Zion's National Park.

Over Spring break we decided to visit one of the many National Parks in our state. So, we chose Zions National Park. I have not been there in many years. In fact I do not remember ever going their before. Wow!!


What an incredible place to visit. When it comes to mountains I think more in terms of pine trees lakes meadows and such, but the sculptures that God created in
Zion's has to be some of the most impressive works of art I have ever seen. There is so much to see in this area that it is impossible to take it all in in one day.  The red and white sandstone stained with black streaks formed by mineral and hard water deposits created a truly impressive spectacle of nature at is best. We could only imagine the hanging gardens that had not fully recovered from the long hard winter, but what we did see was incredible. These magical gardens are formed where ever water seeps through the porous sandstone seeking is way to the Virgin River that created these canyons.

The steep walls of the canyons make for spectacular views in the morning. In fact I am not sure there is a bad time to be in the park from sun up to sundown the shadows of the surrounding monoliths, plateaus  and mesas, are forever changing and creating new scenic adventures where ever you may be in the canyons.



The weeping rock is a short but steep hike to an area where the moisture seems to come from nowhere. You can walk behind the curtain of rain under an over hang of rock and escape the heat of the afternoon sun. I can only imagine the sounds of thunder in as it would echoed off the walls of the canyon.

From the Emerald pools, to the Three Patriarch, to the Angels Landing and The Alter, each feature carries with it it's own majesty with royal colors and all.

Hiking to the mouth of the canyon where the narrows begin we noticed several people wearing wet suits and some foot wear that seemed kind of odd, but later found out that it was canyoneering equipment, which they rented from from a place in town. The narrows is a popular place to hike because of the haunting beauty of the reflected light in the very narrow canyons that have been carved away by the river. The narrows are also very dangerous when storms are anywhere close due to the narrow walls the steepness of the mountains surrounding the this canyon is prone to flash flooding. We did not make it to the narrows on this trip, but we will be back to explore the things we did not this time around.

The second day we headed to the east side of the park. The east side features a whole different look. Water still plays a part in the erosion of this side, but it is obvious that wind is also a factor in the shaping of this region of the park. Years ago there was a monumental effort to join the east with the west by creating the longest man made tunnel through the rock. The tunnel is nearly a mile long and very impressive. On the eastern side of the Park there was less water, but the interesting rock formations didn't lose anything. It was much more desert like, and while water has had its influence on the geography it is also evident that the wind had a great part in shaping the intriguing surroundings. And while the west has the Virgin River, the west has pools that form in the slot canyons. The ecosystems are much different.

Life in the park is quite diverse as well. Along the trails we spotted deer and squirrels a plenty on the west and Mountain sheep on the east. One squirrel in particular caught our attention as it was playing with a young girl just a head of us. She would clap her hands and the squirrel would mimic her and clap right back. It was obvious that the signs that said do not feed the animals was often ignored, and fines did not seem to be much of a deterrence to most visitors.

Sunday we ended up at Kolob Canyon which is yet another section of the park, which is closer to Cedar City. Kolob, according to the prophet Joseph Smith, is the closest planet to the throne of God. A more fitting description could not have been made of this canyon. I wish we had had more time to explore this area of the park, but then again we will have many more chances I am sure of that.


 Zion's National Park is definitely a jewel that is a must see if you get the chance or are in the area of Southern Utah. We will be going back again in the near future. It is always fun to see what a place like this looks like at varying times during the year. There really is so much to see and explore in this area it is no wonder this area would be considered sacred grounds. It is a magical playground of the gods.