“Excuse me, Ranger?” A small woman, nestled at the back of the shuttle car between several children aged about 7-12, waved at me.
I gave her my attention and an encouraging smile. I was on my way to give a children’s program. Like everyone else in Zion National Park, I rode the shuttle bus.
“Can I ask you for some recommendations?” the woman said. This was a common question, and it was part of my job as a US national park ranger to give out Zion tips. In addition to leading programming, I was paid to be visible in the park in my large round hat and green trousers, answer questions, help where I could.
The woman, who I discovered was the mother of these children, was on her way to do a several mile hike that would take her and her kids to the top of the canyon walls and its knife-edge cliffs. They were already a little late in the morning for such a popular hike–the trail would be crowded. But I couldn’t judge her; I’ve corralled plenty of kids to go on hikes in the morning, no easy task.
After telling me her plans and asking about the hike, the woman seemed to settle on the question she had been wanting to ask. “What would you do?” she asked. “If you were in the park today, what would you do?”
I knew she wanted to know what hikes were best, what was the one thing no one should miss in the park, etc. But I looked at her young children, and I decided to answer her question honestly.
“If I were in the park today”–I was in the park, but the woman seemed to be ignoring that fact so I went with it–”I would find somewhere to get indoors and stay in the air-conditioning. Did you know it’s supposed to be over 103 degrees today?”
The woman shook her head. She had not checked the weather for this July day, or she would have known that today would be disastrously hot, one of the hottest days of the summer. “I wouldn’t hike today, not midday, especially not the hike you are doing, which is sun-exposed and strenuous.” Especially not with children, I thought, but I didn’t want to completely ruin her morning.
“Do you have water, enough for everyone?” I asked. My colleagues in search and rescue had spent the last couple days of this heatwave carting folks who had collapsed from dehydration down the canyon walls, several of them on the hike the woman was about to take her children on.
We discussed staying safe in high heat, and I got the impression the woman regretted asking me for advice. I felt for her, but that was the reason I wanted her and her family to be safe. Part of my job was to politely answer questions, but another part was to warn of danger and make sure people didn’t die out there. This would be an absolutely miserable day in the park, and I didn’t want to sugarcoat that.
While working at Zion National Park, I often gave tips for how best to enjoy and explore such a spectacular park. I tried to guide people toward fun but also safety. Here are my best recommendations for avoiding some of the common mistakes people make visiting Zion (like the well-intentioned mother above), hidden places that few visit, and a couple bonus parks that you shouldn’t miss.
Note: These recommendations are for frontcountry exploration, since that is how most visitors experience the park. If you are looking to do some canyoneering or backpacking, there are plenty of other resources out there to guide you in the right direction.
Zion Tip 1: Don’t visit mid-summer
I know that most people, especially those traveling with children, are restricted to taking summer vacations. We have to go when the kids are out of school or when our job allows. But I would argue that this is exactly the reason not to visit Zion mid-summer if at all possible–because most people do it.
Many US national parks are packed to near bursting at the height of summer, especially popular parks like Zion. The main section of Zion National Park is a canyon that narrows as you go in, like an upside down V. At the top of the park the canyon is only as wide as the Virgin River, in some places only a few feet across.
What I’m trying to tell you is that the park is small for the millions of people who cram themselves into it every year, most of them in the summer months. If you can avoid coming in late June, July, or early August, you will have better odds finding parking, campsites, and less congested trails.
And then there is the heat. As the mother I spoke to on the shuttle discovered, summers can get ridiculously hot in Zion. The best times to visit for cooler temperatures and crowds are spring and fall. Zion is spectacular in the fall, the few leaved trees turning a rainbow of colors and temperatures verging on bearable.
One caveat: if your main goal is to hike the Narrows–that section of the Virgin River at the top of Zion where the canyon walls rise in sculpted waves thousands of feet above you as you splash through murky water rising to your thighs or even higher–then spring and late fall aren’t the best options. The water flows too high and fast with snowmelt in spring and too cool to stave off hypothermia in late fall or winter. Summer or early fall are better for hiking the Narrows.
