Overcrowded Zion

Yesterday, we visited the main part of Zion National Park.  The park splits into two portions. The Zion-Mt Carmel highway takes you through a tunnel to the east part of the park. The other portion is the scenic route through the actual canyon. That is the part that has the truly spectacular views.

The park has become so popular that you can no longer drive your own vehicle through the canyon. There is a shuttle that makes 8 stops along the canyon that lead to trail heads.  Previously, the shuttle didn't start until May but this year it started at the beginning of March due to the crowds.  The drive is about an hour from where we are staying so we got there at about 10:00. The park's lot for parking was already completely full and you had to drive back into town (Springdale) and take a different shuttle to the park entrance. Unfortunately, every shuttle bus was full so we walked the half mile to the entrance. No big deal. The entrance had a small line but as soon as you walked through, the line for the canyon shuttle began. It was longer than we could see and ended up taking an hour and a half just to get on the shuttle.  The shuttle was then so crowded you couldn't hear the narration going up the canyon.  

We got off the shuttle at the top of the canyon and took a two mile hike along the river to where the canyon funnels down to The Narrows. The path is smooth with some ups and downs through the woods, marshes, flatlands, sheer cliffs, gigantic bolders that had fallen away from the mountains, and waterfalls.  More beauty than you could imagine or that would fit into a photograph. But, at only one moment could we actually hear the silence. The paths were overrun with families during spring break. The crowds were overwhelming with almost no place to stop to take photographs. 

Then, back on the shuttle for the ride down with a stop at the Museum and more photographs.

Joanne loved it, I am a bit more reserved. I would find it difficult to recommend Zion to anyone unless you arrive before 9:00 or after 3:00.  Otherwise, it will remind you of Disneyworld. 

Tomorrow on to Page, Arizona and Grand Staircase Escalante.