Today we wanted to explore Zion National Park, which can be reached within 2.5 hours by car from Las Vegas.
Table of contents
The route from Las Vegas to Zion National Park
The ride on Interstate 15 offers some very nice views of the mountain formations of the region. Interstate 15 leads you first through Nevada, then crosses the “left top corner” of Arizona and finally reaches Utah.
Zion National Park
While Zion National Park is open to visitors all year round, Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, the panoramic road that runs through the park, is closed to public traffic from March to October. This means that we parked our car at the park entrance and then switched to the free shuttle buses that took visitors to the individual sights. At the visitor centre there were some information boards where you could get a good overview of the park.
The Rock Formation “Court of the Patriarchs”
From the bus stop of the same name, one goes a short, easy way up to a small observation deck from which one can see the three mountains (Abraham , Isaac, Jacob).
The Weeping Rock Trail
Weeping Rock is a rock formation where a hillside spring emerges and is covered by a 600-metre paved hiking trail. The trail ends on a platform under the overhanging rock behind a curtain of water drops.
The Rock Formation “Patterns in Stone”
Rock Formation Patterns in Stone
The Emerald Pools Trail
The hiking trail to the Emerald pools leads through dense forests and is a popular day hike for many park visitors. The route goes up slightly. The Emerald pools are created by rivers whose water seeps into the sandstone, then accumulates again into small streams and emerges from the rock face – sometimes even in the form of small waterfalls.
The Canyon Overlook Trailhead
Finally we walked to another very nice viewpoint, the Canyon Overlook, which is located in the eastern part of the park and is also accessible by car. At the end of the parking lot, steps lead to the trail, which later winds along the demolition edge of Pine Creek Canyon. Most sections of the road are secured with a metal fence to avoid crashes. At the end of the trail, a breathtaking panoramic view of the great gorge of Zion Canyon awaitedus.
After a really great day with sunny weather and bright blue skies we drove in the afternoon to our nearest accommodation, the Bryce View Lodge, at Bryce Canyon.
Unsere Reiseberichte von den USA (2012)
Diese Reise durch die USA führte uns in 17 Tagen durch 10 verschiedene Bundesstaaten. Angefangen haben wir mit einem kurzen Stopover in der Millionenstadt Chicago. Von dort aus ging es für uns weiter mit dem Flugzeug nach Los Angeles und von hier mit dem Mietwagen über Las Vegas, den Zion Nationalpark, den Bryce Canyon, Salt Lake City und dem Yellowstone Nationalpark bis nach Denver. Für die letzte Etappe unserer Reise ging es an die Ostküste, wo wir New York, Philadelphia und Washington D.C. besucht haben. Alles in allem eine unglaublich abwechslungsreiche Rundreise mit wirklich vielen Highlights.
» Illinois: Chicago - Ein kurzer Rundgang durch die Stadt» Kalifornien: Los Angeles – Walk of Fame, Chinese Theatre & Hollywood Sign
» Nevada: Las Vegas – Casinos, Fremont Street & das Las Vegas Sign
» Utah: Zion Nationalpark – Sehenswürdigkeiten & Wanderwege
» Utah: Bryce Canyon – Navajo Loop, Wall Street & Aussichtspunkte
» Utah: Salt Lake City – Sehenswürdigkeiten & die schönsten Fotospost
» Idaho: Idaho Falls – Die Wasserfälle & die Yellowstone Bear World
» Wyoming: Yellowstone Nationalpark – Wissenswertes & Sehenswürdigkeiten
» Colorado: Denver – Der Zoo & ein kurzer Rundgang durch die Stadt
» New York: New York City an einem Tag? Die ideale Route zu Fuß durch Manhattan
» New York: New York City – Das One World Trade Center & 9/11 Memorial
» New York: New York City – Wissenswertes für einen Besuch der Freiheitsstatue
» Pennsylvania: Philadelphia – Sehenswürdigkeiten & die Liberty Bell
» Disctrict of Columbia: Washington D.C. – Sehenswürdigkeiten & die schönsten Fotospots