Zion Canyon RV Resort cleared out Tuesday & Wednesday so if you are trying to get a spot. Your chances on these days are better than nearer to the weekend. Yesterday’s hike to Angel’s Landing was less crowded on the shuttle than Monday when we hiked the Narrows. We considered e-biking early today but settled for packing up and getting on the road back south. This time we reserved a site at the Barstow-Yermo KOA instead of Baker.
The 2nd most popular hike, or tied at #1 with the Narrows, is Angel’s Landing. A hard, out-n-back 4.4mi hike that changes elevations ~1600ft. The trail is one of the busiest and the main reason it’s so dangerous at the summit. A lot of people of various skill & physical ability on a narrow, vertical, cliff-sided ridge climbing in both directions. Hikers will step aside as groups take turn going up or down but there isn’t a large margin for error. Because there were so many people, the time to go 0.5mi from Scout Lookout to Angel’s Landing was an hour 20min. We decided Scout Lookout was an adequate end point. The weather was great for our hike but the climb will definitely challenge your stamina. The first 1.2mi of the hike are uphill but when you reach the West Rim Trail, it flattens into a shaded level trail. Then you hit Walter’s Wiggles, a set of 21 quick switchbacks that takes you vertically 200+ft in a really short time. Once past the switchbacks, it’s a gradual climb to Scout Lookout, ~5340ft at 1.8mi. You can continue to the summit 2.2mi further along but we stopped here.
At the top of every Zion visitor’s list of places to hike is the Narrows. A river hike in the Virgin River through Zion Canyon. With its popularity, this can be a crowded ‘trail’ so we got an early start. But not as early as originally planned since morning temperatures were mid 50s. We layered our clothes so as the day warmed & we started hiking, we could be comfortable. We caught the Springdale shuttle at 8am and entered the park by walking over the bridge to the pedestrian entrance.
The Zion Canyon morning shuttle was already getting full, standing room only. So we waited for the next shuttle to get seats since the ride to the Temple of Sinawava takes awhile, making several stops along the way. Temple of Sinawava is the last shuttle stop & the Narrows trailhead. The 1mi Riverside Walk is a level, paved scenic path to get to the Narrows starting point. There are no restrooms beyond the shuttle stop so it is highly recommended to take the time here.
Since autumn conditions were underway & the river is cooling down, we rented gear from Zion Outfitters ($31/person). This includes a sturdy walking staff, neoprene socks, & water boots with great ankle support (highly recommended). Since you can warm up hiking, although cooled by river-wading, most people wear layers & shorts. I fortunately picked water repellent Eddie Bauer long pants and was surprised they shedded water so well. Carol had similar pants but they did not have the same water resistance.
The hike is amazing and we can see why its at the top of every hiker’s list. You crisscross the river through the canyon and enjoy the spectacular views of the river, canyon, and cliffs. The river depth ranged from ankle to waist-deep. We hiked ~2.5mi into the canyon, turning around near Wall Street. In hindsight, even though I felt I had experienced the Narrows, we should have continued further up. Our Narrows hike did end up totaling 8 miles. But take a break, rest, and go further is my recommendation.
Although visiting Zion National Park is only a 25min drive from St. George or Hurricane campgrounds. If you can stay closer, it’s easier to get an early start. In late September, afternoon temperatures are in the high 80s low 90s so morning excursions are recommended.
We were lucky to book 3 nights in Zion Canyon RV Resort in Springdale, 0.4mi from Zion NP south entrance. This is a private campground with full hookups, unlike more primitive campsites inside the park. Since we postponed our original dates by one week, because it was over 100°F, a riverside site was available. Definitely worth the extra expense if you can book a site next to river. But the riverside sites are smaller and back-in only, unlike the many pull-thru sites at this campground. Howie’s only 20ft so we backed in & really enjoyed the view from the rear dinette, Howie’s best feature.
Zion National Park Visitor Center, Zion Canyon RV Resort, and other places on the Virgin River were heavily damaged by a flash flood on Jun 29 2021. Most of the damage has been repaired but cleanup continued and there was a lot of construction going on. The main lodge that used to greet people at Zion Canyon RV Resort was gone and new construction underway. The offices are housed temporarily in small office trailers.
Since it took less than an hour to move from the Hurricane KOA here. We unfolded our two Lectric E-Bikes and rode into the park. Having an America the Beautiful Park Lifetime Pass makes coming and going simple & free, bypassing the regular line. We rode the Pa’rus Trail which runs along the Virgin River, through the South Campground into Zion Canyon.
