Zion National Park is one of my favorite National Parks I have been to!
The hiking trails, wildlife, and scenery at Zion are absolutely amazing! I hope you find this Zion National Park Itinerary helpful!
Table of Contents:
- Things to Know
- Angels Landing Hike
- The Narrows Hike
- Emerald Lakes Hike
- Good Eats in Town
- Other nearby things to do
Things to Know
Zion National Park is located in Utah and costs $35 per vehicle for a 7 day pass. If you have plans on exploring a few more National Parks pithing the year you can purchase the America the Beautiful pass for $80.
We have gone in the summer and the spring. The summer months are a little toasty in the afternoons and tend to be pretty busy with everyone on break. You have to park at the visitors center and take a shuttle into the canyon that has some of my favorite trails.
The shuttle bus line can get long! I recommend showing up early to find parking space at the visitor center and beat the rush. We went around 10am one of the mornings and had to park in town pay $20 for parking and walk to the visitor center.
Angles Landing Hike
Once you get past that horrendous hurdle, it started to become more even land. This part of the hike is when most people turn around because it can get scary, especially for those that have a fear of heights.
I have a fear of heights, but when I am busy it doesn’t seem to bother me. There are chains along the way that gave me a sense of security. There was one part that didn’t have chains and was about 5 feet wide, with drop-offs on each side of it, so I decided to crab walk it.
The view from the top was absolutely incredible! It was definitely worth the torture of the cross backs going up. On the way down it did get a little congested, but I heard they recently started doing a lottery ticket type system to limit the number of people climbing.
We did this in the summer and got on the first shuttle bus in the morning to get a nice early start. The temps were pretty nice for the whole time and we only had to deal with congestion on the way down.
The Narrows Hike
This was another incredible hike at Zion National Park!
I love all things water which but this hike at the top of my list. We did this during the summer in the late morning. We did have a struggle finding parking in the visitor center and had to pay for parking in town and walk. I would have much preferred showing up early than going through that hassle again.
Once we finally made it to the trailhead, it was a short walk on a dirt path until were got to the water. When you get to the water you start walking up the Virgin River which is why it is important to be cautious of flash floods and storms coming in.
I loved walking though the water, especially once we got further back and had the place practically to ourselves. We found some cool waterfalls along the way and the canyon walls never ceased to amaze me.
I would recommend bringing lightweight shoes, hiking poles, and lots of water for this trail. It was really rocky at some parts and slippery which was brutal on our feet and ankles but the hiking poles helped a ton.
Emerald Pools Hike
We did the Emerald Pools hike in the spring with family and it was so much better than I was expecting. I didn’t have high expectations for this hike and definitely think we went during the best time because all the snow was melting and there was still frozen ice where the waterfall was at the top.
This hike had so much to see along the way. This trail has waterfalls and streams which were incredibly beautiful. I could have spent all day here just relaxing!
Good Eats in Town
The town of Springdale right outside the Zion entry gates is a cute little town with a bunch of great coffee shops and good eats! We stopped at a few of the different spots in town and my favorites are:
- Oscar’s Cafe
- Deep Creek Coffee Company
- Cafe Soleil
Deep Creek Coffee Company has some of the best coffee I have had and often think about it. It is right across the street from Oscar’s Cafe making it super convenient if you are going there for food.
Cafe Soleil had great eats, smoothies, and pretty good coffee too. It was a great all around place for breakfast or an afternoon snack. I went here for breakfast the day we hiked the Narrows and the grabbed a smoothie after the Narrows, it was so refreshing!
I’m sure there are other great eats in town, but these were my favorites that we went to. We will have to try a few different ones next time we go to Zion National Park! If you have any recommendations let me know!
Other Nearby things to Do
A few other fun things to do and explore that are nearby Zion is the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. You can go off-roading, ride a sled or sand board down some of the dunes, and explore the nearby city of Kanab.
There are also slot canyons that you can ride to in a 4×4 vehicle by the sand dunes along with some cabe hikes along the freeway.
Final Thoughts
Zion National Park will always hold a special place in our memories! I definitely will be back.
If you are planning a trip to Zion, make sure to check their website for any updates as things are constantly changing.
If you want to camp there are some great camp spots in and around Zion. If you are wanting to rent a house, I definitely recommend looking in Kanab.
