Introduction

I’m not going to lie, until a couple of years ago I had never given much thought to visiting Utah. All I knew about the state was that it’s home to a large Mormon population, and that it hosts the annual Sundance Film Festival. As it turns out, Utah is renowned as a hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, backpacking, skiing, and snowboarding mecca. This beautiful chunk of the Mountain West is one of the most versatile and beautiful places I’ve ever been to, and is home to many well known national parks including Zion, Bryce, Canyonlands, Arches, and others. In fact, if you love the outdoors, then this is a must-visit state.

After being blown away by the cool landscapes in Arches National Park two years ago, I knew that I eventually had to go back to explore Zion and Bryce Canyon – two of the most popular national parks in the US. A few weeks ago, I decided it was finally time for my adventure and dedicated hours to reading blogs and building out a loose itinerary. I found that the trip was time consuming and difficult to plan, especially since I was traveling solo. I wasn’t sure what town to stay in, what hikes to focus on, how to get a permit for the popular Angel’s Landing hike, what equipment I would need for hiking the Narrows, etc. So to save you time, I’m going to share everything I learned plus a little bit about my personal experience in both parks.

What I can say is that I had the absolute time of my life and ended up hiking over 35 miles in about 2.5 days. Bryce Canyon felt like another planet, and Zion gave off serious “The Land Before Time” vibes (I half expected a dinosaur to pop around the corner at any second). Whether you are traveling solo, with your friends, significant other, or family, there is so much to do and see. Although this guide is long, hopefully it gives a good overview to help you get started with planning your trip.

Update as of August 2024: Since writing this post, I've made an unexpected move to Utah – something I never saw coming! Life truly is a wild ride, and I'm still amazed at how quickly things can change. We've since revisited Zion, so you'll notice some updates sprinkled throughout this post. Please enjoy!

Where to Stay

Both parks are located in the southwestern corner of Utah near the Nevada and Arizona borders, and are somewhat difficult to get to (the closest major airport is Vegas which is about 2 hours away from Zion and 4 hours from Bryce). Another option is to fly into St. George, the closest regional airport. Even if you are flying, you will definitely need a car to navigate between parks. I’d suggest spending two days in Zion and one day in Bryce if possible. What town (or towns) you want to stay in will depend on your overall itinerary and personal preference. For example, I wanted to stay at the same spot all three nights, so I decided to Airbnb a place in Orderville, a small town almost halfway between both parks. It took about 50 minutes to get to the Zion Visitor Center from Orderville and just over an hour to get to Bryce Canyon. The good news is that if you stay in Orderville, the drive into Zion is on the scenic Zion Mount Carmel Highway, which has little hikes and viewpoints you can easily stop at along the way. Orderville is also a very convenient spot if you want to visit the Grand Canyon on your trip, which is just a few hours south.

If you prefer to stay closer to each park, then I’d recommend staying in Springdale for Zion and in Bryce Canyon City for Bryce. These towns will get you closest to the parks and require the least amount of driving. Camping is always an option, but not something I personally wanted to do solo. Do your research ahead of time to figure out what works best for you.

Update as of August 2024: For my second visit to Zion, I brought my partner Greg. We stayed at Autocamp Zion, just 15 minutes outside the park. It was a phenomenal experience, and I highly recommend it if you're looking for a more secluded stay. Otherwise, there are plenty of hotels in Springdale, an adorable, scenic town with some great restaurants. If you stay in Springdale, you can take a shuttle straight into the park – a huge perk in my book.

Entrance Fees

Both parks require visitors to purchase a recreational use pass, which you can buy at the entrance gate of each park. A weekly pass is $35 per vehicle, so if you are going to both Zion and Bryce, passes will run you around $70. Instead of paying the individual park fees, I’d suggest purchasing the America the Beautiful Interagency pass, which costs $80, lasts one year, and gives you access to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites nationwide, including the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Arches, Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Grand Tetons, and tons more. You can buy the pass at either park entrance or online ahead of time.

