Zion National Park Visit

Happy Friday!  

This week’s new episode of Exploring New Places Podcast goes over Zion National Park in Springdale, Utah. We talk about different trails that can be hiked with family, friends and children. Our host visited Watchman Trail and Emerald Pools Trail; at the same time, she talks about the requirements for visitors to hike the famous Angel’s Landing Trail. 

This week’s destination is super fun and a great way to distress from your daily routine. As always, we go over recommendations for hotels, food, parking prices, tips, fun facts and more. 

Join us today and learn more about where to travel next to create new memories! 

Don’t forget that new episodes are released every other Friday at 7 a.m. (PST).

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Transcript

[Beginning of Transcript]

GBS: Welcome back everybody! Today is Friday and we have a brand-new episode. This week’s destination is located in Utah and its beauty speaks for itself. It is honestly one of the most beautiful natural landscapes I’ve seen. 

GBS: For a moment, you feel like you are going to Mars because of how naturally red the rocks are. In a little bit, I will tell you why that is. This place is truly amazing!

GBS: So, to get started let me start by telling you the name of this week’s new place that we will be exploring. Our destination is Zion National Park in Springdale, Utah. This national park is unique, stunning and a great place to create new memories with your family and friends. Zion National Park is a place where you can go to relax while being around nature and fresh air. 

GBS: Today, I have many tips to give you when it comes to getting ready, packing things before going to this national park, hotels, parking and everything that you can think of when planning to visit. I will talk more about this in a second. But first, let me start by telling you a little bit about this stunning national park. 

GBS: About 7,000 years ago, the Puebloans and Fremont Native Americans were the ones that used to frequent this region of what is now known as Zion National Park. On the National Park Service website, it’s explained that before this region became a national park and named Zion National Park, this area of land was known as Munkutuweap National Monument. In 1909, President Taft assigned about 16,000 acres for this monument to be established here. It is said that the stunning beauty of this place inspired him to preserve it by making it a national monument. 

GBS: According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, Zion National Park was established on November 19, 1919, under President Woodrow Wilson’s presidency. Although it was not until 1956 that both, the monument and national park, were combined. At current time, this park has 146,600 acres of land. 

GBS: The name of this park was given by Mormon settlers. And, the name Zion is ancient Hebrew which means “sanctuary” or “refugee.”

GBS: This national park is very special because it has monoliths and petroglyphs. For those of us that don’t know what a petroglyph is, a petroglyph is a geological term for rock carvings made by using a stone chisel and hammerstone. In this park, you can find various petroglyphs that were made a very long time ago. When you see one, do not touch it because these are precious pieces of art that tell the story of the land. Also, they will put you in federal prison and give you a fine for doing so. 

GBS: I have so much information to share with you today. Ok, so when you are planning your visit, please check the weather because temperatures will affect the hikes that you will do here in the park. If it’s too hot, it is recommended to not do certain hikes as in the past people have had incidents hiking. 

GBS: When packing and hiking, always take with you a first aid kit, pack adhesive bandages, alcohol wipes, gauze, blister bandages, tweezers, anti-itch lotion, antibiotic ointment, a compass, a map (you can get one at the visitor center), whistle, reusable water bottles, sunscreen and snacks with you. It may sound like a lot but, when you buy first aid kits it usually comes with most of these things in a very small box that you can take with you anywhere. You can find them at Walmart or Target. 

GBS: Take a watch and your cell phone because in case of an emergency, you will need these two to tell the time and call for help. 

GBS: When it comes to what to wear, it becomes important to know what the weather will be like because you need to dress appropriately. You do not want to go super covered up in really hot weather. But, it is always good to check the weather since the temperature fluctuates depending on how high in elevation the hike of your choice is.

GBS: When I went, I went in the sprint time and I had a thick water and wind-resistant jacket, and gloves. It was cold and with the height of some hikes, it was even cooler. I wore a thick long sleeve shirt, leggings, and hiking shoes. Oh my gosh! I cannot stress this enough. Please wear hiking shoes because they are anti-slip, water-resistant, wind resistant, and thick enough to resist some animal bites on your feet. Not that you are expecting an animal attack, but it is always good to take precautions as much as you can in these cases. Hiking shoes are an investment that is good to make because you can go hiking anywhere and these shoes will be reliable in mud, water, rocks, and whatever you find on your path when hiking. 

