accumulate on the surrounding plateaux.
Temperatures in mid-summer can exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit. A visit at another time of the year not only provides more comfortable temperatures for walking but also lower visitor numbers and less pressure on accommodation in the nearby towns, making for lower rates.
As with the shuttle bus systems at other National Parks there is no charge and visitors can get on and off shuttle buses as frequently as they wish.
The stops on the Zion Canyon shuttle loop are, from south to north:
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Most recently modified 6-Feb-06