When I think about a dramatic entrance, the East Entrance of Zion National Park is first on the list! Zion National Park was one of the stops on our Big Roadtrip in the Southwest United States visiting National Parks. We had started the day at Bryce Canyon National Park and headed to Zion National Park in the afternoon.
Entering the East Entrance of Zion National Park is beautiful and winds through the hills. Checkerboard mesa is located shortly after the entrance. It’s such a cool formation and really looks like a checkerboard.
As you drive further along, you’ll come up to the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel. And here, as you head westbound through the tunnel, is where the big dramatic entrance happens. The tunnel is 1.1 miles long and takes you right through the mountain!
Approaching the entrance to the tunnel through the mountain at the East Entrance to Zion National Park. If a large vehicle is traveling through the tunnel from the opposite direction, you will have to wait until they are through because of the size of the tunnel!
And heading west through the tunnel, you’ll pop out at the end in an amazing movie set, making you believe you have an adventure to go on that will rival Frodo and Samwise’s journey. The road meanders through the canyons, plateaus, and sandstone cliffs until you arrive at Canyon Junction, where the road meets the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive.
If you visit while shuttles are running, you can only turn right here if you are staying in the park. Otherwise, you’ll head left towards either the visitor center or somewhere in Springdale to catch the shuttle. You can see the shuttle times at the park’s website. The shuttles will pick you up in town or at the visitor center, and they bring you all along the canyon floor. We visited during the summer and the shuttles were quite regular. We didn’t have to wait very long at any of the stops to get on one.
Where to Stay at Zion National Park
Originally, I had booked a room at the Bumbleberry Inn in Springdale, Utah, but I knew you couldn’t drive into the park unless you were staying in the park, so I kept checking the website to get a reservation in the park to see if I could get a room. When I originally looked, they were all booked. About a week before we left for our trip, I checked and someone must have cancelled, because I was able to book inside the park!
The Zion Lodge is located in Zion Canyon, right across the street from the Virgin River and surrounded by cliffs. You are right there… right in the middle of it. The views all around you are absolutely astounding. The big benefit of staying in the park is that you’re just steps away from the shuttle that takes you throughout the canyon, and just that little bit closer if you want to take a quick break, and miss some of the crowds. If you’re able to stay in the park, I would recommend it. However, town is not far, and it will just take a little bit more planning ahead to make sure you have things with you for the day.
We really weren’t in our room a whole lot, but it had a porch area where you could sit and enjoy the view on a rocking chair. We had a room with two queen beds in the Sentinel building. They had the usual amenities, like a microwave, mini fridge, ironing board, tv, safe, and a cozy chair.
What to See at Zion National Park
As I mentioned above, we were on a big road trip seeing lots of things, so we really only spent two days at the park. We saw some of the highlights, but you could absolutely spend much more time here. And I would recommend it. As soon as we got there, we were talking about coming back!
The Narrows and Angels Landing are two of the most popular hikes in the park. Since we were there for such a short time, and it’s a lottery to do the hike (and because I’m actually slightly terrified of having the children fall off a cliff) we opted not to try for Angels Landing. We really wanted to do The Narrows hike, but that winter had had record snowfall and the water level in the river was too high. The hike opened a couple weeks after we were there, but we missed it. Even more reasons to go back!
Temple of Sinawava
After we settled in to our room, we hopped on the shuttle and rode to the last stop, the Temple of Sinawava stop. This stop also leads to the Riverside Walk, which leads to the beginning of The Narrows Trail.
We visited the park during the summer. Make sure you bring along water and snacks! We love having the Camelbak hydration packs. Everyone has their own water with them the whole time! It’s way better than having to lug around everyone’s water bottles in one backpack and the kids can get a drink anytime they want one!
Walk the trail from the Zion Lodge to the Grotto
We had some plans to do a hike along the East Entrance road the morning we were there, but the busy schedule we had packed into our trip so far and the heat kind of got the best of a few of us throughout the day, and we took it a little easier than we had wanted to. (Sorry, John!) We started our day with breakfast at the Zion Lodge and then walked the trail from the Zion Lodge to the Grotto.
We had a couple of buggy little friends as we were looking around near the lodge, and then some bigger friends as we walked the trail! We saw both mule deer and mountain goats! What a delightful surprise they were!
Weeping Rock
The Weeping Rock stop in the Zion Canyon is a really cool stop! The hike up to the viewpoint is pretty short, kind of steep, but mostly paved, with a few steps at the top. And the view… oh the view! You’ll come up to a perfectly carved out space, a perfect picture frame. A hanging garden clings to the rocks, and the moisture that has been seeping down into the rocks of the cliffs drips out from this place. And when you get into that perfect cut out, you’ll look out over the views of Angels Landing, the Great White Throne, Big Bend, and Cable Mountain. This was one of my favorite stops here!
Court of the Patriarchs
One of the first sights you’ll see as you enter the Zion Canyon is the Court of Patriarchs. Named after the patriarchs in the Old Testament, Abraham Peak, Isaac Peak, and Jacob Peak tower overhead and can’t be missed! This is one of the shuttles stops. On one side of the road, you can walk down by the river and hang out a bit. We tried our hand at a little rock skipping while we were down there. The other side of the road has a quick walk up to an overlook of the Patriarchs.
Zion National Park is one of our family’s favorite places we have visited! We spent a day and a half there, and saw some highlights, but could absolutely have spent a lot more time here! Remember to stay hydrated, bring along what you will need for the day, and wear good shoes!
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