Zion National Park

Zion is one of the most unique places on the planet (like I said above, it feels like you might see a dinosaur at any minute). From hanging gardens growing on rock canyon walls to beautiful trees sprouting besides the river, I was stunned by how green and lush the park was. Within its 232 square miles are high plateaus, dozens of hiking trails, campgrounds, sandstone canyons, and a sweeping river. The park’s 2,000-foot sandstone cliffs make it a climbers paradise and a hikers dream. In fact, Zion is home to two of the most iconic hikes in the entire US national park system - Angel’s Landing and the Narrows (which I cover below).

I know this may sound weird, but Zion almost felt like an amusement park, except the rides were created by mother nature herself. But much like a theme park, you have to get there extremely early or risk being stuck in a huge crowd of people, which is not ideal when you are trying to peacefully enjoy nature. To get into the park, you’ll have to take a shuttle, and during the high season there are lines just to get onto the buses to get into the park. So, get there as early as you possibly can – trust me.

Zion Shuttle System

From May to November, Zion runs on a free shuttle system, meaning you can’t drive to most areas inside of the park, including the popular Angel’s Landing hike and the Narrows. It may sound confusing at first, but taking the shuttle is actually easy and convenient since you only have to deal with finding a parking spot once. If you are staying in Springdale – the town closest to the park – you can catch a shuttle straight from there. Otherwise, you can park at the Zion Visitor Center and hop on the bus. The Visitor Center parking lot fills up quickly, which is yet another reason to get there early. During the summer, the shuttle starts running at 6:00AM, but the times change seasonly. You can find the year round shuttle schedule here.

The shuttle stops at the Zion Lodge and trailheads for hikes to Angel’s Landing, Emerald Pools, the Narrows, and some of the other more popular hikes. It takes about 45 minutes to drive between the Zion Canyon Visitor Center and the Temple of Sinawava, which is the last stop. This means a round trip takes about an hour and a half. As I mentioned above, you want to be mindful of when the first and last shuttle run so that you don’t arrive too early or hike too late. If you don’t want to use the shuttle, a fun option is to rent an e-bike in town and take that through the park (just note that you can’t take them on trailheads).

Hiking in Zion National Park

There are dozens of hikes in Zion, and there is definitely something for every fitness level. Below, I list only the hikes that I did, with the Narrows being the one exception (they were closed while I was there because the water flow rate was too strong). In my short 1.5 days in the park, I covered about 23 miles total, which means I got to try out several different hikes. However, there are dozens of other trails that I wasn’t able to get to, so if none of the ones I list below sound exciting, you still have other options.

Depending on the time of year you go, I’d advise doing the most popular hikes either very early in the morning or later in the evening. I made the mistake of doing the Emerald Pools mid-day, and I was in a line of what felt like thousands of humans crawling up the mountain, which quite frankly ruined the experience. As with any hike or national park, make sure you bring sunblock, bug spray, lots of layers, food / snacks, and plenty of water. The good news is that there are plenty of water refill stations in the park, including the Zion Canyon Visitor Center and Zion Lodge, so make sure to bring a reusable bottle.

Angel’s Landing

Angel’s Landing is the most popular and well-known hike in Zion National Park. It was also probably the sketchiest, most exhilarating hike I have ever done, which is saying a lot. The last section of the trail involves holding onto a chain bolted into the side of a ledge as you scale a narrow ridge and scramble over rocks over a thousand feet above the valley floor (like I said, slightly sketchy). However, once you reach the top, you will be rewarded with the most stunning, iconic 360-degree views of the canyons and river below. The hike is just over 5.5 miles long from the shuttle stop and you gain about 1,500 of elevation. I know this doesn’t sound very hard, but it is definitely challenging. If you love adventure and adrenaline, then this hike is for you! But if you are scared of heights, or haven’t had much experience hiking, then you may want to skip this one. The choice is up to you.

A very important thing to note is that everyone who hikes Angel’s Landing needs to have a permit. You can enter the lottery for a permit either 1-3 months ahead of your trip, or on the day before. However, you are not guaranteed a ticket (I got a permit on my second attempt). Building a little flexibility into your schedule is important if you want to do this hike. You can find out more information on how to enter the lottery here. This is the only hike listed in this blog post that requires you to have a permit. vEven with the permitting system, this trail gets crowded. I’d definitely recommend starting as early as possible – since you have to climb a narrow ledge in full sun exposure for a chunk of this hike, the less people, the better. I took the first shuttle into the park at 6:00AM, and was rewarded by having parts of the trail all to myself.