Since we didn’t hike yesterday and we weren’t leaving the KOA till noon (late checkout request okayed by KOA). We wanted to do a short hike to Red Reef Trail next to the campground. We checked it out yesterday evening, going through the underpass directly across from the KOA – it would be a great e-bike excursion.
Normally, the hike is along a creek to a waterfall but this late in the season. The creek bed was dry with scattered pools of water along the trail. Still, the hike is worthwhile and easy, with only 200ft elevation gain. You enter the trailhead near campsite #2 after parking in the day-use slots. There is no one at the ranger’s station so you pay $5 at a fee station.
A short, easy, scenic hike to end our stay in the St George/Hurricane area. The upper section of the trail above the waterfall narrows into a slot canyon. But you have to boulder up a side wall to reach the upper section. There isn’t a rope & steps like the lower section by the waterfall. Since Carol was waiting below, I didn’t venture further. Plus we needed to be back by 10:30am to be on the road by noon & head to Zion Canyon. There’s plenty more to see here but we are ready for Zion National Park & our main hikes – the Narrows & Angel’s Landing.
We had an easy day at Sand Hollow. We started a little later today, figuring it’d be cooler by the water – wrong! it was hot by noon. We brought our e-bikes, planing a ride around the lake. But unlike Quail Creek, Sand Hollow does not have a good bike trail – lots of OHV trails but nothing very good for bikes/e-bikes. This park is great if you want to spend time on the lake boating, kayaking, fishing or even scuba diving. But is really geared towards off-roading with lots of ATV & 4x OHV trails & rentals. We weren’t interested in off-roading or kayaking again so after a 4×4 drive around the lake. We spent our time exploring the rocky shoreline and watching cliff jumpers.
In hindsight, taking a drive to one of the other State Parks like Snow Canyon might have been a better plan. But is Sand Hollow is popular and worth a visit, just be geared to off-road or enjoy the water.
After hiking Middle Taylor Creek Trail yesterday, we drove into Leeds for lunch and came back for the Kolob Canyon scenic drive. If you are tired of hiking or not a hiker, this is a great scenic drive with pullouts/parking lots with spectacular views.
Park volunteer John had described how to find the South Fork Taylor Creek Trail yesterday since it’s unmarked and not on the map. It’s not an easy trail to find but fortunately, we identified the trailhead after stopping to take photographs during one stop. This trail is not maintained, and it’s narrow and shrub covered in many places. The relatively few hikers that take this trail help keep it somewhat clear. The change is elevation starts right away, first dropping then climbing continuously till you hit the flat canyon floor ‘plateau’ 1mi in. The first mile is mostly unshaded on uneven ground, tracking along the hillside. But once you make it to the plateau, the trail levels out and follows along the smooth south cliff face. The trail ended for us in a slot canyon about 6ft wide. You can continue but it requires some agile bouldering over the large rocks blocking the canyon. I enjoyed this hike more than the Middle Taylor Creek Trail but Carol preferred yesterday’s hike because of the Double Alcove ‘reward’ at the end. This is a harder hike, with very few people – it made us nervous at first, wondering if we’d happen upon ‘wildlife’. From a photographic perspective, once the trail plateaued, the canyon offered a lot of scenery. That may be why I liked this hike more than yesterday’s, plus being able to touch the cliff wall. There were a few more hikers further in who got an earlier start than us. Plus rock climbers at a fascinating section of the cliff face where there were eroded sandstone ‘ladders’. I can see why this would be a popular rock climber destination. The trail ended in a boxed slot canyon, somewhat anti-climatic compared to the Double Alcove. But the hike against the cliff itself was pretty spectacular even when compared to Zion Canyon hikes.
