We loved everything about Zion National Park! It is hard to find the best words to describe it. It is beautiful and peaceful. It is mighty and majestic. I was in awe the whole time we were there. Every view from every direction was breathtaking.
We got an early start on day 2 of our visit there. On day 1 we had only hiked the Canyon Overlook Trail outside of the shuttle bus area. Unlike the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon, you have to have a shuttle ticket to enter Zion on the bus. The tickets are only sold on certain days and sell out in 2-3 minutes. It reminded me of going online and trying to get FastPasses for Disney.
We had researched tips for getting tickets and watched several YouTube videos. On the day that ours went on sale we were both logged in ready to buy (they were $1.00 each during our trip but just recently went up to $2.00 each). You buy tickets in one hour time slots. Thankfully we snagged the earliest tickets possible- 7:00- 8:00 a.m.
Another obstacle for visiting Zion is parking. The visitor center parking lots fill up quickly so you have to get there early. We arrived right at 7:00, parked our car, and got in line for the shuttle. It was definitely more stressful than visiting the other parks but in the end was a very smooth process. You have to plan ahead though and do your homework.
I had read several blogs and reviews on the best hikes and itineraries for families and came up with our plan for the day. We boarded the shuttle at the visitor center and rode it to bus stop #5 Zion Lodge. From there we crossed the bridge and hiked to the lower, middle, and upper Emerald pools.
the lower pool
hiking up to the middle pool
middle pool
The steps that lead to the upper Emerald pool. This was the hardest leg of the hike.
upper pool
The boys splashed in the water and then played on the rocks.
From there we hiked back down and took the trail to bus stop #6 Grotto Station.
We crossed another footbridge over to Grotto Station and then hiked the Grotto Trail back to bus stop #5 Zion Lodge.
Once arriving we explored the Zion Lodge. We visited the gift shop and also got coffee and hot chocolate from the snack shop.
Before leaving, we attended a park ranger demonstration. These were very educational and we all enjoyed them very much.
From there we boarded the shuttle and went all the way to bus stop #9 Temple of Sinawava.
riding the shuttle
We then hiked the Riverside Walk trail. It is 2.2 miles round-trip.
It was a beautiful hike alongside the Virgin River.
The trail ends at the entrance to The Narrows.
We enjoyed a picnic lunch by the water.
We slowly made our way back stopping several times for the boys to play
in the water. We didn't hike on the trail itself but instead hiked
alongside the river.
This was definitely one of my favorite family days yet.
The boys said several times "This is the best day ever!".
When we reached the bus stop we boarded the shuttle and returned to the visitor center. We had hiked several miles in all that day. It was extremely fun!
The boys quickly fell asleep on the shuttle and slept all the way back.
Once at the visitor center we attended one last park ranger session. These were a highlight of our time in the parks.
Before returning to our hotel in Springdale, we made a stop for ice cream.
The boys then took one last swim in the pool before going out for supper.
We were all feeling a little sad at this point because our trip was starting to reach its end. We would be leaving Utah the next morning making our way back to Las Vegas. I will share about our final days in Vegas next.
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