Canyon Overlook Trail

Canyon Overlook Trail packs in a lot of cool scenery and gives you sweeping views of the valley which makes it worth the effort in my opinion, especially if you aren’t going to be doing Angel’s Landing. The trail is located on the Zion Mount Carmel highway on the east side of the park. If you stay in Orderville, this hike is actually on your way into or out of the park. The trail itself is about a mile round trip with little elevation gain. I did this hike early in the morning on my way out of the park, which was a perfect way to end my trip. The shuttle does not go to this location, so you’ll have to drive. Parking is limited, so plan accordingly.

Weeping Rock

Weeping Rock is a large arch shaped alcove covered in shades of black and dark orange on red rock that offers a beautiful view down-canyon. When water that has been making its way down the layers of sandstone has nowhere further to go, it is forced out the side of the rock which makes it look like it’s “weeping,” hence the name. There are beautiful lush hanging gardens alongside the walls and the path up to the alcove is paved. This is one of the shortest trails in the park and is really more of a walk, coming in at under a mile roundtrip. However, it is pretty steep on the way up, so prepare for a mini workout.

Emerald Pools

There are three sets of pools here: Lower, Middle, and Upper Emerald Pools. You can choose to visit one of them, or do them all together in a loop that ends up being about 3 miles. There are fantastic views of the valley along this hike, which makes it another good option if you are not doing Angel’s Landing. Overall, the trail is relatively easy, but the section heading up to the Upper Pool is a bit steeper and covered in soft sand and loose rock. You can skip this portion if you want something on the easier side. As I mentioned above, I made the mistake of going mid-day and was stuck in a line of slow moving people the entire hike, which made it far from enjoyable. If I’m being honest, this was my least favorite hike, but don’t let my experience influence you – you might love it! This hike is particularly great for families, and I highly recommend doing this one early in the morning.

The Watchman Trail

The Watchman Trail is a relatively easy hike that gives you nice views over Springdale and the southern end of Zion National Park. The trail head starts right from the visitor center, so I did this hike on my first afternoon at the park, when I just wanted an easy trail to get moving after an 11 hour drive. It was a convenient way to get a feel for the parking situation at the visitor center and helped me get my bearings for the following days. There are definitely more scenic and exciting trails in the park, but this one is ideal for beginner hikers and good if you are looking for something shorter, relatively easy, and convenient!

The Narrows / Riverside Walk

The Narrows are – shocker – the narrowest section of Zion Canyon. What makes this hike so unique is that you literally walk in the Virgin River surround by walls a thousand feet tall, making it one of the most popular hikes in the US. As I mentioned above, the Narrows were unfortunately closed when I visited the park because the flow of the Virgin River was over 150 cubic feet per second (CFS), meaning the river was still too fast. The Narrows are also often closed when there is a risk of a flash flood, so if you are planning on visiting Zion, make sure to check the park’s website to see if they are open ahead of time.

As an overview, the total hike is 16 miles long, but you can just do a few miles if you want to get the experience of wading through the river. From everything I read, you’ll need good water shoes with grip OR you can wear your hiking boots as long as you don’t mind getting them wet. Hiking poles are recommended and you can rent waterproof clothing in Springdale if needed. The Narrows is considered a moderately strenuous hike – the difficult part is navigating the slippery rocks underneath the water and dealing with the current. To get to the Narrows, you get off the Temple of Sinawava stop and hike one mile along a paved, wheelchair accessible trail known as Riverside Walk. Since the Narrows were closed, I did the two mile roundtrip Riverside Walk to get a look at the gorge and put my feet in the water. I’m definitely planning on coming back one day to do the Narrows!

Update as of August 2024: We were able to do the Narrows this time around, and rented the "footwear" package from Zion Adventures, which included canyon boots, neoprene socks, and a hiking pole. Trust me, you absolutely want to rent the proper gear. Since we started the hike early, we picked up our equipment the night before. We also brought a waterproof backpack for our snacks, water, and layers, which I recommend since you might get wet.

