"Getting High in Zion" a Zion National Park Travel Page by richiecdisc

Zion National Park has got to be one of the most gorgeous sights in the world. Sheer red rock in various hues shoot up from a lovely lush flat pastoral valley with a raging Virgin River running through it. It is not hard to imagine a dinosaur lumbering through this Jurassic looking park yet only small traces remain of the area's early inhabitants of 12,000 years ago. Though both Anasazi and Paiute Indians left a more indelible mark a few thousand years later, Mormon settlers seem to have taken not only a more pronounced place it its history but also on the imagination of those who visit it. They even managed to wrangle the name change from its original more Native American sounding Mukuntuweap National Monument. The Christian name of Zion has perhaps a more holy sound to the current people visiting it but no matter the name, it is the person with absolutely no faith who can look upon its beauty without ascribing it to some power above.

Zion National Park is one park that seems to require no effort. You can merely linger in the valley and experience a rare beauty so spectacular yet gentle. Utah as a rule exudes the stunning when it comes to color in rock formation but in Zion it is in stark contrast to the pastoral quality of the valley below. The Virgin River cuts a swath through the sheer cliffs surrounding it and gives birth to a lush forest for this dry part of the country. The road through the park mirror the river but there are also flat walks that parallel the road. This is one place where even a walk of little effort has great rewards so by all means get of your car and walk.