Road To Zion- Zion National Park Travel Guide

I've wanted to experience Zion National Park for quite some time and finally got the chance to visit last month to celebrate my friend's birthday. Since traveling abroad is non-existent these days due to COVID-19 (and I'm not ready to travel on a plane just yet), my friend and I thought that a road trip to Zion would be the safest way to satisfy our travel urge. I have to admit, I've never been an outdoorsy type of girl. I don't even frequent popular hiking spots in L.A! So knowing that I was about to go on quite a few hikes, a lot of research was necessary. I am sharing essential travel tips in this post that you should consider before heading to Zion National Park.

WHEN TO BOOK YOUR ZION NATIONAL PARK SHUTTLE TICKETS:

Since private vehicles can't drive-in, the park offers shuttles to all the popular hiking spots. You must purchase tickets online at https://www.recreation.gov before your trip. Tickets are released on the 15th of each month for the following month at 8 am PST. Tickets sell out quickly, especially for the earlier shuttle times. My friend and I set our alarms and still couldn't get our desired 7 am shuttle time to beat the crowds. Luckily, additional next-day tickets are released 24 hours before each day. We got lucky and scored 7 am shuttle tickets the day before we headed into the park. If you plan your trip last minute, you can also book a private shuttle, but that can cost you $40+ per person when the standard shuttle tickets are only $1 per ticket. We also saw people walking or biking as an option, but since the popular trailheads are a few miles away from the park entrance, you must be in good shape to make it all those miles. 

Important to note - the entrance fee for Zion is $35 per vehicle and is valid for seven days, so if you enter and exit over a few days, don't worry; you don't have to pay each time. 

WHEN TO VISIT:

Your experience at Zion will be different depending on what time of year you go. The park is very popular during the summer months and can get way too crowded. We went the first week of October, and most trails were still quite crowded, so I can't even imagine what it's like during the summer. The weather was also a lot cooler when we were there (80 degrees during the day, 50 degrees at night), which I prefer. The summer months can get way too hot, so unless you're only doing the Narrows hike in water, the best time to go is early fall and late spring.

WHERE TO STAY:

We went back and forth for weeks while we were planning on where we should stay. They are a few different options to choose from, such as hotels in the central city of Springdale, glamping, or even camping. We finally decided on Zion Mountain Ranch because of its secluded location at the Eastside entrance to the park. There are different cabins spread out throughout the ranch, perfect for social distancing. We decided on a cabin that had a microwave and fridge so we could bring our own food to limit any social interactions we might incur while dining out. At the time, masks were not mandated in Utah, and the ranch staff was not wearing masks, so we wanted to isolate ourselves as much as possible during our stay.

We also loved the feeling of living the ranch life for a couple of days. Chickens and roosters waking you up every morning. Deer, horses, bison, and other animals roaming around just outside your cabin. The ranch also has a few dogs that roam free and visit you while you're relaxing on your porch. We also booked a sunset horse-ride to live the ranch life to its fullest.

I will note that since we stayed on the east side of the park, it ended up being best that we brought our own food as all of the restaurants were located in Springdale, nearly 30 minutes away on the west side, towards the park entrance. The drive feels a lot longer than 30 minutes as you have to drive up and down the winding mountain roads. We limited this drive to only when we needed to get into the park and on the shuttle. If you want to feel like you're staying in a city area with lots of food and restaurant options, stay in Springdale. You'll have a lot more options and won't have to do the drive to the Eastside and back. 

If you're more the adventurous type and don't mind sharing a bathroom and prefer to cook outdoors, I would suggest glamping at Under Canvas or Wildflower Resort. But of course, make sure to look up these places on a map before booking to see where they're located, and if it's in the area you want to stay.

WHAT TO PACK:

My friend brought a Yeti cooler, which was the perfect size to carry all of our food, and the ice lasted for about three days. We also brought an electric kettle, knives, plastic bowls, ziplock bags, paper towels, napkins, and utensils. We brought everything we would need in the kitchen to make the ranch feel like home. Some of my favorite items we got; breakfast consisted of oatmeal and fruit, sandwiches, nuts, apples, chips for lunch, and instant noodles for dinner. 

I would also suggest packing your own pillow and extra blankets just in case your accommodations don't have the best options. The weather is so dry in Utah that I had a hard time breathing. I woke up every morning with a dry throat and nose. I would suggest bringing a humidifier if you own one. 

WHAT TO DO AT ZION:

THE NARROWS HIKE

Our number one reason for wanting to go to Zion was to do the popular Narrows hike, a 9-mile hike trek all in water. I was very nervous leading up to this hike as I'm not in the best shape and not a hiker. We told ourselves that we'd go as far as we physically and mentally could. As mentioned earlier, your experience with this hike depends on what time of year you go, but it also depends on what time you start the trek. We decided to take the earliest shuttle time at 7 am, mainly because we wanted to avoid the large crowds of people, but also to guarantee a parking spot at the visitor's center. Supposedly, all the spots get taken by 7 am! If you don't score a spot there, you have to park in Springdale and walk into the park to catch the shuttle. The downside to all this was that it was freezing! It was about 50 degrees out and windy, and then the water was about 30 degrees. We suffered for a bit but got used to the cold quickly. On the way out of the hike, we noticed the huge crowds of people just starting the hike, and we were so glad we started early. Another thing to note is that the lighting is so much better on the hike in the early morning. So if you're going to take lots of pictures, it's the best time to go.