GBS: A tip from me to you would be to carry with you at least a thin jacket, just in case it gets cold on your way up a hike. And download the NPS app for maps and hours of operation of all national parks in the United States.

GBS: When booking a hotel, my recommendation is to stay at Zion’s Camp and Cottages. They give you a discount when booking directly through them. I liked staying at these cottages because you are glamping and you have what you need and they have enough space outside for a fireplace, barbecues for you to cook your food, and hammocks space for you to relax. 

GBS: These cottages are only 25 minutes away from Zion National Park and you can book with them on their website which is www.zioncampandcottages.com. Their mission is to have affordable rates so that families can gather and have a good time while exploring the area. They have chargers for electric vehicles and plenty of space for you to park afterward. 

GBS: If you want to camp inside the park, you can always book six months ahead of time due to the demand it has. You will need a permit which you can get at the National Park Service website. 

GBS: My experience going to Zion National Park was great; as I mentioned before, I went during the springtime, so the weather was perfect to do hikes. It wasn’t too hot, and it wasn’t too cold. At times it would get cold on our hikes and on some hikes that had shade. People wore gloves at times, but it was more of a put it on for a while and then take them off. 

GBS: When I went, we did not pay for parking inside the park, they were letting people in without charge, which was amazing. But normally, the parking is $35 inside the park or $40 outside the park. 

GBS: This park is my favorite national park that I’ve been to so far because I got to see an amazing waterfall, wild turkeys, and just the trees and the scenery is so beautiful. 

GBS: Looking at those big red rocks was amazing, too. The red of these rocks comes from iron. 

GBS: Now, when you go and take the shuttles to and from your hikes, usually the drivers or a recording will tell you a little bit about the history of this park. For instance, I learned that Centennial Road was named this due to a slide that took place 5,000 years ago. This slide is known as Centennial Slide because it caused a lake of 1.6 miles wide and started spilling which is what we see now as the river next to the road where the cars and shuttles drive. Rockslides always happen that's why it’s called Centennial Road. 

GBS: The shuttle system is divided into nine stations, and depending on what trail you hike, that is the stop that you need to stop at. Pretty self-explanatory, I would say. To know exactly where and the times of the shuttle, I recommend you first visit the visitor center before starting your day at this national park. You can grab a map and speak with a ranger for directions and recommendations of where to go depending on the level of difficulty of hikes that you are willing to do. 

GBS: Also, do keep in mind that their shuttles have hours of operation. What does this mean? It means that if you go past the time of their working hours, you will have to walk to your car and rangers will not give a lift to your car. It will get dark, and you will have to walk to your car in the darkness if you don’t have a lamp. So, do plan your hikes with time in mind because you don’t want to be walking almost 8 miles to get to your car. The park is really big so it could be more miles depending on where you parked and how far your last hike of the day is. 

GBS: If you are wondering what trails I hiked, let me tell you that I did two hikes in one day. I did the Watchman Trail, which is the easy-medium level of difficulty. The view that you get when you get to the top of the rocks is amazing. If you follow this podcast on Instagram, I did a reel inviting new people to follow us while being in this park. Well, the background view of that reel is the view that you get from above. It’s really beautiful! It’s so beautiful that it looks like you are looking at a picture. It’s like it’s not really what you’re seeing. 

GBS: The Watchman Trail can take you up to 2 hours to hike. And, when you get to the top of the 368 ft (112 m) you will see a stunning view of the Town of Springdale, Zion Canyon, and Temples and Towers. You do not need a reservation to do this hike, which is great. It is open all season as well. The hike is not paved so you will really be climbing to the top and the top is a cliffside. No bicycles and pets are allowed on this hike. 

GBS: If you’re into geology and identifying rocks, I would say this is one of the trails where I saw diversity in rocks. I took a geology course in college, and I was excited because I could see a lot of the rocks that I learned about in my course. And you could do this hike with children as well but do keep an eye out for them. I was actually surprised by the number of children doing hikes with this intensity. But, I mean if their parents are into hiking so will they.  I saw families doing this hikes with their children and it was really cool to see! 

