We left Cedar City, Utah on Sunday morning feeling refreshed and ready for the next adventure. Traveling down I15 we headed for the north entrance to Zion National Park. Zion has three entrances into the park and the north entrance offers a five mile drive through Kolob Canyon with multiple trails and vistas. We drove through the north section of the park and then headed further south to the main entrance. We passed through Springdale relatively quickly and headed directly for the Scenic Canyon Drive that led through a majority of Zion as it followed the Virgin River through the park. Stopping off every so often to photograph the river and Big Bend our ultimate destination was to hike Riverside Walk. The trail is easy and paved…our reward for hiking close to ten miles the past two days. Riverside Walk follows the river to the Narrows, where the canyon closes down to about thirty feet across. In summer months hikers can actually follow the trail further but more the 60 percent of the trail at that point involves, wading, hiking, and swimming in the 30 degree water. After finishing Riverside Walk we hopped in the car and followed Zion-Mount Carmel Highway up and up and up until we reached the mile long Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel. Thank goodness I am not claustrophobic, scared of heights yes, but not tight, dark spaces. We went through the dark road and into the mountain pass turning around for a second shot. We reached the canyon floor again and hiked the Pa’rus Trail to watch the sun set over the Watchman and the rest of the park. Afterwards we headed out of Zion and down I15 further into Mesquite, Nevada. Tomorrow we head for the Valley of Fire and finally Las Vegas to end our little adventure.
Kolob Canyon inside Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
Kolob Canyon inside Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
Kolob Canyon inside Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
Kolob Canyon inside Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
Ice melts on the warm rocks along Kolob Canyon inside Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
The Virgin River flows through Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
A desert spider scurries across a rock inside Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
The Virgin River flows through Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
The Virgin River flows through Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
The Virgin River flows through Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
Big Bend in Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
Yellow leaves cling to a tree in Big Bend inside Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
Big Bend in Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
A cyclist pedals up the scenic canyon road inside Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
A hiker walks along the scenic canyon road inside Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
The Virgin River flows through Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
A grove of trees stand against the low lying banks of the Virgin River inside Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
Grass hangs from the rock face of the canyon walls along Riverside Walk on the way to the Narrows inside Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
A hiker takes a break on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Virgin River inside Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
Water drips down the canyon wall along Riverside Walk inside Zion National park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
The Virgin River flows through Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
The Virgin River flows through Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
The Virgin River flows through Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
The Virgin River flows out of the Narrows section of Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
A young couple sits together on a rock overlooking the Narrows section of Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
Bushes and trees grow out of the narrow cracks in the canyon walls inside Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
The Virgin River flows through Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
The Virgin River flows out of the Narrows section of Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
The canyon walls along the Riverside Walk inside Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
The Virgin River flows through Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
Hikers make their way down the Riverside Walk inside Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
Sun highlights part of the canyon inside Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
Zion-Mount Carmel Highway is dwarfed by the surrounding canyons inside Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
A ventilation gap in the mile long Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel allows sunlight in the otherwise pitch black route through the mountain on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
The Watchman towers over the surrounding area inside Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
Sunlight shines off of a tree as the sun sets over Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
The Virgin River flows through Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
The moon rises over Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
The Watchman towers over the surrounding area inside Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
The moon rises over Zion National Park on Sunday, March 4, 2012.