Welcome back everyone to my weekly national park blog! After doing these posts for the past few weeks, it seems like the American West has no shortage of sites to explore. Out of the states I have visited, few compare to the beautiful countryside and various exciting attractions found in Utah. Located in the southwestern United States, Utah is truly a unique and wonderful place, home to intense deserts, impressive mountains, and, among other things, Zion National Park, this weeks topic.
Zion is another example of a lesser-known yet wonderful destination for travelers to the region. Found in the southwestern part of the state, the park is relatively close to other attractions in the area, such as Glen Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and even the Grand Canyon. Unfortunately, not unlike some of the other parks mentioned in this blog, this close proximity to more popular tourist destinations often results in Zion being overlooked by travelers, who, in my opinion, are making a serious mistake.
The park is full of impressive natural structures, such as freestanding rock arches, and is home to Zion Canyon, a popular spot for hiking and sightseeing in Zion National Park. One specific spot is known as the Narrows, which, as the name suggests, is the narrowest part of the canyon, with walls easily topping a thousand feet. This was one of my personal favorite things to explore in the canyon due to the Virgin River, which runs through it, creating pools of water to swim in as I hiked up the canyon.
While the park may have some beautiful scenery, one aspect of Zion I was thoroughly impressed with was the road leading into the park. The Zion-Mount Carmel Highway at a glance may seem to be an odd thing to take away from the area, but in order to provide access to the park, the road had to be constructed to pass through the Navajo sandstone cliffs. This results in an impressive 1.1 mile tunnel that serves as both a testament to the dedication of the park planners and as reminder of the unique American ingenuity that motivated them to literally move mountains.
While I may not have spent as much time here as I have in other parks, I did overall have an exciting and positive experience. Zion National Park hosts some of the most beautiful scenery of any National Park I have visited, and as it was Utah’s first National Park, it certainly deserves the visit. I definitely plan to visit again to further explore everything the area has to offer.