GBS: The other trail I did that led me to a beautiful waterfall is the Emerald Pool Trailhead. This hike is an easy level of difficulty if you stop at the waterfall, which is what I did. After doing the first hike, I was hungry as well as the other individuals that I went with, so we decided to stop there. This hike can take you up to 2 hours to complete and it is open year-round, too. It is only 2.2 miles long. You cannot go inside the Emerald Pools because these are for wildlife only. But anyway, this waterfall is the one waterfall photo that was also published on Instagram. I’m saying this so that you can get an idea of what to look forward to. 

GBS: Also, at the Emerald Pool Trailhead you will have to cross a wooden bridge that crosses the very famous Virgin River. Unfortunately, you cannot go inside the river or drink its water because you can get sick and die. So, whenever you go just follow the instructions given to visitors. 

GBS: Restrooms are available at the visitor center and water bottle filling stations as well. You can always find restrooms before going on your hikes, so go before going because once you start walking up there’s no going back. You want to enjoy your hikes not do them in a rush, so that’s my recommendation because there are no restrooms on the hike trails. You are literally in nature. 

GBS: It is truly worth it to go to this national park! It is truly hard to describe the beauty of this place because it’s just so beautiful. 

GBS: One of the most famous hikes that this national park has is Angel’s Landing. To do this hike you will need a permit from the park, and this is a difficult hike, and it could be dangerous for a person that fears heights or gets vertigo. I’m letting you know just in case you want to try this one out. I wouldn’t do it, but you can try if you’re really into this kind of experience.

GBS: But regardless of what trail you decide to hike, in every hike you will find picture-perfect spots where you will definitely create new memories. Cameras and great photography really don’t do justice to how insanely beautiful it is in person. 

GBS: Do not forget to bring water and some snacks because you will get either hungry or thirsty after walking for miles, or after reaching the top of the hikes. 

GBS: Okay, so in the small town, before entering the park, there are a lot of hotels which I was told that due to the close proximity, were most expensive than staying elsewhere. You can also find a supermarket and a crystal store. I had the opportunity to go visit one of these stores, and they had so many different crystals with different shapes, as well as jewelry and some fossils. All of which are found at Zion National Park. How crazy is that! 

GBS: For the food, we took our own food, and cooked it at the gas grills that the cottages have. Doing that might save you some dollars, so if you don’t mind cooking you could also do that. And, it’s cool to cook it when you’re there because you get more of an experience that you’re camping but it’s glamping because you have a bed, a shower, a bathroom, a television with Netflix, Disney+ and the other streaming platforms; you have a fridge and other amenities that it’s not really camping but glamping instead. It’s super fun though. 

GBS: Well, it’s been a fun episode today, and I feel like I could talk so much about the beauty of Zion National Park. It is definitely a place where you need many visits to explore everything because there is just so much to explore. And, hiking alone can take you at least two days of only doing that. There are restaurants, shops and museums to explore inside the park. 

GBS: Before concluding, here are three fun facts about Zion National Park:

GBS: #1- In the winter of 1989, this park made a record temperature of -20 F at night. 

GBS: #2- In 2022, this park attracted 4.6 million visitors. [According to a NPS news release on April 23, 2023]

GBS: #3- In 2022, park rangers answered an average of 70 emails and phone calls every day to share information about this national park. In total, it makes 26,000 requests for information a year. [According to a NPS news release on April 23, 2023]

GBS: Now, we’ve reached the end of today’s episode. Don’t forget to share this podcast with your community and follow us on social media. Our Instagram is @exporingnewplaces_podcast and on Facebook @exploringnewplacespodcast. 

GBS: I will be sharing new photos and some videos I took while visiting Zion National Park. Remember that new episodes launch every other Friday at 7 a.m. (PST). I know it was a little late today, but we do publish on Friday without a miss. 

GBS: Thank you for tuning in today and taking the time to listen to the Exploring New Places Podcast! Until next time!

[End of Transcript]