We left our hotel around 6:15 AM and arrived at the park around 6:30 AM. Once you park in the visitor’s parking lot, it takes about 30 minutes to get to the Sinawava stop. From there, you'll hike one mile along a paved road until you reach the beginning of the Narrows, which takes another 20 minutes. We wore sandals and changed into our gear at the start of the hike, beginning around 7:30 AM. To our surprise, it was already quite busy at that time. Although the trail does thin out the further up the trail you hike, I still recommend starting as early as possible, as the crowds can detract from the magic of the Narrows.

Greg and I hiked about 8-10 miles to Veiled Falls (we decided not to go to Wall Street). To be honest, the hike was more challenging than I expected due to the strong current and uneven rocks. I was recovering from an ankle injury, and Greg has a metal ankle, so we took our time and moved slowly. Even with the challenges, we finished the hike in about 4 hours, and it was absolutely worth it. It was one of the most unique hikes I’ve ever experienced, and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Zion.

If you have other questions, here is a great, more in depth blog about the Narrows hike.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon’s unique scenery made it one of my all time favorite hiking spots. Even though the park is small, there are tons of different loops and trails, which means there is something for every person and every fitness level. This may be a controversial statement, but outside of the Angel’s Landing hike in Zion, I actually enjoyed the trails in Bryce Canyon more that the trails in Zion. Probably because 1) there were way less people at the park and 2) I felt like I was on Mars. There is a shuttle in Bryce Canyon, but you can also drive to each trail, which makes this park a little bit easier to navigate (although the parking lots get packed, so you want to make sure to arrive early to snag a spot). The trails here are mainly hard-packed paths, but there are some sections that are steep with loose dirt, so wear grippy shoes or hiking boots vs sneakers if you can.

Sunset Point

You probably aren’t surprised at this point, but I highly recommend getting to the park for sunrise… that way you can get started early and beat the heat plus the crowds. Sunset Point offers a breathtaking view of Bryce Canyon’s famous hoodoos, which are tall skinny shafts of rock that protrude from the bottom of arid basins. The word hoodoo actually means to “bewitch,” which is how you feel when you look at at these spectacular formations. Ironically, I found that Sunset Point was a great place for sunrise, as you can see from the photos above. Watching the beautiful golden light shining over the valley and illuminating the hoodoos is a moment I will never forget. I started my hike right after sunrise at around 6:30AM, and had the trails all to myself for the first two hours, which was absolute heaven. I list the two hikes I did below.

Wall Street and Queens Garden Loop to Peekaboo trail

At 6.5 miles and with a 1,500 elevation gain, this figure 8 loop takes you along the rim of the canyon and then descends straight into thousands of massive hoodoos. You’ll get to see man-made sandstone arches, a valley forest of pine trees, and also hike through a narrow-walled canyon. I loved this loop because you start right from Sunset Point (above) and also get to see the park from different angles and heights. For an easier version, you can skip Peekaboo trail and do the Queens Garden / Wall Street Loop (3.2 miles) or Queens Garden/ Navajo Loop by Thor’s Hammer (2.9 miles). I will say that the Queens Garden hikes were slammed with people by 9:00AM, so the earlier you start, the better! This hike was definitely worth doing.

Fairyland Loop Trail

“Fairyland Loop” earns its name from the surrounding hoodoos, which remind me of the famous fairy chimneys in Cappadocia (you can ready my post on Cappadocia here). They definitely have a supernatural, other worldly feel to them, which makes this a very unique hike. The trail includes a portion of the Rim Trail, and you can either start at Sunset Point or drive to Fairyland Point depending on if you’d like to go clockwise or counterclockwise. Personally, this was my favorite hike because it was much less crowded and the scenery was breathtaking. However, the trail is 8 miles and includes a 2,000 foot elevation gain, so if you’d like a shorter version you can do the Tower Bridge hike, which covers a portion of the Fairyland trail but comes in at around 3 miles.

The End

I know this guide is quite long, but I hope that you find it helpful when it comes time to plan your trip. If you have any other questions or feedback, please feel free to comment below. Thank you, and enjoy!