Zion National Park

Zion National Park celebrates its 100th birthday next year. Many of its mountains and formations possess religious names, including its name, Zion, or place of sanctuary, which came from a Mormon. But it was a Methodist minister who proposed many of the names, most of which remain in use.





Most people see the valley from the valley itself, but I have backpacked the West Rim trail down into the valley and that was a very special experience. Here's a post and photos of that trip.

We hiked the 2 mile Riverside Trail which takes you to the Narrows, but we didn't have the proper footwear, so we didn't hike up the narrow canyon, wading through the Virgin River this trip, but a few years later, I did hike the river -- wonderful experience!

 
We also hiked up to Weeping Rock, and then hiked to Lower, Middle, and Upper Emerald Pools. Below is the waterfall spilling over from one of the Middle Emerald Pools and creating the Lower Emerald Pool...



... and here is Ellen, deep in contemplation, at the extraordinarily beautiful Upper Emerald Pool.



We camped at South Campground and were visited by a family of 3 mule deer seen in the background...



In 2000, Zion began mandatory shuttle bus usage to enter Zion Canyon. Buses arrive at the 8 stops every 6 to 8 minutes, so long waits are avoided. Though I feared it would be cumbersome not being able to drive to the various trail heads, it was pleasant to have no cars on the road and not having to hope you'll find parking slots at your intended stops. The GPS triggered commentary on the buses also provided interesting information during the trips.