Zion National Park, Utah, United States

5Colebaugh 5:00 PM Nov 19, 2022

Breathtaking National Park!
Visiting Zion National Park in mid November was just amazing. 50 degree weather and no crowds. We did all the easy trails and saw all the beauty of the park. We took the shuttle from our hotel which was quick. We then talked to a ranger at the visitor center who took her time with us and helped us with which hikes were best for us. The park shuttle was perfect as they ran often and we were able to do all four easier trails. The only drawback of visiting in November would be if you wanted to hike the Narrows as the water is very cold. Plenty of people were doing so with the right equipment. The sun was strong and the skies were blue. If you have more than one in your party and did not drive a car, they will charge you $35 total instead of $20 per one person. This gives you seven days in the park which helped when we drove to Bryce the next day and had to pass through. The Zion Mt. Carmel Highway out of the park was challenging but the views were out of this world. Just take your time. A beautiful park with hikes for all abilities. Again, we understand not everyone can go in the fall as one of us was a teacher and we understand the constraints of schedules, but we were able to get $90 rooms, beautiful weather, and no crowds. Perfect trip!!!

5loves2travelandmore 5:00 PM Oct 21, 2022

Beautiful
Hiking The Narrows involves a one-mile path that leads into the Virgin River which was quite cold in October even though it was only a foot deep or so for the distance before we decided to turn back. Hiking poles are advisable to help maintain balance. Some people had rented "waterproof" hiking boots in Springfield, but their feet got wet and cold, too. Further up the river the water gets deeper, and we didn't want to risk our cameras and cell phones, but at least we got a taste of the experience. The canyon is beautiful. There is more vegetation than some of the other Utah National Parks, and we saw a handful of deer. There are multiple trails to hike, some easy, some moderate, and some strenuous. Reservations (permits) are required to trek to Angel's Landing, a very popular but strenuous hike that is potentially dangerous in the steep and narrow sections that have a chain on which to hold. But passing others can be difficult as hikers are ascending and descending on the same path. The West Rim Trail is an easy hike to the base of Angel's Landing. The Kayenta Trail is moderate, overlooks the Virgin River, and leads to the Emerald Pools. One day was long enough for us to hike several trails and feel that we saw a good portion of the park, but others (younger and fitter) might choose longer trails and require a couple of days. Most visitors to Zion use the southern entrance, but good mountain scenery and transit through a long tunnel are attractions if travelling via route 9 to the eastern entrance which is the road to Bryce Canyon. It is advisable to get to the park early as it gets very busy, and the parking is limited. Once at the visitor center, a shuttle system takes you throughout this section of the park--stopping at Zion Lodge and trailheads. A shuttle service also runs into Springfield, stopping at hotels, and delivering people to the park.