One of the best trails to hike in Zion’s Kolob Canyon is Middle Fork Taylor Creek Trail. It’s a 5mi (total) out and back trail that’s 2 miles from the visitor center (1st parking lot on the left). It features a river/creek (depending on the season) and is rated as moderate. The trail is accessible year-round and most people hike 2.5mi to the Double Alcove. The beginning of the hike is open (unshaded) with a gradual increase in elevation and great views of the surrounding shear peaks. Further along the trail, you hike between the cliff faces shaded, following a dry river bed. It’s a fairly wide canyon so this is not slot canyon hiking. You do not get surrounded by rock faces like other hiking trails or have flash flooding concerns. Hiking 2.5mi in has a 590ft elevation gain, till you reach the Double Alcove. This is a great spot for photos and lunch. It was not crowded (~8 people) when we were there since we got an early start (when it was cooler). But as we were walking back around noon, there were more people on the trail heading in. Still, this area is significantly less crowded than the trails in Zion Canyon. We bumped into park volunteer John on the trail & he mentioned the lesser known South Fork Trail. He said it was an even better hike since you hike against the cliff and it narrows into a slot canyon. It’s shorter (3mi total) & more challenging, with 1070ft elevation gain on a less maintained trail. We’ll do that tomorrow.
We were unable to get a full-hookup campsite at the south entrance of Zion National Park for the first 5 nights of our trip. Fortunately, there was availability at the St George/Hurricane KOA. There is plenty to do in this area – access the Kolob Canyon entrance of Zion NP, and several State Parks such as Sand Hollow and Quail Creek State Park.
Quail Creek is less than a mile from the KOA so our first day in southwestern Utah was spent on the lake. We e-biked the short distance to the park entrance and paid $5/person day-use fee. There is a campground here with access to the lake. Campground: $25 per night for the primitive site and $38 per night for a site with power and water.
DIG Paddlesports rents one or two person kayaks and paddleboards ($25-$35/2hrs). People working there are friendly and helpful, emphasizing water safety. Afternoons are still 90+degF in late September so spending the morning on the lake was a cool break.
We finally planned our first out-of-state National Park RV trip, to Zion National Park. It’s 470mi away from Oceanside so we planned on two travel days. This is our first trip with our new Lectric E-Bikes. They add ~130lbs to our truck’s payload so we moved as much weight as possible to Howie. Instead of bins, we opted for bike bags to transport our folded bike since they take up less room. Bodhi stayed home with Sean & family because Zion doesn’t allow dogs on the trails & the heat in the RV would be too hot if the AC failed. He’ll go with us on our next trip to Silver Stand State Beach, San Diego.
21 Sept, Travel Day: we left Oceanside ~1140am and drove east, stopping at the Barstow for a break – Flying J for gas & a late lunch. Then we drove another hour, stopping for the night in Baker. We knew it would be over 90degF, so we decided not to boondock. Baker RV Park has full hookups for $25/night but no other amenities – it’s essentially a parking lot with hookups. You call the number posted and the manager tells you which site is available. We parked across the street from the Mad Greek’s Cafe and were thankful for the electrical hookup that let us run our AC. Since most of our trips have been on the coast or cool weather, we’ve never really had to use it. This trip was a good test and the AC worked well, without the freeze-ups that some other GeoPro owners have experienced.
File under ‘fascinating people you meet on the road’: Jim “Jet” Neilson. In Baker, the only campsite open at the RV Park was blocked by a rocket car(!). We met Jim as he was kind enough to move his rocket car trailer so we could pull in. Of all the stories I’ve heard about Covid affecting people, his is quite the tale. Covid has slowed one of the fastest man on earth. He’s hold up in Baker until he can make it back to his home in Panama. Stop by Baker’s Country Store/76 Gas Station, check out his impressive rocket car, have a chat & get one of his signed t-shirts.
22-27 Sept, St. George/Hurricane KOA: Like most KOAs, this campground was located well out-of-town, about 13mi north of St. George. It’s very close to Leeds, UT and 23mi from Zion National Park’s west entrance – Kolob Canyon. Zion’s southern entrance campgrounds were book solid so we opted to stay here then move to Zion Canyon RV Resort after 5 days. There is plenty to do on this side of the park and it is less crowded than Zion NP proper. Kolob Canyon has some great hikes as well as some of the other regional parks like Quail Creek (next door), Red Reef (across the road), Sand Hollow (10mi away), town of Hurricane (6mi).
27-30 Sept, Zion Canyon RV Resort: Now this is the place to stay with your RV when visiting Zion National Park. 0.4mi from the south entrance, walking (or ebike) distance to both the park, groceries, and food. We were fortunate, since we postponed our trip a week, to get a riverside site (130). This campground has full hookups, small pool, two restroom/showers, cable TV, and other amenities. They are still rebuilding from damage caused by the recent flash flooding of the Virgin River. So backhoes and rebuilding is going on during the day. The laundry is closed because of flash flood damage (as of OCt 1, may be open now).
