2013-6 Zion National Park, Utah
Hello All,
Our next adventure took us to Zion National Park in southwest Utah. It was Utah’s first national park and follows the paths where ancient native people and pioneers walked.
A prominent feature of the 229-square mile park is Zion Canyon. Here the North Fork of the Virgin River cuts through the reddish and tan colored Navajo sandstone. Much of the canyon is lined with sheer cliffs. It stretches 15 miles in length and is up to a half mile deep. Within the canyon is the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. During spring through fall, the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is open to shuttle buses only. Private vehicles are not allowed beyond Canyon Junction.
We stopped at the visitor center, parked the car and obtained our shuttle boarding pass for the Scenic Zion Canyon Drive. While the shuttle is free you still must get a boarding pass. This way boarding is done in an organized orderly manner.
Waiting to board the shuttle we snapped a few scenic photos around the visitor center.
Our next adventure took us to Zion National Park in southwest Utah. It was Utah’s first national park and follows the paths where ancient native people and pioneers walked.
A prominent feature of the 229-square mile park is Zion Canyon. Here the North Fork of the Virgin River cuts through the reddish and tan colored Navajo sandstone. Much of the canyon is lined with sheer cliffs. It stretches 15 miles in length and is up to a half mile deep. Within the canyon is the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. During spring through fall, the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is open to shuttle buses only. Private vehicles are not allowed beyond Canyon Junction.
We stopped at the visitor center, parked the car and obtained our shuttle boarding pass for the Scenic Zion Canyon Drive. While the shuttle is free you still must get a boarding pass. This way boarding is done in an organized orderly manner.
Waiting to board the shuttle we snapped a few scenic photos around the visitor center.
We kind of liked the following
photo with “Ole Glory” flying in the breeze.
Once the shuttles reach Canyon
Junction they turn off Utah Highway 9 and head up into the awesome canyon. Shuttles
stop at nine locations and you may get on and off as often as you like. At the
last stop (where the road ends) shuttles turn around and reverse the route back
to the visitor center. As you can see a shuttle consists of a bus towing a
trailer.
We got off and on the shuttles
many times going into and out of the canyon. An area we thought was quite
interesting was the “Court of the Patriarchs.” Named for three towering figures
of the Old Testament, these sandstone peaks hold court over this portion of the
Virgin River.
In 1916 Frederick Vining Fisher, a Methodist minister, gave the religious names to the peaks. Abraham Peak is on the left, Isaac Peak is in the middle, and Jacob Peak is to the right.
In 1916 Frederick Vining Fisher, a Methodist minister, gave the religious names to the peaks. Abraham Peak is on the left, Isaac Peak is in the middle, and Jacob Peak is to the right.
Zion Canyon gets narrower and
the cliffs seem to get higher the deeper you go into it. Without a doubt it is
beautiful all the way. There are walking trails between the shuttle stops. If
we spotted an area that interested us we would get off at the next stop and
walk the trail back to the previous stop—a very refreshing and peaceful way to
enjoy and take it all in. We would then catch the next shuttle passing through.
Here’s a young couple making
an ascent up one of the cliffs. Doesn’t that look like fun—not! But, you have
to respect their effort and to each their own--who are we to judge.
Zion is dramatically different
from other nearby national parks. There are a number of great and unique hikes
in the park. You can take a strenuous trail up the side of the canyon to Angels
Landing (be careful if you are afraid of heights), or you can hike to a number
of waterfalls, or in the hot summer months you can hike along the Narrows of
the North Fork Virgin River. This hike will lead you directly into the river as
the canyon narrows down to a slot canyon with the river flowing at the bottom.
You have to wade to get through it. Water can reach depths of 4 to 5 feet in
some places, which means use caution with expensive cameras. It is a hike that
is on our bucket list for a hot summer day. The last shuttle stop in the canyon
is where you find the trail into the Narrows.
Once back at the visitor center we hopped into the car and continued our journey further into the park. Thinking they have seen the park, many folks make the mistake of returning to St. George, UT or Las Vegas, NV back through the west gate of the park after their shuttle returns to the visitor center. They miss some spectacular scenery doing this. At Canyon Junction we continued east on Utah Highway 9.
Once back at the visitor center we hopped into the car and continued our journey further into the park. Thinking they have seen the park, many folks make the mistake of returning to St. George, UT or Las Vegas, NV back through the west gate of the park after their shuttle returns to the visitor center. They miss some spectacular scenery doing this. At Canyon Junction we continued east on Utah Highway 9.
In this photo a natural bridge
is starting to form.
Here is a close up shot of the
same area. You can see how the inside wall is sluffing off leaving a natural
bridge over it. Maybe we’ll revisit the area in a million years to see the
finished product!
Following Highway 9 eastbound
you enter a box canyon with impassable steep cliffs all around. This problem
was solved with the building of the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel. Construction of
the 1.1-mile tunnel began in the late 1920’s and was completed in 1930. At the
time the tunnel was dedicated, on July 4, 1930, it was the longest tunnel of
its type in the United States. The purpose of building it was to create direct
access to Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon from Zion National Park.
Before 1989, large vehicles, including tour buses, motorhomes, and trailers, were involved in more and more accidents and near misses in the tunnel due to an immense increase in the volume of traffic of these large vehicles. A study found that large vehicles could not negotiate the curves of the tunnel without crossing the center line. To ensure safety, the National Park Service began traffic control at the tunnel in the spring of that year. Rangers posted at both ends of the tunnel convert two-way tunnel traffic to one-way for larger vehicles, ensuring safe passage. These large vehicles are charged $15 for the service.
In the following photo you can see one of the tunnel vent holes in the rock cliff.
Before 1989, large vehicles, including tour buses, motorhomes, and trailers, were involved in more and more accidents and near misses in the tunnel due to an immense increase in the volume of traffic of these large vehicles. A study found that large vehicles could not negotiate the curves of the tunnel without crossing the center line. To ensure safety, the National Park Service began traffic control at the tunnel in the spring of that year. Rangers posted at both ends of the tunnel convert two-way tunnel traffic to one-way for larger vehicles, ensuring safe passage. These large vehicles are charged $15 for the service.
In the following photo you can see one of the tunnel vent holes in the rock cliff.
Highway 9 keeps climbing up
into miles of spectacular rock formations. The area is different from any other
area we have come across and varies in color from white, pink, salmon, yellow, rust,
and many others. There are lots of bighorn sheep in this high country. Can you
see the sheep in the following photo?
Okay, here is a close up.
There were about a dozen of them feeding on the mountain side.
It is truly a beautiful
drive—one of our favorites with very unique rock formations.
Around every turn there was something amazing.
We just never knew what to expect next.
Here it looks like the
mountain side is about to flow over the road. The road makes a sharp right turn
to avoid damaging this awesome work of nature.
Our little blurb is just a
small overview of what Zion National Park has to offer. It is a miraculous work
of Mother Nature. Here are a couple of parting shots.
Hope you have enjoyed riding
with us. Bryce Canyon National Park is our next destination on this roadtrip.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns