Jasmine's Modern Life: Zion National Park

Zion National Park - Fall 2019

Zion National Park, a place that can't be described in words, it's just too GRAND. I can't believe it even exists in this planet. There is so much to see and do in this park and it's super fun for the whole family! :)

For starters, I'll talk about staying and moving around there. There's a few campsites in the park and there's hotels at Springdale (which is 5-10 minutes away from the park). 9 Shuttles run through Springdale that take you to Zion visitor center. There, you can take another shuttle to trails and attractions around the park. There's also 9 stops in total. It's a very neat and helpful system.

During our 2 day stay, we planned the first day to include: Riverside Walk, The Narrows of Zion, Canyon Overlook Trail, and a stop at the Canyon Junction bridge. Sounds like a lot to do considering Fall days are cut short but not hard at all lol.

Flowers on side of Riverside Walk

From the visitor center, we took the shuttle to The Riverside Walk. (Stop 9). This trail takes you to The Narrows. A very beautiful and full of sights trail. I enjoyed it soo much! The walk is easy for kids, paved and mostly moderate (1 mile one way).

At the end of the mile, you've reached The Narrows! This was my favorite experience. The canyon walls are enormous, the water is so prestine. It's literally out of this world. Being here was indescribable.

When I went there was little chance of flash flooding however, the water was freezing cold. We rented gear at Zion Outfitter (by visitor center) - hiking stick, pants, socks, and shoes for 40$ and the kids 50$. I saw very few people walking the narrows without it so props to them! During the summer, many people walk it with their regular clothes because the water isn't as cold and the days are a lot hotter. But you do get crowds in the summer and in the Fall the Narrows have very little foot traffic.
After exploring the Narrows as far as we could, we turned around and hiked back through the riverside walk to take the shuttle back to the visitor center.

Our next stop was The Canyon Overlook Trail. The overlook has breath taking views of Zion. A view I hope I never forget. Seeing the rock formation and color patterns of this canyon is unbelievable.

This trail is only accessible by car. It's about a 15 minute drive from the center. It has very few parking spots, but you can park along the side of the road where it's allowed. This trail is a little more uphill but still moderate and easy for kids! It's 1 mile roundtrip. We hiked in the evening when it was a little chiller.

After this, we drove back towards Springdale. The sun was setting and we went to see the view at the Canyon Junction bridge. (parking nearby) This is one of the prettiest sights! This park is full of beauty.

On the next morning, I checked out a local coffee shop called Deep Creek Coffee Co. This was awesome, coffee with a view :)

The second day consisted of taking the shuttle to 3 locations! The museum, The Court of The Patriarchs and Lower Emerald Pools. Our first stop was #2 The Museum, which is pretty informative and bonus: behind it you'll find nice views of the canyon.

Next stop was Court of The Patriarchs!(#4) This is such a short walk, about a few steps and you get this magnificent view. The formation of these canyons is just incredible, I've never seen anything like it.

Our final stop was #5 at the Zion Lodge. From here we started our hike to see lower Emerald Pool. (.6 mile one way)

In the fall there's hardly any water but the hike itself was nice and the falls coming off the canyons are so cool. Pictures don't do justice to this scene so I think I'll show a video here to.

While walking the trail back, I found serenity in this place. It's a beautiful place on Earth with so much to see. I've yet to hike Angels Landing but I will next time! I also really wanted to go to the Weeping Rock trail but it was currently closed. Plan a trip here, stay a few days, and explore (: