Last summer I got to hike in several National Parks across Utah/Nevada/Arizona and one of my favorites was without a doubt Zion National Park, which was Utah's first National Park.
There are so many more trails to hike that I am not mentioning also so be sure to do your research before you go visit!! Zion is so unique and will enchant you as soon as you enter, every hiking trail has so many natural wonders to see and admire.
Here were some of my favorite spots at Zion National Park:
1. Horseshoe Bend
Horseshoe Bend is located 5 miles downstream from the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell within Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.. It is accessible via hiking a 1.5-mile round trip from U.S. Route 89, but an access road also reaches the geological structure. Horseshoe Bend can be viewed from the steep cliff above.
2. Weeping Rocks
A short hike from the road takes you to the verdant gardens of Weeping Rock. The destination of the hike is the moss and fern-covered eave of an overhanging cliff. Dozens of tiny cascades of water drizzle their way over the edge, making their way down to the pools of water below. The hike is super short but decently steep—so be careful when climbing.
3. Kolob Canyons
The Kolob Canyons section of Zion National Park is located at Exit 40 on Interstate 15, 40 miles north of Zion Canyon and 17 miles south of Cedar City. A five-mile scenic drive along the Kolob Canyons Road allows visitors to view the crimson canyons and gain access to various trails and scenic viewpoints.
4. Zion National Park Scenic Byway
Don't feel like going on a long hike? Then take a ride on the Zion National Park Scenic Byway. The road will take you through the tunnel on the Mount Caramel Highway. This 1.1 mile tunnel was constructed in 1930. It was the longest tunnel of its type in the U.S. at that time but this shortcut cut 70 miles off the distance to drive from Zion to Bryce Canyon National Park and also gave easier access to the Grand Canyon!
5. Kolob Arch
Take the 14-mile round-trip hike to Kolob Arch to get away from the shorter and more crowded trails. The reward, seeing Kolob, the second longest natural arch in the world! Chose your route carefully and you can experience some canyoneering or backpacking in this beautiful area of the national park.
6. The Narrows
This is a popular and gorgeous hike but it requires you to travel through a river a couple of times! So I recommend wearing proper attire to wade through the water! The Narrows Trail gives hikers a fun experience hiking through the narrow canyon. ***Be sure to know the risk of flash floods before attempting this trail!***
7. Angels Landing
Take the Angels Landing Trail for a brisk hike from the valley all the way to an amazing overlook. It was once said the this area was so high that it was only available for angels to land. This five mile round-trip hike starts out as a paved switchback trail. The final ascent gets a bit more rough and I recommend using extreme caution when hiking this trail!
8. Checkerboard Mesa
Once through the tunnel (I talked about in #4), the highway winds its way through to the Checkerboard Mesa. The unusual crack pattern in the sandstone hills resemble a grid much like you would see on a checkerboard. There are several pull outs along the highway and trail heads into some of the Zion back country.
9. The Subway
The Subway is a uniquely shaped slot canyon in Zion National Park. This narrow canyon is shaped similar to subway tunnels (hence the name) making this hike a really unique experience!
