Road Trip To Zion
One of Utah’s Big Five national parks
We’ve taken road trips to Zion National Park twice and each time we arrive we are amazed at how breathtakingly beautiful this park is. There’s much to see here, but for us, hiking the Narrows is always the highlight of our trip (if walking through waist deep water for miles can be considered hiking.) It’s unbelievably refreshing in the summer heat to walk through the river surrounded by canyons a thousand feet tall.
If you look online there’s a lot of advice about how and when to hike the Narrows but to put it simply you need a walking stick and shoes that can grip the slippery surface of the riverbed. They have rental places available for shoes and walking sticks or you can simply buy walking sticks on Amazon (we got two for $20).
The most vital factor is get there early to avoid the crowds. We always take the first shuttle available (you can’t drive in you need to take the shuttle) and the first one usually is available around 6:30 am. We’ve seen people arrive later and it can get crowded pretty fast. Also without the right shoes or walking sticks we’ve seen people struggling to walk even several yards in the river. You can walk for miles and miles and even camp overnight if you bring your own gear (but you need a permit). Plan on a minimum of 2-3 hours walking in the Narrows in addition to the mile hike it takes to get there. And also carve out a few hours to take the scenic drive it’s gorgeous.
Where we Stay
We usually visit Zion in an RV, and have stayed at the Zion Canyon Campground and Resort which we really liked. There are many hotels right outside the National Park entrance, with the only one in the park being the Zion Lodge which you need to book pretty far in advance.