Zion - Spiritual Sanctuary

Ah Zion. Mary and I love this place. For us, it’s the spiritual heart of America. When Mary and I first discovered Zion (separately), we each thought it was unique and magical. Since then we have seen many places throughout this trip that have reminded us of Zion with similar colors, types of rocks, and formations. So we weren’t sure that Zion would still hold the unique magic for us that it had before. Well, it still does. There are places that look some what like it, but none on the scale and magnitude of Zion or with the spirit.

Zion has four distinct areas:

Zion Canyon - The main part of the park, and where the Virgin River runs all year surrounded by 3-4000’ high sandstone cliffs and formations in various shades of red, orange and tan. Hiking here is switchbacks up to high viewpoints, or small pools fed by waterfalls in some of the side canyons. In the summer you can hike straight up the Virgin River at the head of the canyon (yes, you hike right IN the river!).

Kolob Terrace – An area of high forested plateaus to the west of the main canyon. We’ve only scratched the surface of this area.

Kolob Canyons –Almost an hour by car from the rest of Zion, yet only a couple of miles from Interstate 15, you reach an area where you are starring head-on into three large rock peninsulas and the canyons that separate them. Looking to the south you can see over the vast plateau toward the north rim of the Grand Canyon. We hiked up one of the canyons (Middle Fork of Taylor Creek) crisscrossing the streambed over 60 times in 2.5 miles, and ending up at Double Arch Alcove. This amazingly large open cave seeps moisture and supports a wide array of vegetation.

East or upper Zion – This area is reached by driving Hwy 9 up a series of switchbacks and through the amazing one-mile long Mt Carmel tunnel to a vast swirling maze of “petrified sand dunes”. Dry streambeds, steep and gently sloping rock walls and slot canyons beckon the visitor to get out of the car to touch and explore. There are no real “trails” up here, you just follow a canyon for awhile and then back out, or you just start “walking” up a sandstone slope. The rock is so smooth yet “grabby” that you feel like Spiderman as you walk up and down these incredibly beautiful slopes. Lying on the rocks in this heavenly area, and soaking up the sun from above and earth’s warmth and energy from below is one of our most appreciated joys.

Photos just don’t do this place justice. If you haven’t been to Zion National Park, in the SW corner of Utah, put it on your list. It’s heaven on earth.