March 23-25, 2012 --- Nathan and I planned to go to Zion National Park only about a week before our trip. At first we wanted to go to Mojave National Preserve, but later I found out that we could drive to Utah in a day, so we decided to go to Zion instead.The drive to Utah was gorgeous! We drove on Hwy 15 the whole way from CA to Utah, passing Nevada and Arizona. The landscape is different in each state.
We got to our campsite, Watchman Campground, around 7 p.m. Utah time. There was still light out, so it was easier for us to put up our tent. The temperature was perfect, so we didn't need a jacket at all until dark. However, it got really windy at night and I couldn't sleep at all!
There is no shower at the campsite, but very nice, new restrooms. There is also a big sink attached to the building where you can wash your dishes.
The next morning we drove inside of the park ready for our first hike. We parked our car at Zion Lodge and walked across the street to Emerald Pools Trails. The trails were easy to follow and weren't steep.
The Lower Emerald Pool Trail is pretty interesting even though there wasn't much of a waterfall. I could imagine how gorgeous it would be if it gets a good flow of water and you walk just right behind the pouring stream. :-)
We walked pass the middle pool trail straight up to the Upper Emerald Pool Trail. It was kind of steep and it was a good workout to get there. The waterfall was also tiny but long and beautiful. On the way there we also saw a couple of deer eating some grass on the hill. It was nice and relaxing when we got to the pool and chilled out a little.
We walked back down and stopped at the Middle Emerald Pool for a good shot of the mountain view. The pool itself wasn't impressive, but the view was gorgeous!
After our first hike, we went back to Zion Lodge to have lunch at the picnic area. It was warm and beautiful and we were surrounded by red mountains.
Then we walked on Grotto Trail, which leads to a Grotto picnic area. I was a little disappointed because I thought the grotto would be like a narrow walkway through the clifts or the caves, but it turned out to be just a large picnic area. The scenery was pretty though.
The next stop is at Big Bend. It's a great stop to take a good shot of The Organ, The Great White Throne, and Angel Landing, which are mountains named by Mormon settlers in the 1860s.
Angel Landing Trail is a challenging trail that will take you to the very top spot to get an incredible view of the valley. Nathan and I were too tired to do the hike, so we just passed this one.
At the Hidden Canyon Trail we went down only one third of the trail because it is strenuous and we didn't have much energy after the long drive to Utah. However, we went high enough to get a good shot of the valley. :-)
Then we walked down to the trial head and turned to the next trail that leads us to the Weeping Rock. It's a short but steep trail and takes us to an interesting spot to see water seeping out of the giant rock wall.
Temple of Shiwava is my favorite spot. I felt like I was trapped in the giant red walls. This spot is also the end of the road in the valley, and you can hike in the river starting here.
The Riverside Walk is the most popular trail for people of all ages and conditions. It's well paved and flat, so anyone in a wheelchair can go through smoothly. We saw a few squirrels who came really close to us on the trail, but the fine for feeding wild animals is $100. Don't feed wild animals!
At the end of the Riverside Walk trail, there is the famous primitive trail called The Narrows. You basically walk in the Virgin River. It's kind of dangerous because there can be a flash flood though the narrow canyon. Also, even though the water is low, it has a very strong flow. You should wear closed-toe shoes and carry a stick to hike on this trail because it's kind of slippery. Check the weather conditions before attempting this trail!
On our way back to the campsite, Nathan and I stopped at the Court of the Patriarchs. It's Nathan's favorite spot.
We also took a short tour in the Zion Human History Museum. It's located in a beautiful spot of the valley, but the museum has only a few exhibits that are not very interesting to me.
Since we decided not to hike up to Angel Landing, Nathan and I just drove on Zion-Mount Carmel Highway to the Tunnel. It's the most beautiful drive and my favorite part of the park in the entire trip!
The Tunnel is very long and impressive. Bicycles, pedestrians and large vehicles are not allowed here. This is also the way to go to Bryce Canyon National Park.
We stopped at the Canyon Overlook trail head and we saw a desert bighorn sheep run in front of a car across to the other side of the street. It was too fast for me to take a photo of it. But later when I was walking along the road to the trail head, there was another desert bighorn sheep standing on the cliff literally about three feet above my head! I got a good shot of her while she was looking at me! She was waiting to cross the street following the previous one. Then after the hike we saw a whole family of bighorn sheep. It's such an incredible experience! :-)
The Canyon Overlook's view is gorgeous! I don't know if it's better at the Angel Landing, but this is already more than satisfying for me. The hike wasn't bad either, and we passed through many interesting spots. There are a lot of desert bighorn sheep who live around here too.
After all the hikes of the day we were just exhausted. We went back to our campsite and had some good spaghetti I brought from home. The scenery around the campsite is unbeatable compared to other campsites we have been to.
The wind wasn't as bad as the first night, and I slept like a log....
The next day we woke up fresh and ready to go to Bryce Canyon National Park!