Tag Archive | Native American tribes

Zion National Park

May5

Utah

If I had to describe Zion National Park to someone, I would just say, Wow!” Words will never do it justice and neither will photographs. You have to be there in person to experience the full, authentic Zion experience.

Zion National Park is one of Utah’s “Mighty Five” National Parks. Located in the southwest corner of Utah, it is an hour from St. George, two-and-a-half hours from Las Vegas and four-and-a-half hours from Salt Lake City. My husband and I flew into Las Vegas and rented a car there for our drive into Springdale, where we booked a hotel very near the park entrance.

Staying in Springdale worked out perfectly for us. We had designated parking (which can be very scarce near the park) and had several restaurants in easy walking distance. The City of Springdale also runs a shuttle service that had a stop right in front of our hotel. The city shuttle bus took us right to the park’s south entrance and brought us back each day. An added “plus” for Springdale – the entire town has some pretty gorgeous views of the red-striated mountains that make Zion so unique. We felt very connected to the beauty of the area while in town. Springdale was a perfect location and had all the amenities that we wanted. It made our stay “easy, peasy!”

A trip to Zion can be a little confusing until you figure out the logistics. First of all, cars are not allowed in Zion National Park. The park has a free shuttle system in place (March thru November) that reduces road congestion and resolves parking issues that we experienced in other parks. The shuttles do not require tickets or reservations. You just hop on and off wherever you choose. The shuttle system made getting around the park super easy and convenient. We never waited more than 5 minutes for a shuttle at any of our stops throughout the park and the drivers were friendly and helpful. I was very impressed and certainly wish more of the National Parks would use this system.

The park shuttles run from the Zion National Park Visitor Center (stop #1) up the canyon road, stopping at several stops, until the last stop (#9) the Temple of Sinawava. The shuttle stops are located at various viewpoints, waterfalls and trailheads including Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, Zion Human History Museum, Canyon Junction, Court of the Patriarchs, Zion Lodge, the Grotto, Weeping Rock, and Big Bend. Maps and signage are plentiful and easily to navigate. While on the park shuttle, pre-recorded tapes inform riders about the park’s geology, plant & animal life, trails and history. The ride from the Visitor Center to the final stop (Temple of Sinawava) takes about 45 minutes (approximately 9 miles). The full route, out and back without getting off, would run about 90 minutes.

We visited the park in mid-April and the crowds were minimal and the weather was perfect! The temperatures were very pleasant but the water levels were extremely high due to snowmelt and spring rains. The famous Narrows hike through the Virgin River was closed due to the dangerous conditions. Fortunately, these same weather conditions made the waterfalls spectacular! Zion National Park will be its busiest from late April to early October, with summer being the most popular time to visit. Long lines, heavy crowds and the extreme heat may not be ideal for you or your family. Plan accordingly.

This was my first visit to Zion National Park and I had always wondered what the big deal was with a park in southern Utah that is surrounded by deserts. It was in the middle of nowhere and was difficult to get to. Could it really be that great? I was skeptical until we were driving in and got about half an hour from Zion (Hurricane, Utah). The scenery changed quickly and the landscape went from boring to beautiful. Maybe there was something to this place after all.

Zion was simply an explosion of shapes, colors and textures. The green grasses in the valley were surrounded by towering white, pink, orange, brown and red sandstone and limestone mountains, cliffs and canyon walls. The fast-running, silty Virgin River carved its way through the valley and ran alongside the highways and byways. We noticed craggy peaks, colorful boulders, fields of wildflowers, brushy cacti and clusters of pine trees. Zion National Park was postcard perfection. I quickly saw the appeal of this place.

David and I entered the park early on our first full day. No lines! We decided to ride the shuttle all the way to the final stop and work our way backwards. We hiked approximately 7 miles the first day and saw many beautiful sights. We hiked paved, sandy, rocky, forested and dirt trails. We saw mule deer, beautiful waterfalls, clear pools, bridges, sandy beaches, ancient trees, mountain ranges and towering cliffs. We ate a leisurely lunch, snacked on ice cream and shopped at The Zion Lodge gift shop. Quite simply, we had the perfect day. We slept like logs that night!

The second day in the park, we drove the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway to Zion’s east entrance. This scenic highway has a tunnel, hairpin switchbacks, elevation changes and great views of Zion. It runs north/northeast and leads to Bryce Canyon or The Grand Canyon . This was a stunning drive with plenty of eye candy. There are many pull-offs, lookouts, parking areas and a few trailheads to stop and explore along the way. This route took us through the mile-long Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel, a modern engineering marvel for its time. We enjoyed walking along a sandy bank of the Virgin River, seeing bighorn sheep, and “checking” out the impressive Checkerboard Mesa.

