When you look at the photos of towering mountains of Zion, imagine the geological history of the area. The first layers of rock were forming more than 225 million years ago when Zion Canyon was a sea floor. Eventually the area became the delta of a river and then finally the bottom of a lake. About 150 million years ago dunes of sand covered the entire Zion Park area, ground water provided calcium carbonate which moved through the dunes, and over time it compacted and held the sand together. Photo left: Virgin River

Changing increased over vast amounts of time, layers of rock were laid down on top of the sandstone, much of which eventually eroded away. Activity as recent as four million years ago began to work, moving the Colorado Plateau upward. The Virgin River, then much stronger than the gentle stream you see today, literally carved its way through Zion Canyon taking away debris as it flowed down canyon. Even today the amount of sediment carried by the rivers flow to the Colorado river weighs in at over a million tons! As nature runs its course, one day, far in the future, the great monoliths of Zion National Park will be reduced to a flat plain. The area where the magnificent Zion Park now shines will return to the sand dunes from witch it began. Photo Right: Pine Creek

Although at first glance Zion Park seems to be mostly desert there is a multitude of wet environments to explore. The gateway to the narrows (Garden of the Gods) is a good example and is easily accessed. Along this easy walk is a desert swamp, hanging gardens and the rare Zion Snail. Follow this trail to its completion and the hiker must literally step into the Virgin River and follow its path as the slot canyon walls become closer together. Also located in Zion Canyon is Weeping Rock, a spring of water seeping though the sandstone, viewed from an alcove nature has carved into the side of the mountain. The Emerald Pools trails culminates in pools of water from spring water seeping through to plunder to pools below.

Photo left: Pine Creek