Mighty Five Plus One – Part I: Utah’s Zion National Park

Posted on   September 26,2019   By John Compisi

On September first we launched our thirteen-day adventure into Southern Utah and its Mighty Five National Parks. We flew into Las Vegas from Northern California and picked up our Hertz SUV. Within minutes of our arrival we were on Interstate 15 headed north toward Zion National Park and the small town of Springdale. This series of articles will record the highlights and some ‘not so’ highlights of our adventure.  The Parks we visited, the Mighty Five, were Zion, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands and Bryce Canyon.  The ‘Plus One’ is Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

If you have the impression that if you see one of these parks, you’ve seen them all, be prepared to be dissuaded of that faulty perspective. Each of these is so uniquely different and beautiful you would be doing yourself a disservice by skipping any, despite their common geological birth.

These five Utah Parks and the Grand Staircase-Escalante are among the nine National Parks and eighteen National Monuments in the four corners areas of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. These geological wonders were created subsequent to the geologic uplift that created the Colorado Plateau (see below). As a result, have the greatest concentration of National Parks and Monuments in the United States, outside of the District of Columbia Metro Area.

The Colorado Plateau, is a high desert region centered on the Four Corners region of the southwestern United States. This plateau covers an area of 130,000 mi² within western Colorado, northwestern New Mexico, southern and eastern Utah, and northern Arizona. The Colorado River and its main tributaries drain about 90% of the area. Other rivers influencing the area are the Rio Grande and its tributaries. The Grand Canyon is the most famous of the Plateau’s geological features. Domes, hoodoos, fins, reefs, river narrows, natural bridges, and slot canyons are only some of the amazing features of the Plateau.

We arrived at the town of Springdale in late afternoon and after checking in at our hotel, we immediately took the Springdale Shuttle to the Park entrance and the Visitors Center. Of course, it was Sunday, September 1^st when we arrived. (Rookie Error: Do not visit the National Parks on Labor Day Weekend if you can avoid it.)  The Ranger information desk was not crowded and the Rangers were very helpful. We received advice on the best trails (based upon our ability levels) and Park Ranger guided tours. We watched the park film (we did at every Park and Monument) which are beautifully produced and worth the 20-minute time investment.

Zion National Park is a combination of surreal, enthralling and mystical (hesitate to use this word because it applies to every Park and Monument we visited). We spent three nights in Springdale and think that that is perfect. One could spend more or less and enjoy but three was just right for us.

What to do: Hike!

We hiked over 12 miles in our three days in the park. First day we did a couple short warm up hikes (the Grotto and Riverside). On our full day, to avoid the crowds, we drove (about 40 minutes) to Kolob Canyons, a northern extension of Zion with a separate Visitors Center. We did a 6-mile hike (some elevation change but not bad) to see the Double Arches. Truly spectacular red rock formation. The atmosphere was reminiscent of the quiet in a centuries old European Cathedral. We enjoyed our lunch while taking in the view. In addition to the hike, we drove the amazing scenic drive and couldn’t have been more taken with the breathtaking views. A must do!!!

The third day was our Ranger day. We had signed up for a morning Ranger guided bus tour which in hindsight we regretted. The tour, although somewhat informative, absorbed too much time that we could have used for hiking. We did witness a secondary slide at Weeping Rocks where the initial slide injured 3 and stranded numerous hikers on August 25^th. Wow! We ended the day with another Ranger talk at the Human History Museum. Again, informative but not the best use of our time. We ended our hiking day with an easy walk to the Lower Emerald Pools (the Middle and Upper are both closed). Actually beautiful!

On our last day we hiked the 3.3 mile Watchman Trail. This is a beautiful, mildly challenging trail that starts at the Visitors Center and offers truly spectacular views of the Park and Springdale. Do not ignore this trail.

The Shuttle Systems: The free shuttle services (there are two) connect Springdale and the numerous stops inside the Park. Both are free and the busses arrive at the stops every 7-10 minutes (like clockwork). We used the services for Park visits as well as dining and shopping in Springdale.

Where to Stay: Although there are numerous National chains in Springdale and the Zion Lodge within the Park, we stayed at the La Quinta in Springdale. The rooms were fine. The location was convenient. Breakfast (not good) was included. Management was NOT guest friendly.

Where to dine: We found the dining opportunities a bit touristy. Fortunately, we did find Moki Bistro, an American restaurant with a reasonable menu (the Bison Burger was quite good) and a staff that was guest focused. We enjoyed dinner the first night and went back for drinks (with snacks as required by the State of Utah) on our last night. We had lunch at the Switchback Grill (just okay) and at the Zion Lodge (disappointing) and at Casa de Amigos – Mexican (really not good).

Where to obtain Adult Beverages: Considering Utah’s archaic alcohol laws we were able to obtain drinks at dinner and buy wine for the rest of our trip. The selections were meager but we did find something at the Switchback Liquor Store.

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