What's up guys! We're here at Zion National Park in Utah,
and in this video, we're going to show you all of the best viewpoints
and hikes as well as things you should know before you come here. So hope you enjoy it!
Zion National Park is located in the southwest corner of Utah near the Nevada and Arizona
borders. It's certainly not the biggest National Park in the U.S., but it is one
of the most popular ones. Zion Canyon is the main highlight that attracts most visitors,
but there are also lesser-known sections of the park that you can explore, such as East Zion,
which extends beyond the Zion-Mount Carmel tunnel. There's also Kolob Canyons, which is more remote.
In this video, we highlight 8 awesome things to do in Zion National Park,
particularly in Zion Canyon and in the east. Make sure to watch
until the end because we also share three essential travel tips. Now let's dive in!
We're Zac and Ine. We make helpful videos about
destinations around the world so you can easily plan your own adventures.
The Watchman Trail is a relatively easy hike that
offers beautiful views of Springdale and the southern end of Zion National Park.
The start of the trail is at Zion Canyon Visitor Center right near the south entrance of the park.
From here, the trail follows the Virgin River before winding up Watchman Mountain.
The total length is 3.3 miles or 5.3 kilometers with 630 feet or 192 meters of elevation gain.
As the trail isn't located in Zion Canyon, you don't need to take a shuttle to the trailhead.
There is parking at the visitor center,
though it does fill up quickly so it's best to come early or later in the day.
So when you get to the top of the plateau of the Watchman hike,
you actually come to a cool loop trail. And you should definitely go to the very
end of the point because you have a great view looking down the valley.
The Zion-Mount
Carmel Highway runs through the park from the south entrance to the east.
The road first climbs up the mountainside, providing some spectacular valley views. Then,
it passes through a narrow tunnel. Keep in mind that the tunnel is not wide enough for RVs to pass
and if you do drive one, you'll have to pay a fee for holding back the traffic so that you
can pass on your own. After exiting the tunnel, the landscape changes drastically to rolling
mountains of orange and cream colors with pine trees scattered around. There are many viewpoints
along this road and you can stop at any of the roadside pullouts to take in the unique views.
The most popular hike in East Zion is undoubtedly the Canyon Overlook. A one
mile or 1.6 kilometer rocky trail takes you to one of the best viewpoints overlooking Zion Canyon.
Since it's such a short distance, it's a great one to cap off the day. We arrived at the Overlook
half an hour before sunset, so the crowds had dwindled and the sky started to turn bright pink.
To get to the trailhead, you have to drive through the Mount Carmel tunnel. The parking lot
is immediately past the exit of the tunnel, and if you're lucky you can find a parking spot. If not,
keep driving down the road and you'll find an overflow parking lot as well as several pullouts.
If you want to get a closer look of the rocky landscape in eastern Zion and have a more
remote experience, we recommend hiking one of the many trails that lie beyond the Canyon Overlook.
You can find a variety of short day hikes via the AllTrails App.
We walked the Many Pools Trail, a 2.2 mile or 3.7 kilometer out-and-back route with 545 feet or 166
meters of elevation gain. This trek follows a wash and has many small pools along the way.
Once you pass through the tunnel, you will see a lot of wildlife. We
actually encountered a few ourselves already on the Many Pools Trail.
For another jaw-dropping view of Zion Canyon, you have to hike to Observation Point.
The easiest way to get here is via the East Mesa Trail, which is located just outside
of Zion National Park but near the East entrance. Round-trip, the hike is 7 miles or 11.3 kilometers
with minimal elevation change. Alternatively, you can also access this point via Stave Springs,
which makes it a more challenging hike. The panorama from the top is out of this world.
As we mentioned earlier, the most dramatic and popular section of Zion National Park is Zion
Canyon. This part of the park has one in-and-out road that runs along the entire Canyon floor.
But during most of the year, this road can only be accessed via shuttle bus.
The scenic drive takes you to some of the most famous sites of the park, including the Narrows
at the end of the road. You can hop on and off at the scenic sites and hiking trails along the way.
One of the most popular trails in Zion Canyon is to the Emerald Pools.
The most common way to hike there is via the Zion Lodge. From here,
the trail starts off easy and passes a waterfall and the Lower Emerald Pools. Then, there's a bit
of elevation gain to get to the Middle and Upper Emerald Pools. It's also possible to access this
route via the Kayenta Trail and Grotto Trail, which both leave from The Grotto shuttle stop.
Finally, the most thrilling hike in Zion Canyon is the Angels Landing Trail.
Starting from The Grotto shuttle stop, you first follow the West Rim Trail until you reach Scout
Lookout. From here, you scale Angel's Landing, a narrow ridge high above the valley floor.
The are chains scattered throughout this section of the hike to assist with rock scrambling.
This part is not for the faint of heart. From the top, you'll be rewarded with panoramic views of
the valley floor. The trail is about 5 miles or 8 kilometers in distance with an elevation gain of
1,630 feet or 497 meters. Check out our Angels Landing video to get a full hiking overview.
As we promised at the beginning of the video, we'll now share three essential
things to know before you go. First, Zion National Park has four entrances.
The main entrance is through Springdale and this is where you access Zion Canyon from.
But you can also access the canyon via the east on the Zion-Mount Carmel Road. Kolob Canyons and
Kolob Terrace Road are two separate sections of the park and they don't connect to the canyon.
The best place to stay is undoubtedly Springdale or at the campground inside the park.
The town of Hurricane is a cheaper alternative and is only a 30-minute drive to the south entrance.
Find links to accommodation options in the description below the video.
Second, the shuttle service operates for most of the year and leaves every 5 to 10
minutes from the Visitor Center. You don't need a permit or reservation to ride the park shuttle.
However, keep in mind that there might be a line to get on. Find more details about the
operating hours via the park website. We left a link for that in the description as well.
Third, check the park's current conditions before you start the day. There are often
rock falls or flash flood warnings in place, which might mean that certain trails are closed.
When we were there, The Narrows Trail was closed due to high water.
Also, make sure to check for permits and reservations as rules seem to change year by year.
If you're planning your Zion National Park trip, we recommend keeping things organized with our
interactive travel planner. Find a discount code in the description below. We also included other
important links in the description that will help you with your trip, such as
an interactive map to get to each place that we mentioned. We'll catch you on the next adventure!