Navajo Sandstone

I have been very fortunate to have visited some of this country’s most beautiful locations. From the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks in Wyoming to the Great Smokies and Acadia National Parks in Tennessee and Maine. Two years ago, I was able to briefly visit Bryce Canyon National Park on my way to the Grand Staircase National Monument in Utah. The trip lit a fire in me to return and visit more of Utah and its’ Mighty Five National Parks.

Utah is a unique geologically diverse state that holds five of the country’s 63 national parks. It is third in the number of national parks falling behind only California with nine and Alaska with eight. I managed to spend some time in Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef on my way to St. George, but nothing prepared me for my visits to Zion National Park.

Zion consists of 229 square miles. The main canyon is carved through the Navajo Sandstone by the North Fork Virgin River. It was designated as a national park in 1919. Later in 1956, the park was expanded to include the Kolab Canyon National Monument. There are three main entrances, the west (Kolab Canyon), the south (the main canyon), and the east. The east entrance comes into the park via the Mount Carmel Highway which opened in 1930 and includes a 1.1 mile tunnel containing several windows through the stone.

I will admit, my first impression of Zion was very negative. The beauty of the place is undeniable. It was the volume of people visiting the park and taking in its two iconic adventures, the Narrows and Angel’s Landing, that created my negative first impression. The sheer number of people detracted from its’ majestic vistas, towering rock formations, and canyons. Zion was the second most visited national park in 2024 behind the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

On one of our days together, Claire and I hiked to the Emerald Pools. After you disembark the Zion shuttle bus at the Grotto, you must cross the road and take a short bridge across the North Fork Virgin River. At that point, the trail splits. Take a left and you are on the Kayenta Trail leading to the Emerald Pools, take a right and you are on the West Rim Trail leading to Angel’s Landing.

As we began our climb on the Kayenta Trail, it was wall-to-wall people. At no time were we ever alone. There was a constant stream of people hiking in both directions. It was frustrating because you were not able to walk at your own pace. At times you became stuck behind hikers moving at a much slower pace or you would have to stop at various points that only allowed traffic in one direction. The constant movement and noise of the various groups detracted from the scenic views.

During Morgan’s visit, we walked both the West Rim Trail up to Angel’s Landing and later in the afternoon the Riverside Trail to the start of the infamous Narrows. Again, there was a steady flow of hikers in both directions that made it impossible to absorb the towering cliffs.

Fortunately, I later discovered parts of the park that allowed me to appreciate its’ beauty and majesty without the crowds. The Kolab Canyon portion of the park is accessible only through the west entrance. It receives much less traffic and allows for several much less traveled hiking trails.

I completed the Taylor Creek Trail which is 5.8 miles roundtrip that culminates in the Double Arch Alcove. Another of my favorite hikes in Kolab Canyon is the South Fork trail which is an unmaintained trail that leads up a dead-end canyon. The elevation is very doable and if you are lucky, you will be treated to a slew of rock climbers attempting to conquer a 1,500 foot vertical cliff near the end of the trail.

I was also able to find a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) trail just outside the official park boundary that brought me up Spring Creek Canyon into a remote corner of Zion National Park. The walls of the canyon got narrower and narrower as I proceeded up the trail. By the end, I was scrambling over large boulders to continue forward.

My goal during this trip was to complete at least one unique hike with each of my visitors. My brother Chuck and his wife Doris hiked the Hidden Pinyon trail. Morgan and I traversed the West Rim Trail up to and past Scout Lookout and Angel’s Landing, over 2,000 feet in elevation. Claire and I donned waders and trekked up the frigid waters of more than three miles of the Narrows. My friend Joe and I walked the North Fork Virgin River from Big Bend to nearly Weeping Rocks.

As I spent more time in the park, I learned to tune out the distractions. I was able to just be still and absorb parts of the Navajo Sandstone into my being. The sheer scale of the park, both in terms of its physical presence and in terms of time, the millions of years it took to form, is overwhelming.

Amy’s spirit will be ever present here with mine. Zion National Park has begun to nourish my wounded soul and will forever hold a special place in my heart.