I visited Zion National Park, Utah during the Memorial Day weekend earlier this year – clearly this post had been stuck in gestation for a while. It was a fun holiday with friends – three treks over three days in a spectacular locale.
Most of the first day at Zion was spent on finding a campsite and setting up our tent. By late afternoon, we were set and headed for Bryce Canyon National Park which is only a short drive from Zion. We approached Zion from Vegas, and so the drive to Bryce was through the park; it helped whet our appetite for the sights that were to follow over the next couple of days. These photos are from Bryce.
In Zion, headed to Bryce
Dixie National Forest, between Zion & Bryce
A lookout at Bryce National Park
Navajo Trail in Bryce Canyon National Park
Thors Hammer
Day Two had been set aside for Angels Landing which is among the signature trails of Zion National Park. It starts deceptively easy along Virginia River, slowly increasing in difficulty along a paved section and finally culminating in a strenuous stretch with sheer cliffs.
That is our destination
The trail you see below is where we started…
…to get here
The final stretch
Breathtaking trek, still some way to go
Taking in the view…
…cant get enough of it
After Angels Falls and a short rest, as there was some day left, we drove over to Horseshoe Bend. This is a scenic spot close to the Grand Canyon which seems to be made for photographing sunsets – the red sandstone with its signature stripes makes for some interesting subjects in the warm evening light.
Horse-shoe Bend
The final day of our holiday was set aside for The Narrows. It is 7 mile trail, of which the first 3 miles are only the approach. It is basically a trek against the flow of Virginia River, which depending upon the season can get quite deep in some places. The deepest we encountered was about waist-high, not too bad but deep enough to have me worry about the safety of my camera. Sandwiched on either side by sheer cliff walls, this trail is quite a unique experience.
