A Weekend Getaway In Your Own Backyard
Let me first say that I genuinely had no idea what I was getting myself into when my friend, Jack, messaged me about taking a trip to Zion National Park for our annual fall road trip. The previous two trips of ours having been amazing in their own ways, this one had some big shoes to fill.That being said, I didn’t know much about Zion. In fact, before starting to research it, I didn’t even know what state it was in or what to even anticipate. Only in reading about it did I find that Zion is a hugely popular national park, actually being one of the most-visited in the nation.Only in traveling there did I see why.
If you’re looking for a place to travel to that gets you off the beaten path without breaking the bank, Zion has your name written all over it. And while my blog posts typically summarize my trips and everything I experienced (which I’ll still do), I wanted to throw out some tid-bits of information you should consider when planning your own trip out to Zion. It never fails that each trip I go on teaches me something new.
This trip was no different.
We’ll start off by saying the time of year which you travel to Zion couldn’t be more important. During the summer months, it’s hot as hades, while the fall/winter months tend to bring weather a bit more conducive to being able to comfortably hike. For us, the weather couldn’t have been more beautiful. The temperature each day didn’t get above seventy degrees, and we had sun almost every day.
So if hiking in the heat is your jam - battle the crowds during the summer months and make it happen. Otherwise, I’d try to limit your travel there to late spring, early fall.
We landed in Vegas mid-morning, picking up our car and heading out to Hurricane, Utah, where we’d be staying at a bed and breakfast place the next two nights. From the start, the views we were seeing were different from any I’d ever seen before, in that there was lots of brown with huge, craggy mountains far as the eye could see. This was, in fact, my first trip out west, so I was soaking in every little bit of it.
The first piece of advice I’d give you in saving money when traveling out to Zion is to stay away from the towns immediately outside the park. While they may offer a few more restaurants than Hurricane did, your lodging will be almost three-times more expensive.And while it was a bit more of a drive each morning, it took us less than a half hour to get to the entrance of the park, well-worth saving hundreds of dollars on hotel costs.
The first full day in the park was a bit of a wash-out -- literally. It rained that morning and was pretty chilly until mid-afternoon. But we decided to tough it out, opting for one of the more strenuous hikes in the park, Angel’s Landing. We had wanted to hike the Narrows, a series of canyons with a river running through them, but obviously the rain had made the chances of a flash flood more than likely.
If at all possible, we wanted to avoid being swept away in a torrent of water.
So instead we opted to hike a 5,790 foot mountain, with nothing keeping us clung to the very slippery and very exposed cliff face except for a chain drilled into the side of it.
Still trying to understand our logic on that one.
The first half of the hike was strenuous simply because of the elevation grade which we had to hike against. We had to stop at numerous break areas, gasping for air, wondering when we would reach the summit. And when we finally did (or thought we did), we couldn’t have been more amazed by the views. We had stopped for a bit to take in the sights when we had started to talk about beginning our descent. Looking around for the trail, I found another which would take us further up the mountain.
This was the part of the hike that left us feeling at some points that we were clinging on for dear life.
Looking at some of the pictures that I took, you can see why.
Yet nevertheless, we made it to the end. And even with the amount of guts (or was it stupidity?) that it took to get to the top, it took what felt like even more to descend. There was a fair amount more of fear going down and seeing what was below us than when ascending.
We reached the bottom beyond thankful that our plans for the Narrows had been nixed that day. Angel’s Landing was exhilarating beyond any level any other hike I’ve ever done. And while it was crowded at some points with different tourists, it was still one of the best hikes I’ve ever been on.
For those of you adding this to your own itineraries for when you go, I’ve been told it’s amazing to be at the very top for sunrise or sunset.
Be a friend and go for me. Be sure to takes lots of pictures.
Day 2
We were really hopeful that the rain from the previous day wouldn’t keep the Narrows closed for a second day. We were in luck. We got to the park that morning and they were, indeed, open, meaning we had a day of river hiking ahead of us.
Before going into detail about the hike itself, let me just give a few recommendations as to what you should bring with you day-of. Because we were INCREDIBLY unprepared (*insert crying with laughter emoji face here*
First off, you’ll need either a) quick-dry pants, or b) water-resistant pants altogether. I opted for the quick-dry pants, and didn’t really mind it.
Second, GET SOME HIKING POLES. These we didn’t have, and about twenty minutes into it, wish we did. Hiking through the river didn’t only mean battling the current, but it meant keeping your balance on incredibly smooth and likewise slippery rocks as you went upstream. This proved to be much easier said than done. I fell at one point, though the times in which I nearly fell is impossible to count.
Third, make sure that you pack a jacket. We had these, luckily, but saw plenty of hikers who didn’t. Even during the summer, the water can be chilly. And being in a narrow canyon, you’re in constant shade from start-to-finish.
Some of these things (the pants, poles, even water-resistant boots) you can rent from a station at the entrance of the park. But if you want to save a fair sum of money, make sure to bring your own.
So learn from our mistakes.
With all that being said, river hiking is something I’ve never done at extensive lengths before, so it took a bit to get used to. Yet the sights it provided us with were unforgettable. Hiking between canyon walls hundreds of feet tall - each bend in the river lending sight to an entire new landscape - it was difficult not to be in awe from start to finish. And while there were plenty of people hiking, we never had difficulty with walking behind someone too slow or having to stop for a large party ahead of us. The river was plenty wide that you could take another route around others if needed.
If for nothing else, give the Narrows a shot if you ever make it to Zion. It’s a different brand of hiking that you’ll never forget.
Day 3
Our last day was one that was fairly chill. We stayed in an Airbnb close to the north rim of the Grand Canyon, making Arizona the 31st state I’ve visited. Getting close to all 50!
We woke up early the next day and drove to the north rim. And while we didn’t go to the south rim - the more popular of the two - we saw sights just as grand. It all worked out, too. The south rim has more hiking, but truth-be-told, we were so exhausted from the previous two days of hiking I doubt we would’ve done anything anyway.
We hiked a small trail, drank in the sights, and headed out for Las Vegas where we’d spend our last night before leaving early the next morning. And while I’d like to say that we went crazy in Vegas that night, instead we walked around the strip for about an hour, realized it wasn’t anything either of us were interested in, so we got dinner and went to bed instead.
A lit night in Vegas, indeed.
What are some of your favorite places you’ve been to hike? I’m looking to make it out west to more national parks and would love some recommendations!