Vacation Planning for Zion National Park

Absolutely, Zion should be on your bucket list, unless you don’t like the outdoors.  Incredible things appear on people’s bucket lists, from hilarious to dangerous. Bucket lists include the thrilling and the educational, the fun and the sobering.  And because a trip to Zion National Park encompasses all those things, it makes a great addition to a thoughtful bucket list. Vacation planning is part of the process for many people, so this article presents the case for including Zion Canyon on your bucket list.

First Reason for Hitting Zion

The magnificent scenery at Zion National park attracts people from all parts of the globe.  Roughly four million tourists each year gaze at and photograph the gorgeous vistas of reddish sandstone, majestic rock formations, wildlife, and beautiful colors of plants and trees.  The backdrop of the sky looks bluer than anywhere because of the stark contrasting reds, oranges, whites, and greens seen in the park. Hiking trails of mild to moderate to strenuous intensity will provide good exercise, fresh air, and stunning views.  If you take the trail to Angels Landing, you’ll challenge yourself to stay afoot on the narrow ridge at hike’s climax. Hold onto the steel chain railing to avoid becoming scraps for vultures over the cliff. If you’re fit and brave, the five-mile hike (round trip) to Angels Landing ought to be part of your vacation planning.

Second Reason to go to Zion

Vacation planning to Zion must include taking advantage of the charming town of Springdale, Utah, which sits just outside Zion’s gates.  Springdale exudes quaint and sophistication, Pioneer history and modern touches. While Springdale features contemporary national hotels, like Holiday Inn Express, its real flavor is in the one-of-a-kind hotels, which will indulge you in rustic elegance and inspire you with spectacular views.  Some of the town’s hotel gems earn 3 to 3.5 stars, and another is famous for luxurious villas as vacation rentals.

Springdale also boasts some fine dining and tasty eateries.  Whether you want American, Mexican, Italian, bistro, gourmet coffee, or Chinese, you’ll find it with quality.  The recipes are local, traditional favorites, as well as new cuisine brought in by out-of-state chefs.

If you like beautiful gifts and souvenirs, visit the many gift shops in Springdale.  One shop specializes in stunning photography of Southern Utah, and any piece would beautify a wall in your home.  Other shops include glassware, metal, clay, and wood sculptures, arts and crafts by the local Navajo Indians, and unique pieces from amazing artists.  Imported or locally crafted, Springdale’s gift shops offer something that speaks to everybody.

Third Reason to Head to Zion

Fifth, visit the Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort if you want a Zion trip with more thrills.  The Ponderosa offers magnificent scenery and exhilarating activities, such as horse-back riding, paint-balling, shotgun shooting, zip-lining, swimming, Jeep touring, backpacking, and sleeping in cowboy cabins.  Zion Ponderosa is rated among the six best ranch resorts in North America.

Fourth Reason for Vacation to Zion

When you’re in Southern Utah, it would be a shame to limit your experience to one park.  Utah possesses five “mighty” national parks, and Grand Canyon is at the Utah-Arizona border, so your vacation planning should allow for a couple of drives of only one to two hours to see some spectacular sites.  For example, Bryce Canyon is about ninety minutes from Zion and is famous for its alien-like hoodoo rock formations.  Hoodoos are statues of orange sandstone, sculpted over centuries by wind and water. You can pull off the highway at any of the viewing points to take in the gorgeous colors and hoodoos of Bryce.

Vacation Planning for Zion National Park

Article By: Clear Content Marketing