Explore with Jordan & Eva through Zion!

Our 22nd National Park in a quest to camp all 47 in the lower 48 brought us to Southwest Utah and Zion. We hit a few snags along the way (as usual with our trial and error philosophy for adventure), and want to share our experience.

You cannot drive. The ranger who greeted us at the entrance casually mentioned “shuttle only” before we excitedly ignored her and cruised into the park. Only after we had unknowingly exited the park in search of highlights did we realize the weight behind her words. Only via the park shuttle can you access much of the park (unless of course you want to hike before you hike). It’s free and takes off from the Visitor’s Center every fifteen minutes or so. Ended up being pretty darn convenient and saving us some gas money.

Yes, Angel’s Landing is crowded, and yes, it is worth it. As long as you go when the weather is fine, and you aren’t trying to practice your Cirque De Soleil act along the way, you’ll mitigate most of the risk in this notoriously awesome trek up to an amazing 360 view of the park. When in doubt, keep a hand on the chain.A less dangerous hike we loved is Canyon Overlook. Exciting along the way and only a mile round-trip with a rewarding view over the valley at the end.

Once you have gotten your fill of the main attractions in the Valley, plan to head out into the wilderness. Zion has over 124,000 acres of Wilderness, marked by hikes like the Narrows and the Subway. Both need advance permits (sad face), but show up to the wilderness office at 7:30 in the morning and cross your fingers. We lucked out as someone had cancelled their reservation, so we got access to the Subway. This was easily our favorite adventure, as we got away from the crowds, jumped into the freezing cold pools, and swam under the waterfall that lies just behind the Subway.

Just outside of the park’s entrance we enjoyed a beer at Zion Canyon Brew Pub, and grabbed a delicious coffee at Deep Creek one morning after our French Press base jumped out of the back of our Jeep.

It’s pretty tough to have a bad time in Zion. We just scratched the surface and will definitely be back for more (the Narrows). Hope this helps and please reach out if you have any questions!

Cheers.