For the previous post in this series, check out Day 5: Bryce Canyon National Park. Read on to learn how we visited Zion National Park in one day as the final park of our Utah road trip.
DAY 6: ZION NATIONAL PARK
It was only a few days ago that we began our week-long road trip through the incredible state of Utah and its amazing national parks. But we’ve almost (sadly) reached the end with the final park of our trip: the famous Zion National Park!
We began our day early, partly due to excitement. But it was also to ensure we got a parking spot before the lot in the park filled up. If you are unable to get a parking spot in Zion, there are several options in the neighboring town of Springdale with shuttle access to the park. While the shuttle is free, we wanted to avoid spending time waiting for and riding this bus if possible. It is also important to note that even if you get a parking side in Zion, you will still have to then ride the internal park bus shuttle to get to places within the national park. But more on that later.
We woke up early at the Quality Inn in Panguitch, UT. We loved this hotel for its Wild West building style. No complaints on the free breakfast either. Once we filled up, we hit the road for the 1.5 hour drive to Zion. From Panguitch, you will enter Zion through the east entrance, which takes you on the beautiful and scenic Zion Mt. Carmel Highway. This road gives you a great preview of the incredible landscapes to come throughout the day.
At one point, you will have to drive through a 1.1 mile-long tunnel. This structural feat was at one point the longest tunnel of its kind in the U.S. Be aware that if there are oversized vehicles, the bridge will temporarily become a one-way street. But don’t worry… just follow the rangers’ directions and you’ll be fine. After the tunnel, you will navigate through one of the most fun roads we have ever driven on. The switchbacks here reminded us of a roller coaster. We actually burst out laughing when we saw the zig-zagging roads on our GPS. It totally looked like someone just drew some scribbles on the map. Have fun but stay safe on this road!
RIVERSIDE WALK & THE NARROWS
Once you get to the visitor center, you will hopefully find a parking spot here. We made our typical purchase for our patch collection from all the national parks we have visited. Afterwards, we boarded the internal shuttle system and headed to the end of the route. This is Bus Stop 9: the Temple of Sinawava. For those of you wanting to do the popular Narrows hike, this is where you would get off. It is also the stop for others like us who just wanted to do the easy Riverside Walk and see where the Narrows begin.
The Riverside Walk is a family friendly 2-mile hike along, you guessed it, a river. This paved path takes you through Zion Canyon. Depending on the season, you’ll be able to observe hanging gardens and weeping walls. We did not do the Narrows hike, but if we came back to spend multiple days in Zion, we would definitely consider it. This is a moderate to difficult hike that would likely take up your whole day. It also involves walking through water. So you will need some special equipment and possibly a permit depending on how far you go.
ZION HUMAN HISTORY MUSEUM
Since we weren’t doing the Narrows, we got back on the bus. We went almost all the way back to the Visitor Center, but got off a stop before (Bus Stop 2) at the Zion Human History Museum. Here, you can find exhibits displaying the rich human history of Zion, including American Indian culture and historic pioneer settlement. We also learned about Zion’s growth as a national park and the incredible effect that water has had on Zion. They also have ranger talks geared towards children, making this a good family stop. If anything, it’s a nice break from the heat if you are here during the peak of summer like we were.
ZION BREWERY
For lunch, we walked out of the park (keeping our clutch parking spot inside Zion) for our second brewery of our Utah trip. Zion Brewery is located just outside the park entrance and gives new meaning to the phrase “brews with views”. This family-friendly establishment has a wide variety of refreshing beers as well as a good food menu. We enjoyed a flight of beers alongside a Cuban sandwich and a bratwurst. It was a great lunch to fuel us for the upcoming afternoon featuring the biggest hike of our week.
OBSERVATION POINT
Our original intention was to hike the famous Angel’s Landing. This trail has the intimidating Walter’s Wiggles switchbacks and the final walk across the narrow exposed spine with only chains and rails to hold on to. While neither of us love heights, we were determined to conquer this challenge. Unfortunately, we found out the trail was washed out, so that hike was no longer open. Had we been able to, we would’ve done it first thing upon arrival to beat the crowds. With Angel’s Landing closed, we decided to do the Observation Point hike as our longest and biggest challenge of the trip. Save the best for last, right?
Observation Point is an amazing but physically demanding 8-mile hike with a 2,100 foot elevation gain. Give yourselves at least around 4 hours to do the round trip. There are several hikes that branch out, so be sure to follow the signs. While some parts of the hike can get monotonous or really difficult especially in high heat, we promise the views at the end are worth it. To get to this hike, take the internal shuttle to Bus Stop 7: Weeping Rock. This hike has 4 distinct sections and does not start easy with a series of switchbacks. Because it was so hot when we went, we would do a small section, stop for a drink of water, and continue. This is one of the two most difficult sections.
After the switchbacks, you will get a bit of a reprieve in the Echo Canyon section. Not only is this part flatter, but it offers some well-earned shade. Plenty of photo opportunities await in this slot canyon with its sweeping rock formations. Enjoy your “break” in this section because the hard work begins again with the final climb. While the switchbacks during this ascent are challenging, the amazing views in this section will hopefully distract you from the physical exhaustion. While the path isn’t as exposed as Angel’s Landing, there are some very steep drop offs which could be hard for people afraid of heights. I would definitely feel comfortable bringing older children on this hike. But still keep a close eye on them during this part.
Once you finish this climb, the last part is a flat hike to the final viewpoint. While it’s not too long of a section, it definitely felt long to us mostly because we knew we were so close to finishing. When you finally get to the end, the views are so incredible they don’t even seem real at first. In fact, the canyon is so vast that your mind needs some time to accurately perceive what you’re seeing. There are plenty of great photo op locations that make it look like you’re close to the edge but is quite safe.
After we finished taking pictures, we found a place to sit with the other groups of hikers to enjoy our accomplishment while eating some snacks and drinking more water. It’s almost a disappointment to leave and head back, but the hike back will still provide you with scenic views. Not to mention, it feels good when it goes by faster and easier than the uphill half. And it’s fun to be on the encouraging end when passing hikers heading to Observation Point, letting them know they’re almost there!
DINNER AT IN-N-OUT, LODGING IN HURRICANE, UTAH
After this hike, we were understandably exhausted but it was an afternoon well spent. We gave one last good look at Zion and left our final park of the Mighty Five. We headed to another Quality Inn, this time in Hurricane, Utah, which was about a 40-minute drive from Zion. From there, we headed to the dinner we had maybe been the most excited for all week: In-N-Out Burger. Being from the Chicagoland area, we don’t have any of these restaurants near us. So we couldn’t wait to get to the nearest location in Washington, Utah, about a 20-minute drive from the hotel.
We loved our meal of burgers and animal-style fries. If you haven’t been to In-N-Out before, be sure to stop at one if you’re ever in the American Southwest or Pacific coast. Washington was also the biggest town we’ve been in since starting the trip in Salt Lake City. So seeing other chain restaurants and retail stores was kind of strange and comforting at the same time.
We finished out the day relaxing our achy and tired bodies in the outdoor pool and hot tub at the hotel. It was hard to comprehend that one of the best weeks and best trips of our life was almost at an end. But the next morning, we were headed back to Salt Lake City with a flight back home the following day. Have a favorite memory of Zion? Please share in the comments below!
Be sure to read our final post of this series on how we wrapped up our time in Utah: