After our pit-stop in Page, Arizona, we started our journey to Zion National Park in Utah. Sara really want us to drive in during sunset; definitely a good call! After being in the desert all day, it was nice to finally see some greenery. We kept referring to Zion as Jurassic Park, haha. Just waiting for a T-Rex to appear because it seemed like optimal dinosaur environment.
My favorite part of the drive is the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel. It’s a little over a mile long of complete darkness resulting in controlled one-way traffic within the tunnel. Make sure you turn your lights on! Every quarter mile there is a small cut-out window in the rock that gives a quick glimpse of the park. I wish there was time to stop and look through them but at 25 mph it’s a very quick sneak peak. As you exit the tunnel, the park gives its first impression of just how large and beautiful it really is. This reminded me SOOOO much of the Fort Pitt tunnel into downtown Pittsburgh. Before entering the tunnel you see nothing but grass-covered hills and highway. The tunnel seems like it may never end but as soon as you exit….holy moly. The city is gorgeous and breathtaking because you see ALL of it! The buildings, the yellow bridges and the stadiums. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, please see for yourself.
Okay, back to Zion. We stayed at the Quality Inn Springdale at Zion Park. The facilities were great and they had free breakfast in the mornings! Upon arrival we discovered that Angels Landing AND The Narrows were both closed due to a monsoon that had washed through the day before. We hoped that at least one of them would be open the next day. To our disappointment, we were told Angels Landing is closed, indefinitely. They had no clue when it would re-open because the trail was completely washed away. They said the narrows were open but they advised us not to go as it could be dangerous. ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR GUIDES! You do not want yourself in a dangerous situation!
Parking is limited within the park, therefore, you will be using two shuttles to get around. Most lodging is in Springdale which has its own shuttle that will transport you to the Zion park entrance. From there, a second shuttle will take you throughout the park. For more shuttle information click here.
Since Angel’s Landing and the Narrows were out of the question, we decided to try the Observation Point Trail. We hopped on the Zion Shuttle and headed to Stop 7. There is no thru traffic within the actual park- only shuttles. Every few minutes they would have recordings from park employees discussing the history of the park and what to find at each stop. Another reason why we felt like we were in Jurassic Park, haha. Observation Point Trail has an elevation of 6,521 feet, eight miles total and is listed as a strenuous hike. They weren’t kidding!
At the bottom of Observation Point. This is Weeping Rock. 
All I gotta say: THAT SHIT WAS HARD! I don’t know if it was the heat but I swear this was harder than the Inca Trail. Constant switchbacks, constant ascending; 2,000 feet to be exact. There were very few (and extremely short) portions of level ground. If I had been alone, I would have turned around wayyy before reaching the top. Thanks ladies for the motivation! We made multiple stops for water and food. Every time we passed someone they would say we were close. So many of them lied.
From Observation Point you can see most of Zion National Park. The road below (that we were on just a few hours earlier) looked so tiny. The mountains are split by a long piece of land that goes farther than the eye can see. Photos do not show its true beauty.
Observation Point
Looks like its own Horseshoe Bend
We MAY have fed some of the chipmunks our salted almonds. FYI- this is frowned upon. Please see below, haha! This was posted on the shuttle.
Later that evening we grabbed dinner at The Bit Spur. We were expecting bar food but oddly enough it was very over-priced Mexican food. I have a feeling everything in Springdale is probably expensive. Limited options.
Finally, we were allowed to conquer the narrows! We took the shuttle to stop 9- Temple of Sinawava- the starting point for the Narrows. The girls rented water boots and hiking sticks. I decided to wear my keens and they worked great! There are a few community sticks laying across the beginning wall of the narrows if you do not want to rent one. If the water is clear then I don’t think a walking stick is necessary. The water was murky from the monsoon so the stick helped navigate large, hidden rocks.
Beginning of the Narrows 
The Narrows 
The hike begins with a mile long concrete path that eventually ends and you have no choice but to enter the water. The beginning is very congested with visitors. Power through and follow the narrows because it gets better and most people do not go far. If you make it to a Y, go to the right!! You’ll quickly reach a small, deep area of water with a tiny waterfall to climb. We saw a few people struggling to make it over the waterfall because the water was chest deep.
Of course us girls wanted to prove ourselves. Jordan and Emily went first because they are smaller. Sara passed the backpacks to me and I walked them through the deep water to Jordan and Emily. Once they had the bags, Sara and I climbed up. TEAM WORK! People found this very amusing and video’d the process.
We were alone on this path that became very thin and green. It was the perfect spot for lunch and rest. As we were heading back out of the narrows, the skies turned black and we heard thunder in the distance. With the recent monsoon, we were worried about the rainfall. The water was getting higher and the current grew stronger. It started down pouring just as we reached the concrete path. Perfect timing! Everyone else had the same idea and we waited in a long line for a shuttle.
That concluded our Zion trip. Next time I hope to hike Angel’s Landing since it’s open again!! We drove from Zion to Vegas and spent two nights there. Flights were cheap and my brother and his friend, Damin, flew out as well.