Zion Tip 2: Check weather and flood conditions before you go
One morning I was stationed outside the Zion National Park visitor center, neon warning sheets and laminated photos of flash floods clutched in my hand. My assigned duty was to catch folks who looked like they were about to hike the Narrows, perhaps carrying dry shoes or wooden poles used for balance.
I spotted a trio of such visitors and approached them. “Good morning. Are you headed to hike the Narrows?”
They were indeed, two men and a woman, athletic and young.
“I have to warn you that it’s not safe to hike the Narrows today. Yesterday we had a massive flash flood that destroyed several of our trails and roads, and today there is a similar flash flood risk. Please don’t hike the Narrows today.”
One of the young men shrugged and pointed to his quads. “Oh, I’ll be fine. I’ve got strong legs.”
Let me be clear: if you are under the impression that “strong legs” will help you avoid a wall of logs, boulders, mud, and other debris hurtling at you faster than you can run, then a flash flood is not your only issue.
You can not outrun or withstand a flash flood. If you are intending to hike the waters of Zion National Park, it is imperative that you check the flood danger for the day. Sudden storms can send a torrent of water and detritus ripping through the canyon, and no number of leg days will prepare you to face them.
The other weather risk is of course temperature. In winter the park can be chilly and slick with ice; in summer temperatures can veer well into the triple-digits. Check the weather before you go, and plan appropriate gear, clothing, and water reserves (2 liters per person for half-day hikes in the desert and 4 liters for all day hikes) before heading to the park.
The park website lists any alerts; make sure to look at it before you visit.
Zion Tip 3: Explore the east side of the park
The eastern region of Zion National park has a unique beauty all its own. Smooth hills of mauve and red and chalk-white are sprinkled with stunted trees, shrubs, and the occasional desert bighorn sheep. The road through it meanders like water.
This area of Zion is unlike the main canyon in many ways, but it is no less special. Fewer people spend time in the east, which means it’s less crowded. At a higher altitude, the east side is a little cooler than the lower stretches of park and hosts different flora and fauna. Driving the 1.1 mile long Zion-Mount Carmel tunnel is a can’t miss park experience.
When driving the eastern road, don’t be afraid to stop at a pullout and explore a bit on foot. There are few trails in this stretch of park, but taking an off-trail walk down into a wooded gully or up an eroded rock face is permissible and fun.
Be sensitive to the fact that you are in a wilderness area, though, and try not to tread on plants or anything else that looks alive. Biological soil crust, a layer of earth packed with life, is extremely fragile, so remember to tread on bare rock when not on a trail, not the soil.
If wandering in wilderness isn’t your thing, there is a short trail (1 mile each way) with a stunning view of the main canyon below at the eastern opening of the Zion-Mount Carmel tunnel. The problem here is limited parking–there are only a handful of spots available for access to the Canyon Overlook Trail. You may have to drive the road a few times to find a spot.
Zion Tip 4: Explore the western canyon rim
While a ranger, one of my favorite retreats from the heat and congestion of the Zion main canyon was to explore the park’s western rim. I would drive outside the south entrance and climb the Kolob Terrace Road, turn onto Lava Point Road, and end up at Lava Point Overlook, where I could gaze down into the upper reaches of the main canyon.
Here there are sweet-smelling ponderosa pines and other conifers rarely found in the rest of the park. Like in the east, at this higher elevation, temperatures are a little cooler. Also, there are different birds to find along the Kolob Terrace trails–pine siskins and western tanagers.
A hike along the western canyon rim can bring you near solitude even in summer, a rarity in Zion. For a casual hike, I recommend the flat Northgate Peaks trail, which ends at a breathtaking view of the main canyon below. Any of the rim trails provide scenery and a quiet that Zion isn’t normally known for, though.