After a delicious lunch in Springdale, we drove to the Kolob Canyon entrance on Zion National Park’s western border. This section of the park is much less popular than the main part but was just as majestic. If you want to immerse yourself into the more “wilderness” part of the park, this is your place. The towering rock formations, finger canyons, arches and quiet scenic trails of Kolob Canyon are a forty-five minute drive from the more trafficked south entrance. The main park road, the Kolob Canyon Road, is just five short miles but encompasses soaring red canyon walls, stunning high desert vistas and powerful waterfalls. The rangers at Kolob Canyon also gave us directions to two nearby state parks where we saw dinosaur footprints and a slot canyon. It was a fun day!

Zion National Park was established by the U.S. government in 1909. There were indigenous peoples that called this area home for centuries. Stop by the Zion Human History Museum (shuttle stop #2) for a better understanding of the park’s history. Artifacts from Native American tribes that inhabited this area date back to 7000 BC. I find that many of our National Parks have an interesting, albeit a sometimes “dark” history, and this one is no exception.

It is no wonder to me now why Zion National Park is one of the top-rated parks in the United States. It is most deserving of its popularity! Zion turned out to be an easy place to visit. The main canyon is relatively small which means you can see most of the popular sights in just one day. However, you could spend days or weeks in the large backcountry part of the park, if you so choose.

If you want more challenging hikes with epic views or if you are like me and want a more relaxed visit with easier hikes, Zion will most likely leave you starry-eyed and wanting more. There seems to be something here that appeals to everyone – even this old dame with a bum knee!

I’ll see you on the trail.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Sep24

Montrose County, CO

Another Covid-19 vacation is in the books! My family is vaccinated but we are still trying to avoid crowds when traveling. We have spent the past year renting homes/cabins and cooking most of our meals when out of town. This rural southwest part of Colorado seemed like the perfect place to check out a National Park and visit with our adult children for a few days. It turned out to be a great trip.

We took a morning flight from DFW to Montrose. The direct flight was only an hour and thirty-eight minutes – quick trip! The Montrose airport was small (4 gates) and very easy to navigate. Getting our rental Jeep was a breeze. Our Vrbo house actually ended up being a convenient ten minute drive from the airport. So far, so good! We were ready to explore the area.

The first excursion to check off our list: The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. This area has only had National Park status since 1999 and I was not that familiar with it prior to our trip. After seeing a few pics on a National Park social media page recently, it got on my radar. Though not as popular as the Grand Canyon, it certainly seemed less crowded and had some spectacular views with towering walls, spiky peaks, narrow openings and startling depths. I put in a little bit of research, found out how to get there, and off we went!

The Black Canyon National Park entrance was only twenty minutes from downtown Montrose and the drive up to the park was quite scenic as our elevation changed (and ears popped!). This route took us to the park’s visitor center that featured cool displays, info on the canyon, picnic areas, restrooms, a gift shop, campgrounds, a nature trail and a great observation platform. It was well worth a stop. I got a map, a walking stick and went on my merry way.

The route through the park along the South Rim Road was easy to drive and well-marked. It allowed us beautiful views of the Black Canyon from many overlooks, most of which only required short walks. I loved seeing all the different landscapes, plants and trees along the way. Hiking there can be as simple as strolling to the various viewpoints and overlooks or as challenging as a 2,700 foot descent down into the inner-canyon to the Gunnison River, which we didn’t do (because we are sane people!).

The Black Canyon itself was breathtakingly beautiful with its dark, solid granite canyon walls that tower almost 3,000 feet above the greenish river snaking far, far below. The canyon gets its name due to the fact that certain parts of the gorge only get thirty total minutes of sunlight per day. The walls literally look black due to the shadows. It is very, very narrow and very deep! For you geology nerds, the canyon has some of the world’s oldest exposed rock that dates back two billion years to the Precambrian era. Today the impenetrable, steep cliffs provide homes and protection to the world’s fastest bird, the peregrine falcon.

We enjoyed many of the twelve lookout points along the rim with Pulpit Rock, the Painted Wall and Dragon Point being my favorites. The Painted Wall is the highest cliff (tallest vertical wall) in Colorado. From the rim down to the river, it stands 2250 feet high and as my daughter described it, “it looks like a big ole slab of marbled steak.” It is a huge, dark granite wall with wide, white “marble” streaks running through it. The size is somewhere in the neighborhood of ginormous!

At Dragon Point, the Painted Wall was across the gorge from us and far below was the Gunnison River. The river actually looked very curvy and small from our vantage spot so high above. Our view was quite deceiving. The Gunnison River actually drops an average of 43 feet per mile through the canyon, which is six times more than the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon – just to put it in perspective.

If we had more time, I would have liked to experience the canyon from the bottom up. There is a road at the park entrance that follows a steep, switch-back route into the canyon’s depths. This would certainly be a memorable day for hiking, fishing, kayaking or rock climbing. I would have loved to have seen the mighty river up close and personal. Maybe next time…

The Ute Tribe that inhabited these tribal lands for thousands of years referred to this area as “much rocks, big water.” I don’t think anyone could have said it any better.

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