Zion Park

Lodging

Zion National Park is often said to be the most beautiful place in America. "Spectacular" is uttered time and time again as eyes are raised to view the vast monoliths of Zion. The spectacular view to the left is one of many breathtaking sites in Zion Park. This incredible corner of Utah unveils its eight layers of sandstone, displaying what has taken two hundred million years to assemble. A masterpiece of cliffs, canyons, mesas, buttes, monoliths were sculpted by the extreme forces and violence of mother nature.

The effects of molding and carving by ice, water and snow have produced most wondrous creations for the eye to behold. The above photo shows the Zion shuttles parked at the Temple of Sinewava, the last stop in Zion Canyon.

The enchantment of nature is abundant in Utah, where nearly eighty-percent of the state is land administered for public use by federal and state agencies. The top banner photo I shot while hiking the Hidden Canyon Hike, it details the enchantment of Zion Canyon.

Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument and the Grand Staircase Escalate National Monument share a common sanctuary in the vast desert of Southern Utah. To their audience they reveal spellbinding allure, capturing the hearts of the world's visitors. Millions of people will visit these National Parks each year where they will experience the medley of stone grandeur that nature has carved. In Zion you will find Angels Landing, Temple of Sinawava and the Great White Throne, all living up to their name sake.

Pre-Columbian or also known as Ancestral Puebloans (Anasazi Indians) and later Paiutes have left behind petroglyphs in Zion Park that give us insight to how they lived. Evidence shows the Anasazi to have been in Zion about two-thousand years ago and Paiutes about eight-hundred years ago until present day. The short hike found along the Zion Mt. Carmel Hwy (East Side of the Park) will take you to ancient Indian petroglyphs. Other sites with pictographs and petroglyphs found throughout the park as well.

Later nineteenth-century Mormon settlers left their mark, giving Zion the name that would remain. "These great mountains are natural temples of God. We can worship here as well as in the man-made temples in Zion, the biblical "Heavenly City of God." Let us call it Little Zion. And so it was named. Zion is a Hebrew word referring to a place of safety or refuge, chosen by an early Mormon settler. Years later, in nineteen-thirty, the construction of the Zion Mt. Carmel Hwy opened the magnificence of Zion Park to all.

The Beehives located south of the 1.1 mile long tunnel, along the Zion Mt. Carmel Hwy, are shown in the photo to the left. The short Canyon Overlook Trail offers a magnificent view of these Mountains and an overlook of the canyon below. This hike is located immediately east of the parks long Tunnel. Zions elevation ranges from 3,700 feet to 8,726 feet.

The East side of Zion is often considered to be the most scenic section of the park. It should be unmistakable why Zion National Park is said to be one of the most entrancing places in the world. Choose your pleasure: easy hikes or difficult over-night backpacking trips, luxurious Motels, Hotels and Spa Retreats which cater to your desires or Camping in the back country wilderness, touring the scenic byways throughout Southern Utah or just take the incredible fifteen mile drive through Zion National Park.

In the Zion area adventure is unlimited. Backpack, bike, climb, fish, hike, horseback ride, enjoy photography, camp, become a Jr. Ranger, swim, golf, take a guided tour or just relax amid the beauty of Southern Utah. Zion Park is only one of the Southwests treasures. Here in Southern Utah lies the "Grand Circle," a group of Natural Wonders so near each other that nothing else on earth can compare.

Scenic Byways connect Zion Park, Bryce Canyon, Cedar Breaks, Grand Canyon and the Grand Staircase National Monument, giving the traveler the feeling of never totally leaving the Parks.

Enjoy Utah's Scenic Byways, returning to the Junction of Scenic Byway 9 and Scenic Byway 89, which meet at the alluring mountains of Mount Carmel Junction shown in the photo to the left. Stay at the Best Western Thunderbird Motel, a lodge in the Heart of the Parks. This is the place to stay for great rates, luxurious rooms and an enjoyable vacation.  The Thunderbird also offers Guided Tours, Horseback Rides, Cabins, Condominium, Meeting Room with Indoor Swimmng Pool, Spa Therapy, Golf Course. Southern Utah Map

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