Zion means “sanctuary” and these magnificent canyons, high in the Colorado Plateau, are not only monumental on a scale like Yosemite, but also filled with beautiful cottonwood forests with water and flowers. Not exactly lush as the Blue Ridge, mind you, but full of life. So Zion IS a sanctuary and has been for men and animals and birds from the Puebloan Ancestors to today.
Zion was our favorite experience. I’m careful not to say “our favorite park” because we loved them all. But it was the best experience because, first of all, to mitigate traffic in this immensely popular park (over 2 million visitors a year, I think), driving up the main scenic canyon is not allowed, there is a free shuttle bus system that will pick you up at stops in Springdale, UT—one right across the street from our motel. It drops you off in the park where you pay your way in (or flash your pass) and then another system picks you up and takes you up into the canyon, stopping at a series of breathtaking places where you can stay as long as you like and then catch another shuttle back or onward to the next breathtaking place. Or take a trail. On the shuttles you get a recorded message that is interesting and you don’t have to drive and fight for parking spaces at the various scenic points. They come around about every 15’ from about 6AM until after dark. Fantastic!
Actually: I was furious when I first learned (a) I couldn’t drive around myself, (b) Bella was not allowed on the shuttles. What to do? In fact the system is GREAT. The shuttles even have elaborate lifts for wheel chairs, and there were many an elderly person there who the shuttles were perfect for. So we put Bella up at a great kennel called (no kidding) the “Doggie Dude Ranch” in Springdale, and she had such a great time there we weren’t sure she would rejoin us at the end of the day.
Here’s the kind of thing you saw when you would get off the shuttle at a stop:
One of our favorite stops was a majestic grove of cottonwood trees with picnic tables, where you could sit in the shade of the treesand look up at the surrounding walls:
Y
ou could take great pictures without ever getting off the shuttle, just stick your camera out the window. And therein is a problem. When I was a hiker and backpacker (30 years ago), I remember treasuring such contempt for those who would just ride through a park, stop at the scenic spots, take a picture, then move on. But on this tour sometimes we had to do what I used to despise! Of course you need to get out of the car—or shuttle—and get into the woods, see things on your feet. At most of the parks we did that, but between my knees and Mary’s sensitivity to both heat and cold we are limited to no more than a few miles’ walk. But the Parks are great about providing easy, as well as epic hikes. At Zion, where you can be down in the canyon in the shade instead of cooking up on the rim, we took a great hike up toward The Narrows, Zion’s most famous feature—a 2000’ canyon that narrows to a few yards wide and the only place you can walk is in the Virgin River itself. However, a good deal of rain and snowmelt had swollen the river to where The Narrows was closed to hikers. But we did follow the river for about 3 miles up into the canyon. In spite of crowds of people—it was paved and you could have been on a sidewalk in New York—the hike was magnificent. First thing, a wispy fall reminiscent of Yosemite:
ou could take great pictures without ever getting off the shuttle, just stick your camera out the window. And therein is a problem. When I was a hiker and backpacker (30 years ago), I remember treasuring such contempt for those who would just ride through a park, stop at the scenic spots, take a picture, then move on. But on this tour sometimes we had to do what I used to despise! Of course you need to get out of the car—or shuttle—and get into the woods, see things on your feet. At most of the parks we did that, but between my knees and Mary’s sensitivity to both heat and cold we are limited to no more than a few miles’ walk. But the Parks are great about providing easy, as well as epic hikes. At Zion, where you can be down in the canyon in the shade instead of cooking up on the rim, we took a great hike up toward The Narrows, Zion’s most famous feature—a 2000’ canyon that narrows to a few yards wide and the only place you can walk is in the Virgin River itself. However, a good deal of rain and snowmelt had swollen the river to where The Narrows was closed to hikers. But we did follow the river for about 3 miles up into the canyon. In spite of crowds of people—it was paved and you could have been on a sidewalk in New York—the hike was magnificent. First thing, a wispy fall reminiscent of Yosemite:
2000' Waterfall
Saw a canyon wren and many flowers in “hanging gardens” growing on the walls where there were seeps.
That evening we took a walk on the only path where Bella was allowed to go, walked along the roaring river and watched the sun set:
The only downer was during the day when 3 young guys got on the shuttle, hiking boots, massive backpacks, in from a week of hiking, tired but happy. Wish I could have gone with them.
We really hated to leave The Sanctuary.
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