Zion National Park - 2009
I visited Zion National Park in September 2009. It reminded me of Yosemite, except that the rock formations are a reddish color. I only spent one day at Zion, on my way to Bryce and Arches National Parks. There is a 7.6 scenic drive with several viewpoints and trail-heads along the way. Cars are not allowed on this scenic drive, but there is a free park-shuttle that runs at very frequent intervals.
In the morning, I hiked to the top of Angel's Landing. This is a very popular but strenuous 5 mile round-trip hike, with an elevation gain of 1488 feet. The views are spectacular all along the trail. The trail has long drop-offs and is definitely not for someone fearful of heights.
After a late lunch, I took the hike to the Lower, Middle and Upper Emerald Pools. The pools were not as pretty as they appeared to be in the photos at the Visitor Center. This is a 4.2 mile round-trip hike, with an elevation gain of 419 feet.
I then took the shuttle and stopped at the viewpoints that I had not been to. After that I drove the 10 miles between the west and east entrances, on my way to Bryce. This drive has beautiful views on either side. The road also goes through a narrow tunnel near the east entrance.
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| Zion National Park - 2009 |
