Our love affair with national parks is real. I honestly don’t know how we landed on Zion National Park, but it didn’t disappoint. We went the first week of December 2016. The temperature was a little chilly, but it was great weather for hiking. We flew into Las Vegas spent the night there and drove to Zion the next morning after breakfast at BabyStacks Cafe. Yum. The drive is roughly 2.5 hours, but there isn’t a whole lot between Vegas and Zion.
I highly recommend visiting in December. The park is not crowded and we easily booked a room at the lodge within the park. We stayed three nights at the park and 2 nights at the Hampton Inn. I’d stay at the Hampton Inn in town. it was much cheaper. Plus, they have fresh cookies. Unfortunately a lot of restaurants are closed during off-season. We liked the Red Rock Grill (inside the park), Oscar’s Cafe and MeMe’s Cafe. I’d drink at Zion Canyon Brew Pub, but don’t eat.
This trip is all about the hiking.
Our Favorite Hikes
Observation Point
If you can only do one hike and you are up for the challenge. This is your hike.It’s eight miles round trip. It took us pretty much all day. Be smart, pack snacks and take breaks. This trails has lots of switchbacks which was exhausting. The view at the end is so worth it. Do it.
Canyon Overlook
Of the easy hikes, this was my favorite. It has a great view of the park. At the end, it has a sign highlighting the features of the park that you can see from the overlook. This one-mile hike can probably be done in 30 minutes or less, but you’ll want to hang out at the overlook for awhile. Check out the picture at the top to see the view from this spot.
Angel’s Landing
This 5-mile hike is the park’s most renowned. And the top of it is terrifying. I’m not typically a scaredy-cat. I’ve jumped out of a plane for goodness sake. But the chain link part of the hike was a little too much for me. Of course, I couldn’t not do it, but once we got passed the chain link. I was so nervous I couldn’t move. The view is beautiful and sort of worth it. I wouldn’t do the top part of this hike on a crowded day. The chain link part of the path is one-person wide and kind of slick.
Emerald Pool & Watchman
Both of these are relatively easy hikes and very enjoyable. Emerald Pool is another famous Zion hike. The hike is made up of three trails which takes you past three emerald “pools.” The Watchman is a 3-mile hike that starts the visitor’s center. I’d definitely prioritize the other hikes over these if you don’t have lots of time.
National Park Lovers.
Yes, there is more UP.
We are so cute.
All these photos make me want to go back.