Making our way to Zion from Bryce
In 2016 we drove from Las Vegas on interstate 15 to route 9 into Springdale, UT, where we stayed for a few nights while visiting Zion National Park. Zion would be the first of The Mighty Five National Parks we would be visiting. In 2021, we would arrive from the opposite direction taking route 9 as we made our way from Bryce Canyon National Park. This is important to know. When coming from Bryce we would have to travel through the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel to reach Zion if taking route 9. In 2021, we were towing a camper and there are oversized vehicle restrictions (height and width) requiring a permit and an escort or traffic controlled passage through this tunnel. If you are traveling in an RV, be sure to read through the oversized vehicle restrictions before heading through the Zion-Mount Carmel tunnel. Building this 1.1-mile tunnel was quite the engineering task and the drive through it is a fun experience. An interesting fact about the tunnel: it was completed in 1930 to provide access to Bryce Canyon and Grand Canyon from Zion National Park. We chose to avoid the tunnel while towing our camper and took highway 89 north as we left Bryce to route 20 west, making our way to interstate 15. This added over an hour to our drive. However, by avoiding the tunnel, we did not have to purchase a tunnel permit or wait for an escort, so in the end, this added time was not an issue.
Virgin, UT & the surrounding towns
Before arriving at Zion National Park, we would stay four nights at the Zion River RV Resort in Virgin, UT. From here, we would explore the nearby towns while avoiding the weekend crowds at Zion National Park.
On our first day in Virgin, UT we visited the Grafton Ghost Town. The town was established in 1859 by five Mormon families. The history around the settlement, farming, flooding, and conflicts with Native Americans was very interesting. Another interesting fact, this became a Ghost Town not once but twice when the last resident moved out in 1945. The town has also been used in several films.
Today this area is listed on the National Register of Historic Sites and the Grafton Heritage Partnership Project continues to restore several of the remaining buildings. As we were leaving we stopped at the nearby Grafton Cemetery. Reading the history and walking through the town and cemetery provides a brief glimpse as to what life must have been like in the mid to late 1800s. The town is very picturesque as it sits along the Virgin River with the West Temple peak as the backdrop.
The next day we traveled to Kolob Canyon, which is part of Zion National Park, located 40-miles from Springdale, UT. The entrance to this part of the National Park is off Interstate 15. From the Kolob Visitors Center, a 12-mile road leads to Kolob Canyons Viewpoint at the end of the park. As you make your way to the Viewpoint, one can stop at several overlooks for views of the canyons or hike one of several trailheads into the canyons.
We planned to hike the Taylor Creek Trail but the trailhead parking lot was full. Disappointed we could not find a parking spot, we continued up E. Kolob Canyon Road for about 1-mile where we pulled into the next parking area. There was plenty of parking so we pulled out our phones to find another trail. Thanks to the app Alltrails, our trusted hiking companion, we found the South Fork Taylor Creek Trail. This is a 1.4-mile, one-way hike that takes you deep into the canyon. The trailhead began across the road from the parking lot. This was a wonderful trail with only a few people on it. I would highly recommend it! A fun surprise as we approached the end of the trail was a belayer assisting a rock climber making his way up the canyon wall. We stopped to watch and took a few pictures. As the canyon wall was lined with climbing anchors, we assumed this must be a popular climbing location.
After completing the South Fork Taylor Creek Trail, we drove to the Kolob Canyons Viewpoint for lunch overlooking the Canyon. We hiked about 0.5-mile on the Timber Creek Overlook Trail which provided additional views of this section of the park.
If you are visiting Zion National Park, do not overlook this part of the park. Give yourself at least two hours and drive up to the overlook and take a short hike, you will be glad you did!
For our final day at the Zion River RV Resort we would rest, do laundry, and hang out by the pool before we made our way to Watchman Campground. It is always nice to have a down day when traveling. As it happened to be a Sunday, many in the campground were packing up and pulling out, making for much activity around us in the morning. However, after 11:00 AM, when everyone had checked out, we had the place to ourselves! It was a beautiful thing!
Arriving at Zion National Park
On our departure from Zion River RV Resort, we took our time as check out is 11 AM and check-in at Watchman Campground is noon, only 20 minutes down the road. Not thinking we would have a problem if we arrived a little early, we departed just before 11 AM and arrived at the ranger’s gate at 11:06 AM. Well, it turns out I was wrong. Arriving before check-in was an issue! The Park Ranger greeted me with “so you are one of those noon check-ins arriving at 11:00”. She proceeded to tell me they needed time to clean out campsites and that I would have to leave and return at noon. I will admit, I was pretty annoyed and during our stay, I never saw a park ranger clean out any empty campsite. But, I respected the policy and we turned around and pulled into the RV Parking Lot located near the visitor center. The lot was posted as an RV Lot with the sign clearly stating no passenger cars allowed. People did not obey the signage, and clearly there was no enforcement as there were plenty of cars parked in the RV Lot. There was no place to park as the lot was full. My only option was to park alongside several cars. Here I would wait 45 minutes till noon. I was quite agitated and my wife suggested I take several laps around the parking lot. At noon we rolled back to the campground, greeted by the same Park Ranger, who then allowed us access to the campground. We made our way to our campsite, B14.
After settling in, I began to calm down. After all, we were in Zion National Park with a beautiful campsite overlooking Watchman mountain! We had lunch and decided to make our way to the visitor center to pick up a park map.
