Yes, we are National Park Geeks. I have a National Park Passport book filled with stamps from so many places. However, some parks are a bit more magnificent than others. Zion is definitely one of our favorites. There is something about being on the valley floor and being surrounded by strikingly red/orange cliffs.

We have been to Zion twice. The first time was in January of 2019. It was the year the federal government shut down due to congress failing to agree to a budget. This meant that there were few things open in most National Parks, but Zion remained open due to the nonprofit, Zion Forever. It also meant; fewer people were visiting so we didn’t have to deal with many crowds. January is not as popular of month to visit Zion as temperatures are near the freezing mark and there was ice along several trails. This was no problem for us, and we appreciated the cool weather, especially while navigating Walters Wiggles and getting to Angels Landing (no we didn’t make it all the way out there, but we went past Scout’s Lookout and that’s saying something). We did not do the narrowest chain section.

The second visit was in April of 2021. It was still Covid season, so that made things a bit more challenging. Dining services were take-out only and a limited number of guests could be in the gift shops. The weather was warmer, and we were able to hike some trails we couldn’t get to on our previous trip such as the Upper Emerald Pool Trail. The shuttle system was active, and we had to book your tickets ahead of time. There were several folks we met at the campground that did not know tickets were purchased two weeks in advance. For more information on shuttle tickets visit the National Park website.

This is a must see park with many options for any skill level. I would highly encourage a visit. We stayed at Cedar City KOA as most other locations were booked in March. This was actually a great location for visiting other area parks, so it worked out.