Another birthday and turning 37 what better place to spend it with the family somewhere I have wanted to visit for 15 years. Zion is a natural treasure and should be on your list to visit a few times in your lifetime.
Driving up to Springdale, UT is like entering the Grand Canyon from the bottom. Stretch your neck as you will be looking up a lot.
We chose to stay at the SPRINGHILL SUITES SPRINGDALE ZION NATIONAL PARK. Why we chose this hotel was for the extra space and location. The room featured a living room and kitchen area where we could prepare all our food and snacks for the day. Also the laundry room was a bonus as we were on a 3 week trip.
After entering Zion with our National Park Member Pass, you have 2 choices. Up into the tunnels or low along the river. Park Info.
We chose the low river for sunset after checking into the hotel. We had the entire park to ourselves only finding grazing deer in the grasslands.
Winter gets chilly after sunset so bring warm clothes.
We got back to the hotel and Lily decided to place an order for some local Thai Food at Thai Sapa for my birthday dinner. Springdale also has some great small and local grocery stores for supplies.
THE NEXT DAY
Chilly December frost covered the Atlas at first light. The days warms once the sun pops over into the canyons.
If you don’t have little kids, Zion features some of the most rewarding hiking trials in North America. It also has one of the highest rated dangerous trails due to the risk of falling off a cliff. Angels Landing has been recorded as one of the most dangerous public hikes in the United States. The top of the trail peaks off at a plateau, which is more than 1,000 feet high. But the most dangerous part of the hike involves a skinny land-bridge with a metal chain for guidance.
Important to Know
Zion has extremely limited amounts of parking. Most of the year you will need to ride the shuttle bus or bike in. The only time of year the bus is not running is around Christmas time Dec-Jan. Even in the off season with found areas the road was closed because of maximum capacity. Zion Bus Info. My tip, bring a electric bike to explorer the lowland canyons. I hate standing in long lines.
DANGER!
With natural beauty also comes natures unpredictability. The Narrows closes when the flow rate is over 150 cubic feet per second (CFS), or during spring snowmelt. The Narrows also closes when a Flash Flood Warning is issued by the National Weather Service, and remains closed for two hours after the warning is lifted. Check the weather before you head into a narrow canyon. Flash floods are always possible. View Current Conditions.
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The entrance has a nice place to pull off and take some photos with the sign.
The campgrounds right when you enter the park is where to stop first. 360 views, river walks and open grasslands make for some great lunch spots.
If you continue on the main road it will take you on the elevated route to the top of the park. Take the time to stop at all the viewing points as every corner offers something different.
The tunnels are narrow and if you have an RV or Trailer you are required to pay a small fee so the rangers can close one side for you to pass through.
At the top of the park in the winter has snow! This was Lily first time seeing it and she quickly froze those little hands.
Easy hiking trails that are well maintained allow hikes on all levels to enjoy. Once you reach the true narrows you will need some water boots and suit to continue. You can rent those in town for a small fee and is recommended.
After the long day the kids eyes get heavy the the chill from the sun setting kicks in.
Hands down we will be back to Zion. We did not get to hike all the way back into the narrows giving us a good reason to return when the kids get older.
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