NORTH AMERICA

An afternoon in Zion National Park (Utah)

The U.S. is known for its vibrant cities, filled with 5-star restaurants and nonstop partying. But what about the great outdoors?

When visiting Las Vegas this past December, my hubby and I decided that it was time to change it up and visit a national park. When in Vegas the go-to side trip is always the Grand Canyon, but there’s another option that’s even closer. Upon doing some research, I realized that Zion National Park, located in Utah, is actually a shorter drive than the Grand Canyon. Being the less popular choice, it was bound to be less crowded, which I always prefer.

We got up bright and early, rented a car in our hotel and headed to Utah. It’s about a 3-hour drive each way, so if you plan on visiting as a day trip, like we did, be prepared for a super long day. On the bright side, it goes quickly since it’s such a scenic drive. My favorite part was the cute little towns we passed through.

IMG_4240

IMG_4273

IMG_8069

IMG_8071

IMG_8076

IMG_8085

Upon arriving at the national park, we paid our $30 entrance fee, which covers the private vehicle and up to 15 passengers for 7 consecutive days.

Zion is not small, so we had to be selective, since we only had the 1 afternoon to enjoy it. We looked over the map they gave us at the entrance, and decided to head straight for the Canyon Overlook Trail, because it was one of the easier hikes with incredible views, and not too far into the park.

 

IMG_7909

IMG_7918

IMG_7928

IMG_7932

DCIM100GOPRO

IMG_7949

Being a last minute decision to visit a national park, we had not packed proper attire for hiking.  I figured that we would make do with what we had (I definitely had to wrong footwear) and stick to easy hikes. I knew it would be cold, but I was not expecting to find snow on the ground, especially not that much.

IMG_7966Fail #1- my footwear

IMG_7978

IMG_7934

Fail #2- Attempting to make our drone fly for some cool overhead shots ( I recently learned that drones are now prohibited in Zion)

IMG_7996

IMG_8003

IMG_8010

IMG_8020

IMG_8027

IMG_8031

IMG_8033

IMG_8036

IMG_8042

Since it was extremely slippery (due to my fabulous selection of footwear) and it was cold outside we decided to avoid anymore hikes after the Canyon Overlook Trail. Instead we drove around the park and stopped to enjoy the scenery. This next photo was taken right on the side of the road… no hiking necessary. The place is truly gorgeous everywhere you look.

IMG_8064

Although I love to travel abroad, there are so many incredible places to see in the United States. Zion was absolutely beautiful and I hope to visit again soon, but preferably when it’s a bit warmer.

Previous Post Next Post

You Might Also Like

12 Comments

  • Reply live t20 world cup March 7, 2016 at 8:10 pm

    Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I
    could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates.

    I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some
    time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience
    with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything.
    I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

    • Reply The Traveling Red March 9, 2016 at 5:34 pm

      Unfortunately I don’t. Sorry, I wish I could be more helpful.

  • Reply The Traveling Red March 9, 2016 at 5:35 pm

    Hi Russ,

    I am using wordpress, and I also do not have coding experience, so I hired a developer to customize the site for me. Best of luck with your blog!

  • Reply Iris Senecal March 11, 2016 at 11:07 am

    Many thanks for finally writing about >An afternoon in Zion National Park (Utah) | <Loved it!

  • Reply GerardFCagey September 23, 2016 at 10:26 pm

    Excellent website. Plenty of helpful info here.
    I am sending it to several pals ans additionally sharing in delicious.

    And certainly, thanks with your effort!

  • Reply Sibyl Akhand September 25, 2016 at 5:38 am

    Your means of explaining everything with this part of writing is actually
    good, every one be capable of effortlessly understand it, Thanks
    a lot.

  • Reply eebest8 michael September 30, 2016 at 10:26 am

    “Very neat blog post.Really thank you! Really Cool.”

  • Reply Kirstin Bath October 3, 2016 at 10:33 am

    Fantastic website you have here but I was curious
    about if you knew of any community forums that cover the same topics talked
    about here? I’d really love to be a part of community where I can get comments from
    other experienced people that share the same
    interest. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.
    Many thanks!

  • Reply El Paso Ron October 5, 2016 at 11:49 am

    Great article post. Really looking forward to read more. Will read on…

  • Reply 비 ì•„ 그라 October 9, 2016 at 6:19 am

    Muchos Gracias for your blog post.Much thanks again.

  • Reply Teyler December 14, 2019 at 10:38 am

    Hi, I do believe this is a great blog. I stumbledupon it 😉 I may revisit yet again since i have book-marked it.

    • Reply The Traveling Red July 3, 2020 at 7:49 pm

      Thank you

    Leave a Reply