SUTTON Travels: Zion National Park Utah USA

18 April 2021

Zion National Park Utah USA

Zion National Park is Utah's first national park and is located in the southwestern corner of the state. We traveled from Bryce Canyon National Park so entered using the eastern entrance on Route 9. Close to the entrance is Checkerboard Mesa.

Close to the Eastern Entrance is a scenic view. And, by the way, there are toilets near the entrance.

This video shows the colourful rock strata close to the Checkerboard Mesa on Route 9. It is available in 4K (Pixel 4).

Here's a panorama along the scenic route.

After dealing with slow traffic through the long tunnel (Zion-Mt Carmel Tunnel), we stopped for a break and this video.

We turned south toward the visitor's center because points north were only available by shuttle bus or bicycle. The parking lot was full so we rode around a few times before getting lucky. We had our lunch in the car and selected the Pa'rus trail, which runs along the Virgin River.

I took three short videos along this easy trail. The first video is near the trailhead.

The second video is a short scene along the way.

And the third video is a refreshing small waterfall.

The trail is easy for hikers and bikers. We kept to the sides because a lot of people were on bikes. There are a number of dogs but all were on leashes. The views are amazing so I recommend the trail, but seasoned hikers won't find a challenge. Here's one panorama.

After returning to the visitor's center, we checked out the possibility of getting shuttle bus tickets. These tickets are limited and should be purchased in advance--see the link on the park's website. Walk-up tickets began at 2 PM. Luckily, we got our shuttle wrist band and were sent to the front seat. However, the shuttle service uses a bendy-bus so our views of the northern section of the park were from the side windows of the "second class" section.

We spent the night in Springdale, Utah, which is close to the southern entrance. Shuttles are available so you could leave a vehicle at your nearby hotel and ride into the park. We enjoyed a nice stay at the Best Western Plus, with fabulous views from our balcony.

After relaxing, we enjoyed fish n' chips at Blondie's Diner in Springdale, Utah. There are several restaurants in the area. Our hotel host suggested getting an early dinner because the crowds leave the park around 6 PM.

The next day, we were up early to beat the crowds. We drove up Interstate 15 and used Exit 40 to enter the Kolob Canyons section of Zion National Park.

We drove to the end of the scenic Kolob Canyons Road and hiked the Timber Creek Trail to the overlook point. Hardly anyone was in the area!

Here's a look from the top.

I took this video from the overview point at the top of the trail.

If you are planning a visit, do check the website for the latest news, trail information, hours, tickets, and more. We were lucky to get the shuttle tickets and we saw a lot in our two part-days. There's so much more to see here. And many of the longer trails look interesting; however, we prefer less crowded settings.

See my photos and comments on the Big 5 National Parks in Utah

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Here is the video of the trip with a few stills and narrative.