PICKS:
Driving into Zion National Park from the East entrance
Entering the park from this direction gives you the chance to see Zion starting from the slick rock formation at the top and then descending slowly into the valley where the mythic cliffs tower over you. It’s a very intimate way to enter the park. Being amongst the rock that is the glory of Zion is a much more personal experience than being in the valley staring up at it. We didn’t know it at the time, but apparently if you ask the right ranger you can find out about hiking trails in the vicinity. Next time, we’re parking the van and exploring up there, no doubt about it.
Since we didn’t get to Zion until mid-afternoon, we knew we weren’t going to be able to get a spot in the park campground, so we headed out to this place we found in our AAA campbook. We had no idea when heading up the small road into the mountains, that we were going to end up at this family resort in the middle of nowhere. It was kind of a crazy place. We got a tent site that was pretty cheap, which gained us access to the showers and laundry…all we really needed. But, had we been interested, we could have eaten at a $17 buffet, used the heated pool, gone horseback riding, rented an ATV and basically any other outdoor activity you could imagine (all for a fee, of course). Bottom line: if you need a tent site near Zion, this is a good spot, but be prepared to encounter lots of pre-packaged, motorized family fun. But don’t go there for the advertised wifi because, while they have several wifi routers stationed around the compound, it is connected to the www by the slowest dialup connection ever (basic gmail didn’t load after 45+ mins).
After our night at the Zion Ponderosa, we got up early and headed into Zion to get in on the morning rush for campsites at the South Campground. Given that it was a Saturday, it was surprisingly easy and stress-free finding our site…and we ended up with a beauty. We camped under the looming majesty of Zion’s cliffs and just steps away from the Virgin River. Even though the river is an exceedingly short walk away from the campground, it was unfailingly unpopulated and peaceful. We made a habit of spending time watching the glass green water flow by and admiring the incredibly agile hummingbirds that fed at the river every evening. It was well worth the $16 per night to find a calm river oasis in the middle of the massive weekend crowds at Zion.
Sean says: Goes to show, you can hike for miles but sometimes all you have to do is cross the road to find what you’re looking for.
This hike was a major turning point in my fear of heights. After a couple of long sections of switchbacks that take you up the canyon walls, the trail flattens out to a small platform from which you can see the last half mile winding up, up, up a very narrow cliff that divides the valley. I was certainly hesitant to continue from there, but once I got started inching my way along the cliff edge, holding on to the chains bolted into the side of the rock, I followed the momentum all the way to the top. Luckily, my inner battle against fear distracted me from the 200+ other people on the trail, and by the time we got to the top, I was just proud that I had made it to see the view, even if I was experiencing it with a crowd. That said, Zion on the weekend in the summertime is more of a nature amusement park than anything else….traipsing up a cliffside with the masses, continuously waiting in line for others to pass on the trail, riding the standing room only shuttle bus back and forth to the trailheads. It took what could have been a spectacularly majestic place and made it feel a bit like Disneyland. It was definitely a challenge to keep perspective.
We got up early on Sunday morning and went for a short hike on the Emerald Pools loop. I think a bit earlier in the season when the runoff is still at its peak and the pools are their fullest, this would be a great early morning hike. It was still pretty nice when we hiked it, but we were so busy trying to avoid a tremendously obnoxious, loud and talkative kid that we couldn’t spend as long as we would have liked enjoying the pools. Just goes to show, you don’t even need a crowd to ruin a hike, all it takes is one really annoying kid.
Soleil Cafe in Springdale, UT
As far as we can tell, this is the cheapest place around Zion to get wi-fi. Along with your coffee, you can pay $2 (or $4, if you don’t get anything to eat) for the wi-fi password. It’s kind of against our policy to pay for internet, but desperate times call for desparate measures. It certainly beat the $1 for 5 minutes of internet time you could get at Sol Market (see PAN below).
PANS:
Sol Market in Springdale, UT
Ok, we get it. You’re the only grocery store within 30 miles of Zion and you can charge whatever you want, but seriously, the prices are out of control. To all visitors of Zion National Park who plan on eating while there, do your grocery shopping before you arrive and make sure you don’t forget anything, unless you want to leave an appendage or a promise of your first born at Sol Market (they do take cash and credit as well).
Nice photo of the Virgin River on the Emerald Pools hike!
Yeah, Sean has been getting some pretty amazing shots lately. I’m hoping some of the photography know-how will rub off :). And welcome to the blog community! We were so excited to see your comment!!
Thanks Mom! Lots more to come as soon as I edit them all…
Howdy! A note from a fan…(wave)! Can’t wait to attend the big wedding as I am (at least for now) on the West Coast! Don’t know how much of this fresh air I can take, though…it’s rotting my brain!
I hear that a sniff of some rotten trash (think Little Korea on a August afternoon) and a little quality time in a car with bad brakes (a la the NYC subway tunnels) can reverse the brain rot temporarily. So far I haven’t been able to find the exact remedy, although we were behind a truck with smoking brakes on the way in to Denver, so I’m not in immediate danger. Can’t wait to see you!!
Well, you’ve done it again–made me want to see a new part of the world. Except this time, instead of convincing me through words, it’s all about the pictures. These mountains are so different from our mountains here, and even though I still think nothing quite tops Montana, I really want to go spend some time in the Southwest outside of the cities. You have even made me re-think Utah. I’ll readily admit that aside from Sundance, whenever I think of Utah, all I can think of is Mos, and that’s just not very inticing, but you have changed my mind, or at least expanded it.
Thanks for the picture plug, Abby! 😉
Well, let us know when you want to go because I’m pretty sure we could be convinced to join you…in fact, let’s start planning now!! 🙂