On any given sunny day in Utah, 12,000+ visitors hit Zion like a Wrecking Ball.
They come for The Climb, and whether you’re in a wheelchair or can free scale a thousand feet of polished granite, Zion is ready for you.
The canyon runs 15 miles from its dramatic entrance to the spectacularly narrow walls at its head with towering monuments that overwhelm your sense of space and time. The Virgin River cuts through the prehistoric rock deposits of millions of years ago, and in modern times plays water supplier of the park and its gateway communities as well as scenic backdrop for a fresh two-lane highway that transports the thousands of visitors to any one of the 9 natural attractions.
With four tires surprisingly holding air, we launched on the Pa’ rus trail with a couple of slices of banana bread and a yali pear for nourishment. As the Pa’ rus ended, we joined the larger Zion Scenic Drive to reconnoiter the canyon. Above the museum, it’s restricted to bikes and packed, slow moving shuttles, so we mostly had the road to ourselves. Half way up the canyon, we discovered the Zion Lodge – $250 a night and the preferred lodging choice for the tour crowd.
Riding up the canyon, the walls stretched 2500 feet into the air while the Virgin River raged through the center with spring snowmelt. Along the way, free climbers scaled, hikers braved Angels Landing, Moms pushed wheelchairs and Dads chased tots. A global melting pot, everyone posed for the Instagram shot. And, of course, most were riding the shuttle or waiting in line for it. Zion Canyon is on the bucket list and the National Park Service has done a remarkable job of making it accessible to everyone, regardless of personal mobility.
We hiked The Riverside Walk out to the head of the canyon, called The Narrows, but were restricted from hiking in and up the river, mostly because the water was running at what appeared to be a hundred miles an hour and a hundred feet deep. Later in the summer when the water has slowed to a trickle, The Narrows opens, but for May visitors, it’s a Darn It!
All the trailheads are on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, ready for us to attack and conquer. Celebrating like it was a Party in the USA, we raced out of the canyon like the descending river and beat the shuttles back to camp. Visitors in cars were still circling the parking lot ready to pounce. And Betty was right where we left her to make Chicken Salad with Aji Verdi (Peruvian Green Sauce). sMiley 😉