The hike starts with the River Walk, approximately 1 mile each way, before arriving at the Narrows and getting into the water. For the most part, the water hits at about the ankles, but it went up almost to my waist in certain areas. You can turn around at any time, but we wanted to make it to "Wall Street" and back, which was about 6 miles. In total, it took us roughly 5 hours, but we did stop quite a few times to take pictures. I was exhausted at the end, but I have to say it was one of the best things I've ever done. I was so proud of us for making it as far as we did. It was an experience to remember! Here are some tips to make your Narrows hike experience better:

WHAT TO WEAR:

Hiking boots- These are a must! The rocks under the water vary in size and are very slippery. It would be best if you had boots that are waterproof and will provide ankle and grip support. I loved the affordable Columbia pair I ordered off Amazon HERE.

Socks- We went to REI, and one of the employees suggested we wear moisture-wicking wool socks. Honestly, I'm not sure if they helped or not, as my feet were soaked and cold for the entire hike. I asked a few people during the hike about their socks, and they said they were wearing neoprene, which helped with the cold. One good thing the REI employee suggested was to bring two pairs of socks. That way, you could change out of the wet ones once you were on dry land. Of course, we should've also thought to bring dry shoes to change into as well!

Clothes- All the clothes you wear on this hike, whether it's shorts or pants and a jacket, must be waterproof and moisture wicking. Most activewear these days from Lululemon, Nike, Alo Yoga, etc., is perfect for these types of hikes. 

WHAT TO BRING:

Backpack- I found this perfect sized one for a great price at REI that wasn't too large for my short frame and fit everything I needed. It would help if you had a backpack that offers an access port for a water pack reservoir called a Camelbak to stay hydrated at all times. Luckily my husband had one that I borrowed, but REI carries a bunch HERE.

Walking sticks- another must! It saved me so many times while walking through the water. I fell twice, but without my stick, I would've fallen at least 100 times. The rocks are slippery, and you're walking against the current most of the time. I rented mine from Zion Outfitter, located in Springdale, super close to the park entrance. I only rented one stick, but I recommend two if you're anxious about falling and don't have great balance.

 If you're doing an early hike as we did, make sure to bring warm clothing layers. I decided to wear shorts, but at least my upper body was warm. I also suggest wearing a hat! It keeps you warm and also keeps the sun off your face.

We brought plenty of water and lunch/snacks to eat when we got hungry. We made our homemade lunch at the ranch before leaving. It consisted of sandwiches, apples, peanut butter, etc. Make sure you pack lots of high energy foods. The sun had popped out during lunchtime, and it was so lovely to enjoy the warmth before heading back.

As mentioned before, we brought an extra pair of socks to change into, but we forgot an extra pair of shoes. The last mile on dry land back to the shuttle in wet shoes and socks was brutal. 

Lastly, Zion Outfitters offers additional rentals for the Narrows Hike besides hiking sticks. If you want to rent warm weather or cold weather gear, they offer it. Check out their options HERE.

OTHER HIKES/SCENIC OUTLOOKS TO CHECK-OUT

There are other popular hikes to check-out in the park, but we did not have enough time, and we were so exhausted from the Narrows hike. One of the hikes we planned on doing was Angel's Landing. I read that it's fantastic but can also get kind of scary if you're scared of heights, which I am! We also wanted to do the hike to the Emerald Pools, but we heard there was no water this time of year. I found a great article HERE that shares the ten best hikes at Zion. I hope to explore more of Zion in the future and check-out more hikes we missed.

We decided to check-out scenic outlooks on the Eastside of the park that you can drive in your car to see. You don't need to hop in a shuttle to do this, so if you weren't able to score tickets, this is a great option to see parts of Zion. All the outlooks have either small parking lots or pull-outs that offer amazing views and shorter hikes you can enjoy.

ADDITIONAL TRAVEL TIPS:

Most people ask how many days you need to visit the park and surrounding areas. From Los Angeles, driving time is about 7.5 hours, but we made a couple of stops along the way. We stayed a total of 5 days, but 2 of those days were travel days. Honestly, six days would've been perfect, using that one extra day as a rest day from traveling.

Now, if you're like me, you always need to keep cost in mind when traveling. I like to travel while maintaining a budget in mind, so bringing our own food helped a lot. We spent the most on gas and accommodations at the ranch, which cost us $500 each, but that was a total for four nights. There are so many places to stay near Zion, all with different prices, so whether you're on a budget or have the money to splurge, this trip is totally doable.

Another critical thing to remember is that if you're traveling from Los Angeles to Utah, they're ahead by an hour. So if you plan on picking anything up on the way from Los Angeles and are looking at closing times, make sure you account for that lost hour.

The two places you must visit if you're headed to Zion National Park - If you're driving in from Los Angeles, you must stop in Valley of Fire, which is 1.5 hours away from Las Vegas and on the way to Zion. Next, if you're staying in Zion for a few days, I would suggest adding an extra day to visit Bryce Canyon, only an hour away from Zion. Stay tuned for my next two blog posts highlighting both of these amazing places. 

Thanks for stopping by! Make sure to check out more of my #jetsetmelanee travel posts on Instagram HERE.