The parking here is literally impossible unless you come early in the day to get to the tiny…read moreparking lot (located on east end of the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel, but you can only turn into it if you're heading east-bound) , or park semi-legally on the shoulder of the road or in one of the scenic pullouts. There's not much room to walk on the shoulder of the road, and I saw whole families walking on the road itself, almost causing cars on the road to run into them. I don't really know of a good solution other than making it a shuttle stop or something. Anyways, if you're lucky to get a spot, the hike is amazing. There's some stairs to begin with, and the trail eventually gets narrow with railings and a boardwalk. As you complete the trail, the whole Zion canyon opens up before your eyes. You can see the expansiveness, and when I visited the sky was a perfect, cloudless blue. It's a short hike (albeit may be steep for some people), and I think the payoff is worth it. On the way back, I got to see several desert bighorn sheep grazing right above the Tunnel. They didn't seem to be bothered by the cars or the people.

Really nice views at the top on this short mile long trail but parking is not plentiful. If you're…read morejust looking for views, this is a good option. But if you want more of a hike this may not satisfy that. We went in the afternoon as we were finishing our day and came from the visitor center. We drove up the same road as the shuttle and turned at stop 3. The road leading to the hike had a few pulloffs and lots of nice views. Once you reach the end of the tunnel (they only allow one lane so traffic will periodically stop one way), the trail is right there as you exit the tunnel. There's limited compact car parking on the right and then a small lot a little further on the left (with bathrooms). Cars were also parking by the no parking area signs. The hike itself is short and can get congested. But the views at the end are quite nice. We also heard thunder throughout but didn't get rained on.

There are 2 parking lots for the trail, either one of them is fine, no fee is required. First one…read morecomes with brief instructions and maps. It's easy hike with slow elevation. The petroglyphs site is on the rock side or right side, so stay on right side. It's about 3 miles round trip, expect one and half hour. It is fun to explore and search for petroglyphs since there is no signs or indications where these petroglyphs are located. The history of petroglyphs is not as old as I thought, it's about 800-1000 years old. Many petroglyphs are located on cliffs facing by the Santa Clara River. These petroglyphs include abstract and geometric patterns such as parallel lines, herringbone and patterns, as well as figurative patterns such as dancing people and goats. The petroglyphs have spiral patterns, which I think are in memory of their legend ancestor Spider Grandmother. And these dancing people may be worshiping the ancestor. There is a goat head painted very ethereal, it's so beautiful even looks like modern paintings. Although it is introduced that there is an organization-the Land Mountain Research and Conservation Foundation, dedicated to protecting these rock paintings. But these rock paintings are still in their original state, there are no monitoring measures to protect the wind and rain, and there are no markings on the location of the rock paintings. You have to climb up and down to find them. We encountered other tourists who lost their way in finding rock paintings. I truly hope significant measures to take to preserve and label these petroglyphs, maybe more academic research should be done to interpret them.

The Santa Clara River Trail System has an awesome trail which leads to petroglyphs. This trail is…read moreknown as Templ'po'op Petroglyph Trail and you can reach it from Anasazi Valley Trailhead. The trail is 2.9 miles long and takes you through the desert until you finally arrive to the petroglyphs. There are a lot of petroglyphs here which makes sense because Templ'po'op translates to rock writing. To see many of these petroglyphs you must climb around a bit. Some rocks had plenty of petroglyphs on them while some only had one or two drawings. There is really a lot of stuff to see here. On the way back there are some beautiful views. This is a very kid friendly hike. Even climbing around the rocks to see the petroglyphs felt safe.

The Virgin River Pass on Interstate 15 holds a golden spot in my heart and mind. It is sometimes in…read moremy dreams. When in the area, I always stop, and pay, here.

We didn't stay we just drove through to check out the site…read more We used the bathrooms they were clean and the sites were clean this place is beautiful surrounded by the canyon. It was empty when we went but it was hot like in the high 90's

The Narrows is one of the most beautiful hikes I've ever done. Check weather conditions before…read moregoing, as flash floods can occur, and the ranger station will have the latest information. Hiking/trekking poles and proper water shoes are highly recommended. The water ranges from ankle-deep to waist-high in places, and the rocky riverbed makes for slow going if walking barefoot as I did, but it's well worth the effort. Towering canyon walls, waterfalls, hanging gardens, and vibrant wildflowers make this feel like a hidden oasis. Keep an eye out for the Zion snail, which is found only in Zion National Park. The farther you go, the greater the reward. Zion means "City of God," and The Narrows felt like one of its chambers. Beautiful, cold, and unforgettable. If the God of all creation, has a throne on this earth, it would be here!

You get to The Narrows by taking the shuttle to the Temple of Sinawava, which is shuttle stop #9…read morewhen the shuttle is running, and going on the Riverside Walk which is a nice paved two mile round trip walk alongside the Virgin River. That trail ends at the river where The Narrows begin - aptly named as it's the most narrow part of the gorge. I spent a little bit of time in the river, but nothing serious as I didn't have enough time to dedicate to the trek to Wall Street. It's on my list of things to do for a future trip. You shouldn't enter the The Narrows if there's any rain in the weather forecast or any rain in the surrounding areas. It's too risky to be caught in the canyon with any chance of flash floods. There are port-a-potties and water at the shuttle station. Even though you're hiking in a river, that water should not be consumed as there have been cyanobacteria and their associated toxins found in the Virgin Riven. There is no known recreational water filtration or disinfection method that can reduce the toxins to a safe level for drinking!

It's a very tough drive up, we had a large truck and very much struggled half way up till we gave…read moreup. Lifted truck, jeep, quad or dirt bike is your only option. Unless you don't care about absolutely destroying your vehicle I recommend hiking the entire trip or drive halfway then start hiking because it gets only worst the further you go. It might get better over time but the flooding made it more difficult journey.

DOPE Ride!! Yelp reviewers are correct, you should NOT attempt this trail unless you are familiar…read morewith off roading, have a 4x4, and/or have Matt's number (Matt's OffRoad Recovery) and cell service. Gnarly road with awesome views of Utah's mountains and valley. Sometimes you're so darn close to the edge, one miscalculated move... A bit nerve-wracking! The falls were okay. Water temperature was perfect for a hot day.

This is an amazing hike! The NPS implemented a lottery system to cap the number of hikers per day…read moreto ensure safety. There are chains which you use to help navigate the trail, so if the trail is overloaded it could get backed up and potentially increase the number of slips and (potentially life threatening) falls. When I visited, someone had actually fallen to their death a day or two prior (RIP), and when I got to Scout Lookout, I overhead several people deciding to not complete the trail despite having permits. I think this helped reduce congestion. Another tip is that not a lot of people want to hike this later in the day, so if you start hiking past 2-3 PM, not a lot of hikers will be on the chains. The end of the trail will give expansive views of Zion Canyon. You will definitely want to take a rest here and enjoy some snacks of one of the most scenic views in the United States. The ground squirrels and chipmunks are also quite friendly, having associated people with accidentally dropped food during snack breaks. They will literally crawl on you and are quite persistent on trying to share your food. There are bathrooms on Scout Lookout, but no water. There's an NPS ranger and a volunteer who will check your permits. They usually leave by mid afternoon. Have permits printed out as reception may be spotty. 100/10 hike

This was a thrilling hike and definitely a national park bucket list item to check off! We were…read morelucky to both get next day lottery permits for Friday afternoon, but it turns out there were no rangers stationed there in the afternoon. I have heard rangers are usually only there in the morning, so one could probably hike without permits if you wait for later in the day. Including breaks and 20 minutes at the top, we took three hours in total. Even in March, it was hot, and I probably should've brought more than 1.5 L of water. I logged a 4.8-4.9 mile hike from the Grotto trailhead up to Angels Landing and back down again. The hike up to Scout Lookout was challenging because of the elevation, while Angels Landing was more challenging due to the technical aspect. They have chains to hold on to in most of the sections. People brought their young children to hike, which I think is irresponsible and dangerous when one small slip could mean a tumble down the canyon.

