Zion National Park
Where we stayed
We LOVED Watchman Campground. The location could not be better; it’s so close to the visitor’s center that the shuttle is visible, and it’s right next to Watchman and Pa’rus Trails. Of course this means it's not particularly private, but the location and views make it worth it. It was just lovely. The bathrooms were clean and close and the surrounding cliffs were exactly the kind of scenery we came to Utah to find.
Book in advance: for our mid-April trip, we made our reservations in January, and we got one of the last sites available. Because of this, we had to switch campsites after our first night. We preferred our site in Loop F (we were in Loop C the second night). Loop F sites are labelled “walk in,” which is a misnomer, as the car was still so close. These sites just had better views and we loved the plants and cool mid-century trellis (note that fire pits in loop F are communal rather than individual, however).
Our site in Loop F in Watchman Campground
The group firepit in Loop F in Watchman Campground
Hikes
Angel’s Landing
This is a very popular hike, which was especially true when we were there since the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway was closed for repairs, effectively cutting off the hikes on the east side of the park. However, the amazing views of both sides of the canyon make the crowds worth it.
Once out of the valley floor, the first part of the hike follows the West Rim Trail, with several series of challenging switchbacks. We liked the section known as Refrigerator Canyon, where we got a break from the heat as well as great views of pink rocks in the afternoon light. At the open area of Scout’s Landing (where there are bathrooms, though the fact that we could smell them from 50 feet away didn’t seem like a great sign...), hikers have options. Our friend Molly continued on the West Rim Trail to higher viewpoints, from which she got great pictures. Other climbers were sitting in the shade, taking a break or snacking before heading down. Some were waiting for companions to finish Angel’s Landing. We were intimidated by the narrow ridge of the Angel’s Landing Spur, curling up, down and up again, like a stoney dragon’s back, due to its steep drop offs and the chains. However, we ultimately felt like it was totally worth the 1-2 extra hours it and not as scary as it looks. Really, it’s the humans that make it feel dangerous; it was sometimes hard to give right away or scurry past others knowing that the precipitous drops offs make it hard to truly give others space.
We started in the late afternoon, around 4, which we would definitely recommend since there are less people. Golden Hour really was the best time to visit Zion.
A group shot of Amy, Molly and Sarah at the halfway point
Along the Angel’s Landing portion of the trail
This trail is no joke!
This shaded part of the trail felt like a refrigerator
View looking towards the Narrows from Angel’s Landing
Riverside Walk & The Narrows
The Narrows were closed when we visited in mid-April, but the Park staff were super clear in communicating this closure ahead of our trip. They don’t open up this trail until the water rushes at less than below 150 cubic feet per second, so visitors can’t really depend on it being accessible unless they visit after mid-June. We liked following the Riverside Walk to see the start of the watery trail, making repeated affirmations that we’d come back some day to hike it. Molly, who had done it on a previous trip, confirmed that it’s truly worth the hype (and the inevitable cold water dunk).
On the Riverside Walk
Zion was way more green than we expected
At the start of what would be the Narrows hike, had it been open.
We never tired of the golden hour light on the canyon walls
Pa’rus Trail
We took this trail multiple times, once during the sunset as we walked back from shuttle stop 3 to 1 (the visitor center) and once in the morning when the line to board the shuttle was super long. This trail is a gem. It’s very flat and easy, practically empty, and it has great views. We recommend it if the line for the shuttle is long, or just to take in the serenity of the Virgin River and the views of Watchman Mountain.
Found a heart shaped cactus on our hike!
Walking the Pa’Rus trail
Watchman Mountain from the Bridge.
Springdale
The visitor’s center to Zion is connected Spingdale, a compact town with a “main street” full of shops, restaurants and hotels. When the park is crowded, there’s also a shuttle that picks up visitors at a handful of stops (often right in front of hotels) and takes them to the visitor’s center. A couple places of note:
Whiptail Grill - Amy and I split the squash enchiladas with goat cheese as well as the avocado salad, and we loved both. Molly got the regular enchilada, which she didn't love, but if you're going squash it was great. It was fun to sit on their patio and eat as the sun set and the heaters became more appreciated.
Zion Outfitters- We used the showers here. Bare bones, $4 for a 5 minute shower, but it got the job done and felt so good after hiking Angel’s Landing.
Deep Creek Coffee Company- Good coffee drinks and smoothies in a cute spot. We stopped here before heading out of town towards Bryce Canyon. We were here early and could sense how quickly it might fill up.
Cafe Soliel- This very casual place showed up multiple times in our research, and while I wouldn’t say it’s an essential stop, we enjoyed our lunch on their patio (and really liked their Asian tofu wrap, which was spicy).
Sol Foods- This grocery store had way more than we assumed a small-town place would. They have a large grab-and-go section should you want to pick something up before heading into the park in the morning or get something to eat back at the campsite at the end of the day. It’s also where we got our firewood for campfires.
Delicious squash enchiladas and avocado salad at Whiptail Grill
Deep Creek Coffee, a popular morning spot