Before I continue about our day, here are a few details one should know before arriving at Zion National Park. Access into Zion National Park can be done by taking Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. During peak season no private vehicles are allowed on Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. Other than walking or taking a bike, the only way to gain access to the park is to take the free shuttle located near the Zion Canyon Visitor Center. One can hire an approved shuttle tour operator to take you into the park but this will cost you. Click the hyperlink for shuttle information. During our visit, you had to have a shuttle ticket to board as these were the Covid guidelines for this park. Tickets had to be reserved ahead of time and were time-based. Thankfully, we knew about this and were able to get two shuttle tickets for two different days. Securing these tickets was a process as tickets were released on certain dates and times. There was a walk-on process for those without a ticket which started at 3:00 PM.
Now back to our day. As we arrived at the visitor center, we were greeted by large crowds of people. People looking to get shuttle tickets, people who did not know they needed shuttle tickets, and people in line waiting for their shuttle time slot to open. It is fair to say it was a little crazy. After walking around the visitor center, we decided to leave. As I started to think about how crazy things might be over the next few days, I looked at my wife and said I need a drink. She agreed so we made our way to the Zion Canyon Brew Pub. Enjoying our beers, we watched the flurry of activity around us while trying to relax.
The town of Springdale also offers a free shuttle bus, with no reserved tickets required. After our beers, we decided to take the bus into Springdale to enjoy the many shops. For dinner, we ate at the Zion Pizza Noodle Company, a place enjoyed during our 2016 visit. After a relaxing evening, we headed back to the campground where I attended the 9 PM Science in the Sky ranger talk at the nearby Watchman Amphitheater.
Our time in Zion National Park
Our first shuttle ticket was for May 18 at 7 AM. We were up early to prepare our gear for the day. Due to the shuttle reservation system, you were not allowed to return to the visitor center and then return to the park on a later shuttle. This was very disappointing as we had planned to hike The Narrows, return to the campground for lunch and change into dry clothes, and then head back to the park later in the day. We now had to prepare for a full day within the park without returning to our campsite.
To reach The Narrows trailhead you take the shuttle to the Temple of Sinawava. Then, take the Riverside Walk 1.1-miles, which leads to the start of The Narrows trail. There are a few things you should know about The Narrows trail before heading out. The Narrows trail runs through the Virgin River. You hike in the rocky river bed most of the time. Proper gear is highly recommended and can be rented in town if you wish. We hiked this with our walking sticks and waterproof hiking shoes, which we found acceptable. Just one word of caution, take your time, you can easily twist an ankle or knee. Depending on the river, some water crossings will be waist-high.
As we made our way to The Narrows along the Riverside Walk , we knew the water would be cold, and the sun was not high enough to warm us, so we had our concerns. My wife was extremely nervous as she tore a tendon in her knee during this hike in 2016. This made for a long process as we made our way out and she feared this would happen again. This time, as she made her way through the river, every step was cautiously planned and worrisome. After about 0.5-mile into the hike, I could tell she was cold, worried, and not having a good time. I convinced her it would be best to head back.
For those interested, this trail goes 4.7-miles one way to Big Spring where the trail ends. This hike is truly amazing, take your time and make a day of this. In addition, please beware of the weather as flash flooding is a concern. Do your homework before heading out on this hike. If you have not hiked The Narrows, put this on your must-do list of hikes. Be prepared as this trail is one of the most popular and will be crowded.
After we warmed up, we headed to the Zion Lodge to hang out on the expansive lawn out front. If your budget allows, consider staying here for a night or two. I am sure you would create memories for a lifetime! After resting on the lawn, we made our way to the Emerald Pools Trailhead. We hiked to each of the Emerald Pools starting at the trailhead by the Zion Lodge, making our way to the Lower Emerald Pool, then to the Upper, and finally to the Middle. In total it was about a 3.2-mile hike. There were several steep climbs as you make your way to the Upper Pools, so be forewarned. This was a great hike, but longer than what we had expected. Make sure you have plenty of water on those hot days. As it was now late afternoon, and we had done all we wanted to for the day, we made our way back to camp.
As several of the 9 shuttle stops were closed during our stay, this prevented us from completing all the hikes on our bucket list. Due to the late 1:00 PM shuttle pass for the following day, we chose not to return to the park. Instead, we would hike Watchman Trail which we could walk to from our campsite. This is a 3.3-mile round trip hike with a 368-foot elevation change so we had to take a few breaks as we made our way to the top. It was a great hike and since this would be our last hike during our stay, we took our time enjoying the views along the way. As a reward for all we accomplished over the past two days, it only seemed fitting to end our stay with one final beer at the Zion Canyon Brew Pub.
I will admit, our second visit to Zion National Park was not as memorable as our first. Do not take this the wrong way, as this park is amazing! However, during this trip amid Covid, timed entry shuttle passes were required, shuttle stops 2, 3, 4, and 7 were closed, and one could not re-enter the park after returning to the Zion Canyon Visitor Center. As we were staying within the park, we had planned to hike in the AM, return to camp late morning and return to the park, via the shuttle, later in the day. That was not possible, and honestly, was a disappointment. But this was out of our control so we made the best of it. If you are planning a visit to Zion make sure you know the current Covid restrictions before arriving, as this can impact your plans.
Angels Landing
Angels Landing is another must-do hike and is the single most popular hike in this National Park. It is also not a hike for those with a fear of heights! This is a 5.4-mile hike with a 1500 foot elevation gain and chains to grab as you summit the last half mile. We would not be doing this hike this time as we did it in 2016. To be honest, my wife and boys completed the hike, I only made it to this point. The views are breathtaking and if you have an opportunity to take this hike, you should. For 2022, you will need a permit which is available via a lottery system. If you plan to hike this trail, make sure you read the requirements on the National Parks Page. I assume this new system will reduce the number of people on this trail making it a more enjoyable experience. For me, the crowds trying to squeeze by me along a narrow trail with steep 1,000-foot drops was just too much. Maybe the new lottery system will improve the overall experience.
Savvy-Traveler 
Beautiful!
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