Where

Zion national park is in southern Utah, western USA.

I know, spending just one day in Zion national park doesn’t seem right!

Zion national park—a park that is Utah’s oldest and the most visited, known for the famous hikes of Angel’s Landing, The Narrows, and The Subway. But we had a reason for this short visit—we were in this part of Utah to explore the wonder, The Wave.
So, like us if you are pressed for time and just doing a day trip to Zion, I’ll tell you an easy hike with expansive views.

After getting lucky with the lottery permit for Wave we decided to explore nearby areas. In fact, we had three options and more than half a day to explore: Zion, Bryce canyon national park, or Paria Rimrocks of Grand Staircase Escalante national monument. Zion was our unanimous choice.

Though we could have done Angel’s Landing hike, we decided not to exert ourselves in the midwestern summer sun. The next day we were to spent traversing the open red lands of North Coyote Buttes finding our way to and back from ‘The Wave’. So, we settled for a short hike, drove around, took the Zion canyon scenic drive shuttle and  checked out few vista-points.

Stay

Zion Lodge  is the only hotel within the park. And like most park accommodations a reservation way well in advance is recommended. However, there are quite a few staying options in the small towns outside the park. We stayed in the small town of Kanab, which is a forty-five minutes drive from Zion’s east entrance.

Hike

We got into Zion national park from the east gate, parked just after the second tunnel and hiked 1 mile (round trip) to Canyon overlook point. Our friend who had already explored quite a bit of Zion recommended us this hike. I’m glad we took his suggestion. This short walk in the park was wonderful—expanse, lovely views of the valley and cliffs, contrast colors of the red rocks with the green vegetation and the blue sky. This short hike was enough to fill us with awe.

So, if you have limited time or you are passing by Zion, you should definitely do the Canyon Overlook hike. It will give you a glimpse of what Zion has to offer!

If you have missed my previous post on ‘The Wave’ or need some tips on the hike, click here .
These links have information on other stunning, ‘red-land’ parks we have been to in the states of Utah and Arizona.

What are your hiking recommendations for Zion?

(We were in Zion national park for one day in the first week of July)