Sometimes we aren't in the mood for a true "hike" where you have to navigate trails, climb an…read moreincline or commit to a strenuous activity. There are times when we prefer a leisurely stroll, likely at the end of a dog leash, and the Virgin River Trail is just perfect for that! There's ample parking and restrooms at the park, then you can hop on the trail in a variety of directions. The path is paved and very clearly marked, so you know where to go. There are even signs along the way directing to different trails as well as information about the length. I especially like the bridges over the Virgin River-they make for a nice photo. Not a lot of shade, so if you're walking in the summer months, prepare for that.

I had an idyllic escape to St. George, UT during my spring break staycation back in March. After…read morearriving in St. George, I beelined to Confluence Park to bike the Virgin River Trail, which parallels the Virgin River for nearly 12 miles. The trail is well-maintained, extremely scenic, passes through diverse Southwestern landscapes, and is relatively flat (with the exception of the detour I took through picturesque Cottonwood Canyon on the Hell Hole Trail). Biking the Virgin River North Trail out and back from Confluence Park is roughly 18.2 miles. I did an extra seven miles on the Hell Hole & Virgin River South Trails to get me closer to 25 miles total. During my bike ride, I encountered photographers, runners, hikers, other bicyclists, and families/groups of people out on leisurely strolls. I would rate the Virgin River Trail as easy and suitable for all fitness levels. I found Cottonwood Canyon and the steep Hell Hole Trail hard/difficult as a novice biker, but well worth the effort! After my bike ride and lunch in St. George, the adventure continued with a scenic drive back home through the Virgin River Gorge (AZ), Moapa Valley (NV), and Lake Mead National Recreation Area (NV).

Morning of day2 of a road trip with my son from AZ to WA. We stopped in Hurricane, UT overnight so…read morewe could visit Zion National Park the next morning. It was a beautiful overcast day in the park where we got a few short showers. We parked in the visitor lot just early enough to find a few open parking spots (when we returned the lot was full and cars were everywhere trying to usher people out so they could take their spot). We took the shuttle to the stop at the end and did a casual hike along the river and the canyon walls. It was an amazing spot and we wished we had time for the 7-hour experience but was had to get to Boise before the end of the day. After about 1 hour we arrived back at the first stop and did another 1 hour hike around one of the main intermediate trails. The beauty of Zion is everywhere- the rock formations, the rivers, the waterfalls, the vegetation, the animals and more. We spent an hour more than we planned just to soak as much in as we could! I'm definitely coming back here in the future to spend a full day or more with the family. We only saw the tip of the iceberg and it was amazing!

First and more importantly, arrive early. Zion's visitor center has a small and limited parking…read morelot, if no spots are available, then your option is to First and more importantly, arrive early. Zion's visitor center has a small and limited parking lot, if no spots are available, then your option is to park in town at Springdale and shuttle in. We parked at the closest parking lot to the park, it was $42, I am not sure if other lots have a charge but I would assume so. This park is primarily accessible by shuttle, after passing the ticket booth, you will proceed on the shuttle to your desired destination. We first did the 3 Emerald Pool hikes, we were not impressed with the hikes, the pools were primarily dried up and there was not much to see. We proceeded to the Narrows, a 1/2 mile trail ended up in the river and the rest of the hike is on foot. We proceeded 2.5 miles into the river and the deepest the water reached was mid-thigh. We did hear the water got as deep as chest high a bit farther. The rapids were strong, so chest deep water would've been difficult to maneuver. We wore keen hiking sandals and did not rent water shoes or sticks. The sandals worked fine, we could see how it is beneficial to have a walking stick to test the depth of the water or where a rock might be. High risk for rolling ankles so move carefully. This was an enjoyable hike. We spent 1 full day at Zion, we later determined we needed a second day to get more of a Zion experience. With everything, bring plenty of water and salty snacks. There are some water refill stations along the way but be sure to check in advance. I recommend having a hydration pack with a water bladder, plenty of sunscreen, bandaids and a hat. It was 102 degree F our day in Zion mid sept.