Zion Canyon, Utah

A small popular spot on the south side of Zion National Park.
The canyon has some nice attractions. It has rocks, rivers, and heights.
There's a lot of hype about Zion. I think it's because the photos look impressive to people who haven't been there, especially after artificial enhancement.

You may see people post pictures of Zion like this:

When in reality, it looks like this:

Getting In

The town of Springdale outside the south gate of Zion is a tourist trap.
Expect to wait in a long line of traffic to reach the gate.
Parking in town is $15 to $20 a day.

Waiting to get into Zion. Springdale.

Entrance to Zion costs $35 per vehicle, up to 7 days. Parking inside Zion is free.
The lot at the visitor center has the most space, but don't expect to find a spot after 10 am.
The main attractions are not accessible by car, only by shuttle bus, so park at the visitor center for a ride. The shuttle is free and runs from 6 a.m. to around 9 p.m. about every 15 minutes.

Popular Sights

Angel's Landing is the main tourist attraction. It's a hike to the top of a tall rock. To get there, first ride the shuttle to the Grotto stop and hike the Grotto trail up a series of switchbacks.

At the end of the grotto trail is Angel's Landing trail. The path is narrow and guided by metal chains you can hold onto for support. It looks skinnier and scarier from a distance than it is up close. Many people walk the trail and congestion is more of a burden than the walking itself.

View from Angel's Landing.

The second popular attraction is hiking the Riverside Walk along the Virgin River. It's a comfortable stroll with tree cover. There's two parallel trails, one on the sand and another that's paved. Take the shuttle to the last stop for this hike. The shuttle takes about 45 minutes to get there from the Visitor Center.

The end of the trail leads into the river, where the Narrow trail starts. That's basically a wade up river between tall rocks. You get wet up to the knees, so bring a pair of water shoes if you want to do the Narrows.

The Narrows

Then there's a Lodge with a large grassy area under trees. Some wet rocks (Weeping Rock, Emerald Pools) for filler. Museum and some other short boring hikes.

Lower Emerald Pools

Several good trails were closed due to rock fall, as often happens in Zion. The way to Observation Point was closed from the shuttle stop, but can be accessed from the East Rim trail at the east gate entrance. East Rim is a ten mile hike one-way.

Drive through the Zion Mount Carmel Tunnel to reach the east side. Wait times can be long to get into the tunnel sometimes. Normally it is a two way road, but sometimes they block traffic in one direction to allow large vehicles through.

Waiting to take the tunnel. Zion Mount Carmel Tunnel.

 "Wild"-life

The critters in Zion Canyon are fat and unafraid of people. Chipmunks will dart to you, climb your leg, and walk over your things looking for food.

There are signs everywhere saying don't feed the animals, but that hasn't curbed their obesity.

Zion Canyon is a decent spot in itself. But way over-hyped and under-equipped for the amount of attention it attracts. Like an over-fed squirrel. Not wild. Bloated by tourism.