Zion is unbelievably gorgeous and can be visited in a couple day trip. There are tons of other beautiful parks close to it, but if time is limited it is totally possible to have a couple day visit to Zion and feel like you’ve visited one of the most stunning places our country has to offer.
We chose to do a road trip, as we were picking up a puppy nearby Zion at the end of the trip (the original motivator for the Zion visit), but you can also fly into Las Vegas and drive from there. We stayed in Springdale so we could have easy access to the park. Basically Springdale is maybe a mile long with all the hotels and restaurants on the one main road and a the end of the road is the big visitors center and the entry into the park. There is a shuttle bus that takes you along the main drag of Springdale (but all is walkable as well). There is a separate shuttle bus that leaves from the big visitor center that takes you into the park, unless you are on an ebike or you are staying at a hotel in the park (that allows you to drive yourself in to access the hotel). If you have a national parks pass be sure to bring it for entry into the park.
Things to do ahead of visit:
Hotel reservations (duh)
Shuttle reservations. You can get into the Park via the shuttle or via bike/ebike. You need a reservation if you plan to take the shuttle and must DO THAT AHEAD OF TIME. We saw one family with small kids get turned away as they didn’t have reservations and it was so sad given how far they’d come with their kids to show them the park!
Ebike reservations – we LOVED the ebikes. The main road into the park is only open to park shuttle buses and to bikes/ebikes. It’s a majestic bike ride, made so easy with the ebikes, and you feel like you are riding with green screen scenery surrounding you. And NO traffic/cars except an occasional shuttle (you need to pull over and stop for them to pass you). They are not cheap (approx $100/day/pp) but I think it’s worth the splurge if for one day at a minimum. That ride was one of my favorite parts of the trip! Plus you can park anywhere (just lock up) which allows more varied trail access than the shuttle stops provide.
Dinner reservations. We didn’t make any ahead of time and didn’t have trouble but it depends on the season you are there and the day of the week.
Massage reservations. As it was mother’s day weekend I called last minute after our Narrows hike and was lucky enough to get a massage arranged for that afternoon at the Deep Canyon Spa & Salon (part of Flanigan’s Inn) as my mom’s day gift. It was heavenly. Book with Ashley!
Pack your National Parks pass if you have one.
Our weekend visit included the following:
Thursday:
Drive to Zion
Check into our bed and breakfast Novel House Inn (it is ok and in great location but next time I’d try somewhere new as rooms were dark and not fresh/modern).
Dinner at Bit & Spur, eating in the back patio area which we loved. You have a view of the mountains and it’s spectacular.
Friday:
Breakfast at good local cafe Oscars Cafe (tied in out with B&B as our breakfast provider). Good coffee shop across the street as well – Deep Creek Coffee.
8am: Picked up some picnic items
8:10am: Pickup up eBikes at Zion Guru and rented water shoes for the Narrows walk
The Narrows is one of the preeminent hikes in Zion and involves walking along a riverbed (i.e. in a river with water at times a few feet deep) for a few miles up and then back down again (you can turn around any time). Some people rent full waders for water protection. It depends on your comfort level, the current weather and water temp. My husband chose to use his running shoes (his feet got cold but it worked for him). I rented the water shoes which are like wetsuit booties that kept my feet warm and dry the entire time. As we were riding bikes I didn’t want to have to carry waders on the bike, and it was hot out (although it’s always cooler in the Narrows). We both used hiking poles that we brought, but you can also rent hiking sticks – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to keep balance when walking over river rocks that you can’t see clearly.
8:30am: Rode into the park via the entry in the visitors center. AMAZING RIDE and a highlight of the trip.
Locked up the bikes, walked the half mile or so to the start of the Narrows and then spent the next few hours walking up the most beautiful canyon river – the walk is part in the river and part on the shoreline. You can turn around any time you want but most go the the Y (called Wall Street) about 3 miles in, and some further on than that. We had a picnic at the Y, explored a bit further up and then headed back to the start. The entire trip was about 4 hours. It takes a while because each step in the river needs to be ‘tested’ a bit to ensure your footing is secure, so it’s not at all as fast as a regular hike. Just remember to look UP at your amazing surroundings!
1:30ish: Leisurely ride back down into town. Stopped at the Feel Love cafe for a smoothie and froyo – beautiful place to enjoy the view of the mountains all around you and to rest your legs after a bike hike.
We opted not to do a second hike that day. Turned bikes back in. Took a drive up through the tunnel toward the East Gate entrance of the park (cars can enter from two sides) to see the amazing views from that end. Had a massage at Deep Canyon Spa (wonderful!), wandered the shops a bit
Dinner at Spotted Dog Cafe
Saturday:
Breakfast at Oscars Cafe
Picked up ebikes for second day
Another amazing bike ride into the park
Hiked to Angels Landing – a couple miles each way – which may be the other most popular hike in the park. Beautiful payoff of a great view down the valley at the end, after the steep steps. We opted out of doing the narrow ledge part just after the Landing that many do – if you have a fear of heights while being on a narrow single track it may not be for you either, but it’s super popular. John walked a bit further along the West Rim trail and caught up with me on my way down. Hike took a couple hours.
Back to town for lunch with another stop at the Feel Love cafe and a lazy afternoon.
Dinner back at Bit & Spur as we’d enjoyed it so much the first night in their back area.
