09 Aug Adventure And Beauty In Utah’s Zion National Park

We are incredibly fortunate to live in a country full of beauty. We live in a country where any road trip can lead to the discovery of undeniable beauty and awe-inspiring views. This summer, we drove to Salt Lake City, Utah for my company’s annual Convention. Never one to miss out on a travel opportunity, I planned a visit to several of Utah’s National Parks while on  the way.

Zion National Park

We started with some adventure and beauty in Utah’s Zion National Park and immediately declared it was our favorite. We didn’t know at the time, but each park that we visited would, in turn, be declared our favorite, right up until the last park we visited. Located in southwest Utah, Zion National Park is so beautiful that it is said to be divine.

We decided to get an America the Beautiful Pass which is an annual pass to all US National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands. The price of $80 was definitively worth it. The pass pays for itself within 3 park visits, but also allowed us to come and go as we pleased. Since the temperatures were typically around 100 degrees, we would enter Zion National Park in the morning, return to the hotel to relax for the afternoon, and then we would return to the park in the evening to enjoy the sun setting. Zion is a completely different place in the evening.

Once inside the park, you are met with soaring sedimentary rocks, layered and eroded into fascinating designs. It almost makes me want to take a course in geology, but not quite.

Those little figures in the distance are my husband and son, climbing the rocks. Although we had planned a longer hike, the temperatures were just too hot for us to tolerate. We stopped on the side of the road periodically to wander around, but ended up returning the air-conditioned car fairly quickly for water.

Don’t miss the sunset!

When we returned to Zion National Park in the evening the sun was already dusting a layer of glistening gold over the landscape. The light played through the trees and on the mountain tops. I took picture after picture in an attempt to capture what I saw, but I failed again and again. I was trying to capture the feeling of vastness and beauty and a camera is not able to do that.

Before leaving, Clark and Luci and I got out for another short hike. The children were fascinated with all of the different trees, shrubs and rocks. They would have gathered up an entire basket of treasures, if it had been allowed.

As we were leaving, my husband spotted a bighorn sheep. We quietly watched him feed for a while, then drove on so that other would have the chance. As we rounded the corner, however, there was an entire group of them, climbing the rocks and eating. It was an amazing sight!

The beautiful scenery continued outside the park as we drove home. The red cliff flattened out into fields. The setting sun left a hushed pastel glow and the moon began to peek out. It grew and brightened as we drove back to our hotel for the night.

This National Park is an absolute MUST if visiting Utah. We were sad to have to leave it and would love to come back when the temperatures are a little cooler.

Next we will be visiting Bryce Canyon National Park. But do you want to know which National Park we ultimately declared our favorite? Click over to My Joy-Filled Life where I guest-blogged about it!