Zion National Park, UT

Zion National Park is one of those underestimated wonders. When we planned our road trip through Utah and Arizona, we sorely miscalculated how long we planned to stay in Zion. Well, that was actually my fault and I regret it so much. We only had a half-day to drive through this massive park. It was so amazing!

Unlike the other park we visited like Bryce Canyon and Grand Canyon, Zion provided a new landscape with each turn of the head. There were so many times we all jumped out of the car to take pictures of some fascinating scenery, only to turn around and be awed all over again. As this is a lesser know national park compared to others in the area, it is relatively tourist free. The only time we saw a mass of cars was when opposite direction were waiting to go through the main tunnel in the park.

In addition to the heavily textured sandstone, it was boggling to see as much plant life as we did. It seemed that something was growing in every patch of sand, no matter how shallow or sparse. Our main experience at Zion was mostly based on the sights along the highway. I’ve read that there is so much more to experience inside the park including creeks, forests, and cascading waterfalls. Those must be beautiful!

Something about the rich colors and enormity  of the structures is so captivating. If pictures aren’t enough of a memory, there’s a great gift shop at the base called Zion Mountain Ranch Their souvenirs were very unique and reasonably priced. The best part is there’s a herd of buffalo not too far off and a fun sight for the kids (and us) to see.

Though the time we spent here was so short, it was my favorite national park in the area to visit. Next time I hope to plan a few days here to explore. Do you have any tips for my family to keep in mind?