Inspired By Travel

After a 2 ½ hour drive from Las Vegas, we made it to Zion National Park in Utah, and it is definitely one of the most beautiful places we have ever been! Before we even got into the park we were surrounded by mountains and beautiful red rocks. We were staying in a hotel for the first night and camping for our second night there, so we dropped our bags at our place, hopped on the shuttle and headed right into the park. We could tell right away this was a special place and couldn’t wait to start exploring!

The view from our hotel, The Bumbleberry Inn

If looking for lodging outside of the park, we highly recommend staying in Springdale, the town that connects to the Springdale line shuttle for ease of access into the park. There are many hotels and motels to choose from that make it about a 10 to 15 minute ride to the park entrance. By using the free shuttle you don’t have to worry about finding parking inside of the park, which during the popular times of year, can be really difficult. Always make sure to check the shuttle schedule, because during the winter the shuttle doesn’t run. You can find the schedule HERE.

We didn’t find an Airbnb that suited our budget and itinerary (options tend to be more limited near National Parks and the availability and price are subject to great fluctuations, so check early and do some exploring if pursuing this option,) so we ended up staying at the Bumbleberry Inn, which we really enjoyed. The rooms were clean, the staff was friendly, and the views were amazing. The shuttle stopped right in front of the Inn, which was so convenient, and to soak in the hot tub under the stars after a day of hiking was the cherry on top! If you are looking to stay inside the park, but are not looking to camp, there is one option, the Zion National Park Lodge. If you are looking for a place that is super budget friendly, this probably is not it. It also books up very far in advance, so if you’re planning on visiting during the busy season you should make that reservation early. The other option inside of the park is to camp, which we did do on our second night. We will discuss that in more detail later, but it is definitely the cheapest option when visiting.

TRANSPORTATION

CAMPING IN ZION

If you want to camp or park your RV in the park, it can be a bit tricky to get a spot. It fills up very quickly and there are only 3 different options for camping. There is the Watchman Campground, South Campground, and the Lava Point Campground. You have to check the parks website to learn the exact date the lottery opens for whichever month you are looking to book. You can find more information on the campgrounds HERE.

We were able to reserve a campsite ahead of time at the Watchman Campground inside of Zion National Park and had a great experience. They had bathrooms nearby with running water, which was a great introduction for a first time camper(Zoe!) and they even had a little fire pit and picnic table as well! It was incredible to be able to sleep under the stars and it was hard to beat the views! We did get a little warm in the morning without much shade in our particular spot, but we opened up the vents in our tent for a little breeze, and enjoyed being able to get an early jump, since we were already inside of the park. 

THE TRAILS

Emerald Pools Trail

On our first day after getting into the park, we didn’t have much time left before the sun was going to set, so we decided to hike the Emerald Pools Trail. It had amazing overlooks and the water features were gorgeous. We first hiked the Lower Pool Trail and from there kept going to the Middle Pool. Going that way allowed us to make a full loop and get back in time to grab the last shuttle back to the park entrance. It was an amazing introduction to the park and a really great hike without being too long or strenuous!

The Watchman Trail

Here we are keeping lookout from The Watchman Trail! We stayed at the Watchman Campground the night before and were able to walk right onto this trailhead in the morning. The Watchman Trail is also walking distance from an entrance into Zion National Park, with no need to take a shuttle. It is not a super long hike in terms of mileage, but it was a bit harder than expected, as it is an uphill climb with lots of switchbacks. The temperature was also pretty hot when we were there, so we took lots of breaks to drink some water in whatever shade we could find, which became more sparse as you left the riverside. Another couple encouraged us to keep going all the way to the overlook at the very end, and the awesome views made all of the sweating totally worth it!

The Narrows

One of the most unique and popular trails in Zion National Park is The Narrows. For a large part of this hike you are walking in the Virgin River, like actually in it, so make sure to prepare accordingly! It is an incredible hike with high rock walls and something new to marvel at around every turn. It was hot when we were visiting so the water was cool and refreshing. You can go out as far as you like, and when you are ready, turn and come back. The further you go, the less people you are likely to encounter, as this is a popular hike. The water levels can also fluctuate and vary quite a bit, which can affect how deep the water you are hiking through will be, so make sure to check the levels ahead of time, along with any other weather warnings or flash flood notices! Some folks had rented shoes or other gear for the hike. Since we were there when it was warmer, we just wore some hardcore sandals (and regular old hiking shoes, which was another story all together:) along with some aqua socks and were just fine. Although a walking stick might be a good idea as some of the footing can certainly be a bit slippery. We hiked to the trailhead in our boots and then switched into our water gear, putting our boots into our bags and dry bags. Then after the hike we swapped back into the dry gear to avoid hiking in wet shoes any longer than we needed to. After hanging our wet gear out overnight, the dry environment had it all ready to go the next day.

WHAT TO BRING

• Hiking Boots
• Water Shoes/Hardcore Sandals
• Water Socks
• Dry Bag
• Hiking Poles/Walking Stick
• Bathing Suit/Quick Dry Clothing
• Snacks
• Water
• Hat
• Sunblock
• Sunglasses
• Hiking clothes/socks
• Hiking backpack
• Small Micro Fiber towel
• Tent/Camping gear

IN CONCLUSION

A few takeaways from our time in Zion was just how beautiful it was there, and how much value there is in booking your travel plans in advance, even more so when talking about some of the most visited places with more limited options for lodging. We enjoyed it like many others, who also can’t wait to go back and in order to secure ourselves a reservation and make sure we can spend more of our time enjoying the park and less time there dealing with logistical headaches, looking for parking or blowing our budget, we will be even more prepared the next time around, which we are definitely looking forward too!