Weekend Getaway: Zion National Park

I love to travel.  I love to get outside.  I really, really love to get outside when I travel.  I was blessed with the opportunity to get away for the weekend recently and enjoy Zion National Park with my family.  For those who live in Southern California, driving to Zion is possible in a weekend.  We went during a holiday weekend, but we wanted to avoid the traffic, so we went for three days (which you could do on a regular weekend).  You have the option of camping in the park, staying in a hotel in Springdale (which is right outside of the park), or in a nearby surrounding area.  We stayed in St. George this time, which was a great option.  We rented a cabin from the KOA which was very reasonable, and about a 40 minute drive to the National Park.  There are a lot of services and restaurants in St. George (though some of my favorite places to eat are in Springdale).

Arch at the top of Hidden Canyon Trail in Zion

Over the weekend we went on several hikes.  The highlight for me was hiking up Angels Landing.  For those unfamiliar with this hike, it entails a portion with very high drop-offs on either side (there are nothing but chains protecting you in some portions).  Like I mentioned, we went on a holiday weekend and the hike was extremely CROWDED!  This was a little disappointing to someone like me who isn't particularly fond of large crowds, especially when I am out in nature, but it had the benefit of an added challenge and was a very interesting experience.  That being said, I wouldn't recommend this hike on a busy holiday weekend if possible.  It was certainly more dangerous had there not have been so many hikers, and it took much longer.  Now I have a clearer vision of what it would be like on Everest as climbers bottleneck at fixed ropes (minus the extreme cold... and altitude... and bottled oxygen... OK, maybe I just have a clearer idea of what it's like to wait a long time for other hikers to pass while on a steep, one-way trail).  All in all, I would highly recommend this hike to those without a debilitating fear of heights.  Definitely one of the classics.

View from the top of Angel's Landing

Look at all the people!  It was impossible to get a photo without a human being in it!

What's great about a day full of hiking is the guilt-free dining that follows.  Springdale, Utah is full of delicious, hip restaurants to fulfill all those downhill cravings, and many with a view to die for.  One of my husband and my favorites is Oscar's (make sure you order the homemade carrot cake).  Sitting outside on the patio with a view of the red rocks basking in the sunset glow is an experience of luxury, especially while sipping on a Margarita!

View of Zion from Springdale, Utah

Besides places to fill your belly, Springdale also has some lovely shops.  Artist galleries, guide services, and souvenir shops make a great cap off to the night, and may help burn any lingering calories from dinner.

On our last day in Utah, we checked out St. George.  We explored Snow Canyon State Park on Sunday morning for a few hours.  It's a great little park, and there were less crowds there than Zion on a busy holiday weekend.  I would love to come back and spend some more time there, especially to try some of their sport climbing routes.

Snow Canyon State Park, St. George, Utah

After mostly driving through Snow Canyon (except for a little 1 mile hiking loop), we headed over to the Mormon temple in St. George.  We couldn't go inside the actual temple, but we were tourists and checked out the exterior and explored the visitor's center.  It was very interesting to see, and learn about the history of building the temple.  I learned about what goes on inside the temple as well, which I found fascinating.

St. George Mormon temple.  Apparently they paint it every year so it stays dazzling white!

I hope those who live near enough to drive to Zion don't hesitate to visit in a weekend.  The drive isn't as far as you might think, and IMHO it is well worth it.

Cheers!