Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
fall. Although the tarantula's bite is not significantly poisonous to most people, it may be somewhat
painful.
Remember, it's illegal to feed the wildlife. It's not healthy for the wildlife to eat human food or to get
used to being fed this way. For additional details on the wildlife at Zion, see chapter 9, “A Nature
Guide to Zion & Bryce Canyon National Parks.”
Seeing the Park in 1 or 2 Days
The best way to see Zion is to spend a week in the park, starting with the visitor
center displays and programs, then taking a Zion Canyon Scenic Drive trip on the
shuttle bus, and gradually working from short hikes and walks to full-day and
overnight treks into the backcountry.
If you have only a day or two, we recommend that your first stop be the
Zion
Canyon Visitor Center,
near the south entrance to the park, to see the exhibits;
look through the free
Zion Map & Guide,
which describes various hiking and
viewing options; and finally talk with a ranger about the amount of time you have,
your abilities, and your interests.
If your goal is to see as much of the park as possible in 1 full day, we suggest the
following:
After a quick stop at the visitor center, hop on the shuttle bus, which hits the
major Zion Canyon roadside viewpoints, plus the Zion Human History Museum.
When you get to the
Temple of Sinawava
, instead of just taking a quick look
and jumping on the next shuttle, hike the easy 2-mile round-trip
RiversideWalk
,
which follows the Virgin River through a narrow canyon past hanging gardens.
Then continue the shuttle bus trek back to the lodge (total time: 2-4 hr.), where you
might stop at the gift shop and possibly have lunch in the lodge restaurant.
Near the lodge, you'll find the trail head for the
EmeraldPools
. Especially pleas-
ant on hot days, this easy walk through a forest of oak, maple, fir, and cottonwood
trees leads to a waterfall, hanging garden, and the shimmering lower pool of the
Emerald Pools. This part of the walk should take about an hour round-trip; those
with a bit more ambition may want to add another hour and another mile to the
loop by taking the moderately strenuous hike on a rocky, steeper trail to the upper
pool.
If you still have time and energy, drive back toward the south park entrance
and stop at
WatchmanTrailHead
. Here, a moderately strenuous, 2-mile, 2-hour
round-trip hike takes you to a plateau with beautiful views of several rock form-
