Zion National Park Off The Beaten Path

With 2.5 million visitors a year and only one and a half main roads (the road from the south gate interescts with the road from the east gate and then join to make the journey to the Narrows) everyone pretty much sees the same sights. As usual in a national park, take a hike and you will soon lose the crowds. But if you only take the shuttle bus and stop at the main attractions, expect to be elbow to elbow with people all day long.

On your way to Zion NP from Las Vegas, you will probably drive through St. George, UT. It appears to be a charming little town. We stopped to have lunch here, but we didn't have much time to explore the town since we wanted to get to Zion

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The path is strenuous and long so long...i started at 11.30 aprox and i was coming back closer to 5pm .. actually the first km are easy job but after some bendings the water current becomes swifter and huge rocks, moody lands and your wet socks and shoes become the effort harder...

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Despite fatigue and the long track you discover impressive views and amazing nooks like this at any narrows curve .. pay so much attention to weather forecast... fast and dangerous storms can change easily the quiet and beautiful narrows in a swiftcurrent stream !!

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Here we go !! finally we got the springs... i was quite disappointed.. i was expecting huge waterfalls and a place different to this.. but thats life.. !! Actually the stream and the trail follows river up but i reckoned it was enough and if i was worried a little bit to get wet going up...i descended the river to get to starting point so fast and regardless crossing the river and forgetting my initial worries... It was one of my best experiences crossing America.. proud of it !

Snow Canyon State Park is located northwest of St. George, Utah, and about 53 miles from Zion. This park features interesting, and beautiful red Navajo sandstone formations, some which are capped by an overlay of black lava rock. Hiking along the trails within the park may be enjoyed year round; however early spring and fall are particularly popular. During this time of the year you avoid the hot summers. Winters are usually mild, but there may be occasional cold spells, however, despite its name, there is rarely any snow in Snow Canyon. Within the park there is a 35-unit campground with restrooms, hot showers, some with electric hookups, and a dump station. If you have a day or two extra on your trip to Zion, I am sure that you would enjoy exploring the trails, some leading over petrified sand dunes. A number of movies have been filmed in this park including, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Electric Horseman starring Robert Redford, The Conqueror starring John Wayne and Susan Hayward. For more information visit my Snow Canyon, a Place of Many Colors VT pages.

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Each step become more thrilling and at the same time the canyon gets higher and narrow. Water was quite cold and at some points quite deep... more than my stick, so try to avoid the less swallow waters... its easy to watch it .. because water become darkish and scarier

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This is a little used part of Zion N.P., in fact I've hiked it three times without seeing anyone else. The hike is down a wash that is quite interesing but not spectacular. What I like is the area and it is an opportunity to find some petrified wood and interesting rocks.

Note: you cannot remove anything from Zion N.P., including rocks! Collecting petrified wood outside the Park is allowed, just be reasonable so others can find some!

The entrance to this area is off Rt 9, West of Rockville at MM 20, this is a dirt road that you take. After entering the valley the road splits and you'll go left. Continue on this road and you will climb up a fairly steep rough part. Be Careful! At the top is a large area of slickrock that is neat to hike about and search for the pertrifed wood and rocks, you are not in the Park. Great views!

Continuing on the rough road will take you to a gate into Zion N.P. Enter the Park and follow the trail to the wash. Hiking down this will take you all the way to Coal pits wash. It's not strenuos and is very enjoyable. My friends commented on how quiet it is up here. Huge petrified logs are laying about and sticking out of the sides.