One note: vehicles longer than 19 feet/5.8 meters can’t navigate Lava Point Road, and the road can be rough in spots, one reason the area is less frequented by visitors. And don’t try to visit these upper parts of the park in winter–they’re closed due to snow.
Zion Tip 5: Hiking recommendations
Hiking is a favorite pastime in Zion National Park. I’ve already mentioned the Narrows and some of the park’s less-frequented hikes, but here are a few popular ones for the main canyon.
Long hikes
Angel’s Landing is the classic Zion hike, but with its chains, popularity, and razor sharp cliffs it’s not for the unbalanced or those afraid of heights or crowds. At 5.4 miles (8.7 km) out and back and nearly 1500 feet (450 m) of elevation gain, the trail climbs and climbs to the top of the canyon and then slithers out onto a narrow precipice featuring unparalleled views.
If you don’t like extreme heights or dangling from a cliff edge by a chain in a line of hundreds of sweaty people, then you always have the option of hiking up the first stretch of trail and stopping about a mile from the end, where the views are still shockingly beautiful.
Short Hikes
If you don’t have the time, stamina, or masochistic need to climb up Zion’s canyon walls in scorching heat, then there are several worthwhile shorter hikes that reveal the scenic and fascinating beauty of the canyon floor.
Weeping Rock is a near half-mile (not quite a kilometer) hike up a hill to a rock shelter that sheds constant drops of water, a curiosity in the desert. The spot is cool and shaded, even on the warmest days of summer. Wildflowers and other water loving plants cling to the damp rock face. Fun fact: the water here, as in some other parts of the canyon bottom, has filtered down through the canyon walls from ancient rains that fell on the plateau above.
Lower Emerald Pool Trail is a little over a mile (nearly 2 km) hike to a waterfall. The waterfall is, like the drops at Weeping Rock, not a torrent of water, but a mist squeezed from the rocks above. The trail, despite its popularity, has a sort of hidden feel to it, with its Zion-rare forest and location tucked into the side of the canyon wall.
I’ve mentioned the Narrows previously, and they are worth a hike, if you don’t mind wading through a river for miles (bring water shoes and a hiking stick for balance). But the trail that leads to the Narrows is worth a walk even if you aren’t interested in getting your feet wet. Riverside Walk is 2.2 miles (3.5 km) along the Virgin River at the top of the park. It’s relatively flat and really a must-do if you want to see first-hand how the canyon was and is still being carved by the powerful architect of the river.
Bonus tip: Visit Bryce Canyon and Cedar Breaks
When a park visitor (like the mother I mentioned before) asked me to recommend something in Zion, I did. However, when I did have free-time while working there, I didn’t explore the congested and blazing-hot Zion. I left the park and ascended to the plateau above.
Bryce Canyon National Park is a two hour drive from Zion’s southern entrance, depending on traffic. The park is cleft from the plateau northeast of Zion, its hoodoos and other bizarre-looking red rock formations at 8-9,000 feet (2,400-2,700 m) compared to Zion’s 4,000 feet (1,200 m). Being higher the park is cooler, sometimes 20 degrees F or more cooler, than Zion.
God I love Bryce Canyon. There are countless hiking trails that drop visitors down into the canyon, its natural rock sculptures are worthy of an art gallery, and there are overlooks and astonishing views for miles. I once attended a ranger-led full moon hike along the Bryce Canyon rim where the sky was so clear we saw constellations even in moonlight and a playful ringtail (just about the cutest desert creature) came out to play. If you are visiting Zion, don’t miss a stop at Bryce.
Just north of Zion, at elevations topping out at over 10,000 feet (3,000 m), is Cedar Breaks National Monument. On one blisteringly warm fall day in Zion, I drove up to Cedar Breaks into a wall of white flakes. I played in the snow, then slid back down the hill to my desert home. In summer, Cedar Breaks boasts fields of wildflowers, hikes, stargazing evenings, and red rock formations as beautiful as anything at Bryce.
A triangle visit to these three parks–Zion in the south, Bryce to the east, Cedar Breaks to the north–would make for one special trip.