"Zion National Park" a Zion National Park Travel Page by JanPeter74

Compared to the other parks we visited in Arizona and Utah, Zion NP was a little less spectacular to me. Perhaps this has to do with the fact that it resembles mountainous parts of Europe a little, and I have had my share of them already.

Nevertheless, it is a nice park, with the important places, except Checkerboard Mesa (with a checkered pattern of both horizontal and vertical erosion) and the Great Arch, all lying in Zion Canyon. Zion Canyon is a 10 km long dead-end street that is served through a free shuttle-bus service with stops all along the way. Cars are not allowed in Zion Canyon.

The main points of interests are the steep rock walls (hike the Lower Emerald Pool trail for example), Weeping Rock ( where water comes out of the rocks) and the easy trail along the Virgin river at the far end of the canyon. You can even hike further through the water.

One final remark. This was the only place during our entire trip in the southwest of the US where we encounter those big hairy spiders as big as your fist. (3 in one afternoon, so mind your step).

To all you arachnaphobics: We only saw them in their natural habitat. Nowhere near hotelrooms or so.