Zion National Park in One Day
We spent a fun half day up in Zion this week. It was the perfect time to go! No shuttles yet, warm enough to hike in, hardly any people and still really pretty views.
Keep in mind - things are different when it’s busy. Plan ahead for shuttle stops and longer hikes due to waiting. Zion is no longer a secret place 😉 I’ve been asked a lot - you ONLY need a lottery ticket for Angels Landing, NOT to get into the park. Shuttles this year (for now) do not have lottery sign ups. It may change, but just fyi.
••Hikes we did:
Lower Emerald Pools (1.0 mile) &
Overlook (1.0 mile)
Others recommended to us:
-Weeping Rock (currently closed, see app for details on opening)
-Watchman’s Trail - 3.3 miles
-Riverside walk/Temple Sinawava - 2.2 mile
-Pa’rus Trail - 3.5 miles
We started at Lower Emerald Pools and loved the hike. We brought strollers, but we could have been ok without them. Under the waterfall is open when it’s warmer - it was a huge sheet of ice and was roped off for now. I’ve heard this one is amazing in the spring!
We ate lunch on the grass next to Zion Lodge. It’s a short distance away from the bathrooms, but the little picnic spot was great for us. Just next to the restrooms is Grotto Trail, which leads to picnic areas if you’d prefer to have a table.
After lunch we braved it and drove through the tunnels to try the Overlook Hike. If you’re driving, the parking is immediately after the tunnel ends, be prepared or else you have to drive back through the tunnel and back again because you can’t turn left into it (we know this by error…lol). There are no shuttle stops to this hike.
Overlook Hike was beautiful! It honestly would have been such a fun hike - our kids stressed the heck out of us so much that we decided not to go any further. “Minor drop offs” is a bit of an understatement if you ask me 😅. The hike isn’t long, just hard when your kids want to jump on rocks or climb up everything and you’re afraid of heights 🙅♀️. We’ll definitely try it again someday!
We had a great day and loved how accessible and well maintained all the trails were at Zion! What tips would you leave for those going to Zion?!
https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/maps.htm
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