This is a very popular and busy park and I can see why.  Because of its small size and popularity, access to this national park is limited and is through the town of Springdale Utah, a really lovely town that has sprung up as the gateway to Zion. It is chock full of hotels, restaurants and art galleries and provides a convenient launching spot for trip to Zion.

We parked the RV is a convenient parking lot and took the free shuttle from Springdale to the entrance of Zion, then waited in a long line to board the Zion shuttle. There was also a long wait just to get to the Visitor Information Desk, so my suggestion is to make sure you get all of your information on-line before you arrive.

Early Mormon pioneers named the area “Zion”, from the Biblical Hebrew word meaning refuge or sanctuary. We quickly saw the significance of the name when applied to this beautiful national park!

Zion is gorgeous with steep red cliffs and trails, and lush, green valleys with hanging gardens. We hiked the Kayeta Trail to the lower Emerald Pools.  Beautiful, refreshing and wet after the hot, dusty trails!