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.

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.

 

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.

Fail #1- my footwear

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

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.

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.