I went to Zion over Thanksgiving break with Anna, Amy, and Margarita two years ago and we had an amazing time, so I was excited to go back again this time with Willy. In a funny turn of events, Anna ended up flying down from SF and joining us in addition to roommate Willy who was already here from LA. All of us had already been to Zion except brother Willy, but we had an amazing time even for our second time.
Left: Karen, Anna, Amy, Margarita in Nov 2018
Right: Karen, Brother Willy, Roommate Willy, and Anna in Oct 2020
Angel’s Landing
Angel’s Landing is one of the two signature hikes in Zion, and it’s really no joke. The entire first half is a series of pretty steep switchbacks, followed by a mentally terrifying section up a narrow path where you have to hold on to a chain all the way to the top. Willy was on his butt for many parts of the second half because it was just so scary to stand up.
The view from the top sure is worth it though! Here are some pics of me at the top of Angel’s Landing from my trip in 2018:
The Narrows
The Narrows is probably the most unique hike I’ve ever done. The hike essentially takes you along the Virgin River through the narrowest part of the Zion Canyon, at times submerged chest-deep in water.
We didn’t get a chance to do The Narrows hike this time because we were short on time and there was also a toxic cyanobacteria infestation in the Virgin River (though plenty of others were doing it regardless of the toxic bacteria). However, if you’re here during the right time of year (when there aren’t flash floods) and not during an infestation, this is definitely my favorite experience in Zion.
In 2018, we went in November, so the water was pretty cold. We rented special wet suits, boots, and hiking sticks from a rental place in Springdale right outside the park and even with the cold temperatures, we had an amazing time!
Biking
Personal cars aren’t allowed on the main scenic drive (to get out to hikes like Angel’s Landing and The Narrows), so the only way to get there is to take the Zion Shuttle. Last time we were here, we had a reasonably easy time just standing in line and getting on the shuttle, but this time, due to Covid, there was an online shuttle reservation system and because of limited capacity, it was really hard to get a shuttle ticket.
Instead, we ended up getting bike rentals and biking into the park which turned out to be an amazing experience!
We probably biked a total of just under 20 miles (it’s about 15 miles out to The Narrows which is the end of the Scenic Drive and back). It’s slightly uphill on the way in but mostly downhill on the way back. You can also put your bike on the shuttle at any point if you get tired, but we had a really great time just biking the whole way in and out.
Bike rentals: we ended up getting up at 5am to get bikes from Zion Outfitter which is first come first serve (they were sold out by 6:30am), but there are some other bike shops in Springdale that might be a bit further out and offer online reservations.
Camping
Last time, because it was so cold, we couldn’t camp and stayed at an Airbnb nearby, but the weather this time around in early October was perfect for us to camp two nights in Zion. We stayed at the South Campground (one of two open because of Covid), which had lovely views of the Watchman and was next to the Pa’rus Trail where we went on a nice post-dinner walk.
Our greatest discovery of this trip were these instant hot pot kits that we got at 99 Ranch in Las Vegas. You literally just add water and a chemical reaction set off in lower compartment of these containers heats up the hot pot. Our campsite smelled like mala spice for quite a bit afterwards, but it was a delicious dinner.
Campsite reservations: similar to the shuttle reservation system, there’s an online system to book campsites and especially on popular weekends, they go quick. Luckily, Roommate Willy is an experienced Coachella ticket buyer and was on the site right when reservations got posted 2 weeks before and booked us a campsite.
Until next time, Zion
The first time was great, but second was even better and if I can, I would definitely come again.
