Riverside Walk
Easy, along the river.
Eddie Maloney from North Las Vegas, USA — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Kirt Edblom — CC BY-SA 2.0 · TerryDOtt — CC BY 2.0 · Kirt Edblom — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Chris M Morris — CC BY 2.0
Zion National Park lies in southwestern Utah near the town of Springdale, where the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin and Mojave Desert meet. It covers about 590 square kilometres, and its great feature is Zion Canyon, 24 km long and up to 800 m deep, with towering red walls. The North Fork of the Virgin River carved the canyon from Navajo Sandstone in reds and tans. The park spans four life zones, from desert to conifer forest, with 289 bird species and 75 mammal species. It has received around 5 million visitors in a single year, among the country's busiest parks. You move through the canyon between huge walls, green trees along the river and rock that changes colour with the sun. In the east, pale smooth rock is checked like a chessboard. The best known trails are the easy Riverside Walk, which leads to The Narrows, where people walk in the river itself, and the hard Angels Landing, which needs its own permit. The visitor centre is 1.6 km in a straight line from Springdale. A shuttle runs in the canyon in busy seasons, so check its schedule, as private cars may be barred. Bring plenty of water and suitable shoes, as summer is very hot. Flash floods can strike narrow routes, so check the forecast before entering.
Easy, along the river.
Walking in the river itself.
Checked like a chessboard.
Near Springdale, southwestern Utah
A shuttle runs in busy seasons, and private cars may be barred.
Angels Landing needs its own permit, so check the park's site.