Why SHOULD YOU VISIT zion national park?
Zion National Park is one of my favorite national parks I have ever been to! If you do it at the right time of the year, the hikes are amazing and there is so much to do there. Once you see these Zion National Park photos below, you will want to add it to your bucket list.
where is zion national park?
Zion National Park is located in Springdale, Utah which is about a 3-hour drive from the Las Vegas Airport. We rented a car from the Las Vegas Airport and drove to Springdale as that had the best flight schedule during our dates. I highly recommend to go from Las Vegas to Zion National park for a good and easy travel experience.
The closest airport to Zion National Park is St. George Regional Airport, which is about a one-hour drive to the park. Flight schedules here will be harder to line up and getting a rental car in the area of this airport can also be a challenge.
WHERE TO STAY NEAR ZION NATIONAL PARK?
Flanigans Resort and Spa in Springdale is the perfect place to stay when visiting Zion National Park. The location is just minutes out of the park entrance and they have gorgeous grounds and amenities including a pool, hot tub, spa services, on-site restaurant, and a hiking trail.
See here for a blog post about my experience staying at Flanigans Resort and Spa.
top 5 hikes in zion national park:
1) Angels Landing / Scout Overlook Trail
Everyone knows about the famous and scary Angels Landing hike in Zion National Park. Many hikers have actually died on this trail, but only on the chains section that is end the end of it. You can hike all the way to the top almost before they ask for your permit.
This hike is called Scout Overlook trail and it was my favorite hike in Zion National Park. It is very steep but the views are worth it 100%. Highly recommend starting this hike very early in the morning as it can get very hot and crowded which ruins the beauty of the hike. Some of my favorite photos of the hike are below!
2) Emerald Pools Trail
A waterfall in Zion National Park? Emerald pools trail is one of the best hikes I went on during my time in Utah. The trail had beautiful views but also had the most gorgeous waterfalls. There are three sections of Emerald Pools trails: lower, middle, and upper pools. We did all three pools and they did not disappoint! If you don’t have the time to do all three, I recommend going to upper falls the most, just because you get the closest to the waterfall and it is incredible!
3) Narrows River Walk
This is a very relaxing and beautiful hike/walk that goes along the river. It is mostly shaded which is really nice for a hot day. Note that this hike also gets really crowded, so I would recommend going in the late afternoon, as most people go here in the morning since it’s the farthest stop the shuttle goes to.
4) Canyon Overlook Trail for sunrise
This is a fun and easy hike that takes you up to beautiful views of the rocks of Zion. I highly suggest doing this hike at sunrise for the most amazing colors on the rocks. It’s also important to do this hike early in the day because there is barely any parking and the spots fill up very fast.
5) The Narrows
The famous Narrows hike in Zion National Park is most definitely one you cannot miss if it is open. It is a very long and strenuous hike, and you must have the proper shoes and equipment for it. If you are considering doing the Narrows during your trip to Zion, I highly recommend researching a lot ahead of time. You must also have a permit for this hike.
Note— this can only be accessible at certain parts of the year. When I went in May of 2023, they were closed as the river levels were too high)
top 4 restaurants near zion national park:
This cafe is more upscale dining in the Springdale, Utah area and it has delicious food! They are located in Flanigans Resort and Spa which I did a blog post on here (which in my opinion, is the best place to stay when visiting Zion National Park).
2) Cafe Soleil
Cafe Soleil has the most amazing food and smoothies (get the apricot pear one!! It’s so good that I got it three times when I last visited Zion). I highly recommend going here after a long hike for a great breakfast or lunch.
3 Bit and Spur for great drinks, specialty dishes, and a gorgeous patio
4) Oscars Cafe for delicious Mexican food
Note— they don’t take reservations and sometimes there can be a long wait. So make sure to go early or know you can put your name down and then go walk around Springdale
BEST TIME OF YEAR TO VISIT:
The best time of year to visit Zion National Park is in May. This is because the park is warm enough for all of the hikes but the crowds are not in full swing yet for the summer. I did a lot of research on this when I was deciding what time of the year to go and another good month would be September.
WEATHER IN ZION NATIONAL PARK:
You may be wondering what the weather is like throughout the year in Zion National Park. The weather changes very fast in the park so make sure you come prepared with multiple layers every day.
In May, the temperatures were around highs of 75/80 degrees Fahrenheit, and at night it was a bit chilly. This is another reason why May is such a great month to visit Zion because the temperatures can become very high in the later summer months.
summary:
Overall, Zion National Park must be added to your bucket list! It is such a gorgeous place and I truly believe everyone should see it in their lifetime. If you are an avid hiker or just want to see beautiful nature, I couldn’t believe the sweeping views this park had.
Another great perk was the shuttle service, the shuttle system in Zion was run very well and we didn’t have to worry about parking once during the trip— which can be an issue when visiting other National Parks.
Anyways, I hope you have enjoyed this blog post about the top 10 things to do in Zion National Park, and that if you are planning a trip there soon, that you have the best time!