Zion National Park

Zion National Park & Lake Powell

Zion National Park
Zion National Park

Late Departure

We got up later than usual, but that was totally ok. Going on a road trip was always a balancing act between not wanting to miss out on things and making sure we were getting enough rest. 

For Breakfast, we ordered bagels with cream cheese and a nice latte with caramel. That was a bit different from what we would normally eat at home. In the meantime we discussed whether we would drive directly to Lake Powell or if we would go for a stop at Zion National Park. We had skipped Zion initially from our itinerary because we thought it would make it too heavy, but now we were in doubt. 

Zion National Park

Zion National Park
Zion National Park

Ultimately, we decided to drive to the park and see then how much time we would like to spent there. It took us around 2 hours to reach the entrance of the park. We first had our picnic lunch before starting our discovery.

Zion National Park
Zion National Park

The park was very well organised with a shuttle bus that took visitors on a scenic route through the park with a number of stops where walks started. When we were there, we did not have to pay extra for the bus, but I noticed that as of 1/1/2020 a 1$ ticket needs to be purchased.

Hiking in Zion National Park
Hiking in Zion National Park

We stepped out at the Weeping Rock stop and did a stroll in the riverbed (completely flat, no difficulty). All of a sudden, Koen spotted 2 persons that were climbing a vertical wall just in front of us. Impressive ! 

Rock Climbers
Rock Climbers

After that, we decided to hike to the ‘Weeping Rock’. It was a steep but beautiful walk of half an hour (0,6 km). Taking pictures while water was dripping from the rock, was THE activity here. So everyone had to wait his/her turn.

Weeping Rock
Weeping Rock

Koen then expressed the idea to hike to the Hidden Canyon. Well, let’s say that for persons with a vertigo issue (like me), it was not the ideal choice :-). The walk would normally take around 2-3 hours (almost 5 km). It was a moderate (sometimes more difficult) walk. When we arrived at the point where we had to hold on to chains for not loosing our balance, I decided to stop…

Hidden Canyon Hike
Hidden Canyon Hike

At that point, I thought it was more fun for me to take photo’s of the daredevils so Koen continued on his own. I was lucky because there was a chipmunk that kept me company for a while 🙂

Chipmunk
Chipmunk

Page, Lake Powell

Last visit of the day, Lake Powell! Just in time to catch the afternoon sun.

Our day ended in the Comfort Inn & Suites in Page. All in all, we were very happy that we had decided not to skip Zion National Park. The sights were stunning and the walks (except the chain part :-)), were really enjoyable.

Lake Powell
Lake Powell