A Trip Planner To Zion National Park With The Best Tips
Zion is one of the most scenic places to visit. It’s breathtakingly beautiful and offers hiking trails for a variety levels. Perhaps the best thing that Zion offers is that even the best adventure trails are not too difficult for an average hiker! I’m going to tell you about the Must-take Zion National Park Hikes and how to navigate your stay at the Park. You’ll also get a nice layout as a trip planner to Zion National Park.
Zion is the perfect 2-day get-away trip for anyone who lives within 5 hours. You can squeeze it into a day trip, but 2 days really hit the spot for a quick vacation. Hiking the Narrows was on my bucket list. When a rare opportunity presented itself where I could get away without my kids for two days, this turned out to be the perfect trip. It was just over a four hour drive. It turned out to be the best trip I have taken ever.
Overview of the Park
If you aren’t familiar with Zion National Park, here are a few items that will help acquaint you with the park. There is a road that cuts through the park and at either side is an entrance where you pay to enter. The main entrance and visitor center is on the west side. There is a bus that stops at various stops to pick up passengers (free once you are inside the park). The bus route takes you deeper into the park where regular vehicles are not allowed to enter during the summer. The reason is to keep traffic minimum and make it more accessible for everyone.
Late spring or early summer is a great time to get fair weather while avoiding too much rain that can prevent you from being able to hike the Narrows. Visit here for any park closure warnings.
Buss Info For Zion National Park Hikes
Since the buses are the only way to get back into the park where the majority of the trails are, and since there are a lot of visitors to the park, and most people start entering in the morning, you can bet on long lines.
This wasn’t my first trip to the park but this was my first time getting an early start. We parked in the huge parking lot of the west side entrance. Many parking spots where available and we saw where the line ended. It was still fairly early. We hopped in line and after a few minutes I decided to walk the line and see about how long we had until we got to the buses. Oh my!! I didn’t realize how far from the actual bus pick-up the parking lot sat. I calculated that we were likely two hours from getting on a bus, possibly more. Even with the buses coming quickly. I knew this line at the front parking lot was not the only way in!
Driving To Canyon Junction
So I’m going to tell you a short-cut. There are other stops where you can drive and park to catch the bus. The museum parking lot that is a short drive down the road might be full. Go a little further down to the Canyon Junction bus stop (as seen on the map). There is a small parking lot at this bus stop and more parking area along the road where it forks off to the tunnel. These spots will fill up in the morning but not as quick as you’d think. This is a little known thing among most park visitors, especially those who don’t come often.
And guess what? The buses even leave room for people at this spot when they first fill up at the main entrance. Seriously! I had a bus driver confirm that to me. They leave the isle on the bus open at the main entrance so that when they stop at the museum and then Canyon Junction (the last stop where cars can drive) they can let more people on.
Walking To Canyon Junction
Another alternative. It isn’t quite as quick but you get another beautiful Zion National Park hike. Park at the main entrance in the giant parking lot. Cross over the road near the bus stop and walk along the sidewalk that follows the road into the park. This is the Pa’rus Trail. It takes you to the parking lot/ bus stop at Canyon Junction where you only have to wait a few minutes for a bus to arrive. It takes maybe twenty minutes to walk it quickly (much faster than standing for two or three hours in line). But in the morning light the view of the Watchman and other cliffs that you pass are amazing! It’s a beautiful hike.
One more note about parking and buses. Do yourself a favor and choose a parking spot that will give your vehicle shade in the middle of the day. You won’t regret it.
A Note About Springdale
Springdale is the town just outside of the west park entrance. Just so you know, you can’t park anywhere in Springdale overnight unless you are staying in one of the hotels. You’ll get towed or ticketed. This 2-day trip was very last minute for us and we decided to sleep in the back of our van with the seats pulled out. A full-sized mattress happened to fit perfectly. It was so fun! We were able to do this by parking on the side of the road south of Springdale- and we weren’t the only ones!
There is a bus system that drives from Springdale to the Park Entrance so if you’re staying in Springdale there are a couple of stops where you can catch the bus.
Zion National Park Hikes – The Narrows
The Narrows is the last hike on the park bus stop. It’s where the walls of the Canyon get very narrow and the river is often the only way to keep walking through. The walls of the canyon, or gorge at this point, are extremely tall and get more narrow as you walk back. Eventually the walls narrow to a slot canyon, only 20 or 30 feet wide. This mile-long section is commonly known as “Wall Street” and is the most iconic section of the Narrows.
You can hike the Narrows from the top down, a 16 mile hike the requires a permit. But since the “regular” route from the bottom-up is gorgeous and it’s not far to hike to “Wall Street”, which is the best part of the hike, I’m only going to cover this route. Especially when making the most out of your trip to Zion, bottom-up is the best route.
To get there, get off the bus at the last stop before it turns around and heads back out. The Buses have maps on them so you know what stop to take. Get off the bus and follow the paved trail for about ¼ mile until it ends. There are some steps to walk down and then enter the river.
Best Way to Hike The Narrows
The Narrows is a busy hike and gets extra crowded. Because the hike has a lot of shade and you’re hiking in a cold river, it attracts a lot of hikers later in the day. It would seem to make sense to hike it during the hot part of the day but I’m going to explain to you why that’s not a great idea. Don’t hike it that way!
