Cross-country trip DAY 17: Zion National Park

Straight from my AirBnb in Brian Head, UT I headed to Zion National Park, only 2 hours away from Brian Head. Parking in Zion National Park is not great, so two lines of shuttle service is offered: one in the city of Springfield and the other is within the park itself. I parked in the town, took one line to the visitor center and then switched to the other one. The shuttle system is not as convenient as in Bryce Canyon, but is certainly efficient time wise.

The temperature today was brutal 95 degrees Farenheit, so hiking was not as easy as yesterday. Yet I decided to start out my day with the Watchman Trail that originates from the Visitor Center. And yes, I saw a cute rattle snake crawling peacefully up onto the mountain:

Just look closely, he blends in...

The rest of the way up I was looking and listening for rattle! But no, that was the only encounter. The views were quite impressive:

After the 2.7 mile hike on this trail, I took the bus to the Zion lodge to hike the Emerald Pool Trail that became Kayenta Trail and stopped at the Grotto shuttle stop. Again, very nice views:

The next trail was only half a mile uphill and was called the Weeping Rock Trail:

I then headed to the Temple of Sinawava bus stop to complet the Riverside Walk Trail, an easy paved trail leading to the Narrows. It is wheelchair accessible and is lined with natural gardens on one side and the river on the other.

I was not planning to hike the Narrows because it is completely in the water and I did not bring any water shoes, but it was so miserably hot, and I really felt like putting my feet and hiking shoes in the water, so I went for it!

...what an amazing experience to feel the strength of the water stream pushing you forward. Next time I am going to be better equipped for photos and video.