Start this hike earlier in the day because it’s important to avoid the crowds. The earlier you start the less crowded it will be but you don’t have to start super early. I didn’t start this hike until 10am and I felt that was still a good time. There were plenty of other hikers but it wasn’t over-crowded. On your way back is another story. There will be throngs of people playing in the water around noon and later. When I hiked back out it didn’t even seem like the same hike. It wasn’t nearly as serene or enjoyable.
Another advantage to starting early allows you to take as long as you want. It is usually an easy to moderate level hike. I would suggest hiking a few miles in to make it to Wall Street, hike a little longer, and then hike back out. On some occasions the water level can get high enough that it’s chest high or deeper and that makes for a more challenging hike. There is possibility of flash flooding but the park is good at giving warnings and will even close this section if it’s serious. That water is cold but you get used to it quickly and it ends up feeling nice. Wear decent hiking shoes that you can wear in the water. Pack a sack lunch to eat on the hike.
After The Narrows
If you hike the Narrows this way then you’ll find yourself finished in the early afternoon. The park is beautiful but it’s also desert. It gets hot and dry! Even if you’re hiking through the river and find lots of shade, the dry desert air can cause you to dehydrate and overheat. Hydrate my friends! My advice to make the most of a trip planner to Zion National Park is to avoid hiking at this time of day. And in a minute you’ll see how it pays off. Hydrate some more, eat, and take it easy. This is a perfect time to watch the movie that plays at the museum.
Then drive the tunnel. Since this is the hottest part of the day it’s a great opportunity to still see what the park has to offer while staying out of the heat. On the park map find Mount Carmel Highway. On this road you see more scenery and it will take you through the tunnel. If it’s still early in the afternoon, drive past the tunnel, all the way to the east side just before the road leaves the park. There is a visitor pull-out area where you can turn back around. The scenery on this side offers more variety.
Tunnel Canyon Hike – A Lesser Known, Hidden Hike
Now on your way back to the west side of the park but just before entering the tunnel again, there is a small parking lot. Park here and take the path across the road to a fairly short hike (it’s included in the park map brochure). This hike is called Tunnel Canyon. The trail ascends in elevation at the front end of the hike but don’t get discouraged by this. The rest of the hike slopes down and it’s only a half mile.
Although it climbs a little in elevation at the beginning, it’s an easy hike with a great view at the end. It’s partly shaded too. You’ll reach the saddle and from there you are able to see across Zion Canyon from high up on the east side.
Take Advantage Of The Evening Hours
Around evening time most of the crowds are gone. They hiked all day and are exhausted from the heat. You however have rested the last couple of hours and are ready for a bit more. Plus, it’s cooling off and there is more shade. You get all those shorter Zion National Park hikes without the long lines and throngs of people. You practically have the park to yourself.
At this point in your trip planner to Zion National Park you can squeeze in a few more hikes if you want to get the most out of the Park. I do suggest fitting in the Emerald Pools Trail so you may want to start there. You may be able to squeeze in a few others.
A lot of hikes from the bus stops are fairly short and easy. The map that the park hands out gives details on how long each hike is and where to get there. Take note of what time the park closes and be sure to give yourself time to make the last bus out.
Zion National Park Hikes – Angel’s Landing
Don’t attempt Angel’s Landing until the next day. That hike is outrageously awesome but requires an earlier start to get ahead of crowds. You’ll be waiting in a line, no joke!
For this hike I do suggest getting there earlier than even the Narrows requires. I got there a tad later than I wanted but it was still earlier than most of the crowd, maybe 8am (aren’t you glad you didn’t wait all morning just to get on the bus!). This hike is strenuous because the elevation change is significant. However, the paths themselves are smooth and easy to walk. Take whatever time you need to get there. When you get up on top you’ll see the trail that takes you out to Angel’s Landing. Here there is a large area where you can rest and eat snacks if you want.
It seems scarier than it really is. Don’t back down, just do it! There are metal poles and chains you can hold on to if you feel the need. You can even crawl! You won’t be the only one. It seems scary because it’s high and you can see a long ways down, but the trail is wide enough that you have breathing room. Think of it this way. The park is very interested in keeping you safe and this wouldn’t be a popular hike if it was that dangerous. That being said though, this isn’t the place for small children.
But this is part of what makes it so awesome! That, and the view at the end is second to none.
Trip Planner To Zion National Park – Conclusion
If you get to Angel’s Landing early enough that you don’t have to wait in lines, and you are in decent shape you’ll be down by lunch time. I hiked at a fast past and was up and down within three hours. Now you have the rest of your day to travel back home or sick back and relax if you’re staying another night.
The views all around Zion National Park are amazing and you’ll see plenty of it. There are other, longer Zion National Park hikes but you’ll see the best of it from the hikes I’ve lined out in this trip planner to Zion National Park. The trip planned out this way was truly fantastic!
The Narrows and Angel’s Landing are the two absolute best hikes in Zion. I would highly suggest trying to do both. If you had to squeeze both in one day I would recommend doing the Narrows in the morning without any change, take an hour or two break in between, and then head up for Angel’s Landing in the evening.
Enjoy traveling? Read about how I flew to Hawaii for less than $11.20- no joke!
Leave a Reply