The Ultimate Hiking Guide to Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park

 

I wrote a post about hiking a couple of weeks ago (read it here) and wanted to expand on it a bit. Hubby and I had an awesome hiking trip in Utah recently and it was such a beautiful and amazing experience! We love traveling and being active, and incorporating hiking is one of our go to activities most of the time. You see beautiful scenery while keeping your heart pumping and your lungs expanding while taking in that breath of fresh air!

In this post, I’ll be sharing my adventures in two of the most stunning Utah National Parks, namely Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon. Which one should you go to? Which has better trails? If you’re just planning your trip, you’re in the right place. Read on.

Our first stop: Zion National Park 

 

 

We did a fair amount of research on the shuttle system and each of the hikes at Zion beforehand, and it really pays to do your homework. The park has a site set up that has a video on how to use the shuttle, it can be found here. The link also has information on trail closures as well but trust me, the shuttle is easy to use, they give you a map upon entry that has several trails listed for each stop so depending on what day of the week/time of day/season you go, your main concern will be finding parking inside the gates of the park.

If you go during a holiday, a weekend or during peak times then you may have to park in Springdale, the city closest to the park entrance.  No need to worry though, there are plenty of places to park and the shuttle pickup’s are clearly marked so if it is your first time (like it was for ours) you won’t have any issues.  In looking at the park website of course I came across Angels landing, do your research, I’ll let you learn about that one on your own but there was flooding in Zion prior to our arrival so the trail there was closed. It’s a shame because my husband and I really wanted to hike that trail, although it is quite strenuous and if you’re afraid of heights, maybe you should skip this.

 

 

I personally prefer to do some moderate hikes and don’t mind the strenuous hikes every now and then and this is what Zion will offer you. This park will work ya! In a good way, so be safe and come prepared What we did end up doing was hiking the Pa’rus trail and Watchman trail on the first day, these trails are both right off the visitor center area, which is actually referred to as shuttle stop #1.  If you get to the park and want to get right to hiking I’d recommend doing one of these trails to get you warmed up.

The great thing is that if you end up doing the Watchman trail at the end of the day, there is a river that runs along the start of the trail so on your way back to the visitor center you can jump in the river and cool down, be adventurous, as you’ll likely see many people doing the same thing. If you go for the Pa’rus trail at the visitor center you can actually start the trail at the shuttle stop right after the visitor center, that stop is called the History Museum and is referred to as shuttle stop #2.  The museum details the history of Zion National Park and the surrounding areas, it makes for a good respite from the heat after a hike, and it is worth spending some time exploring.

 

 

On the second day we got to the park a bit earlier and we were able to see more trails, our first stop was Shuttle Stop #5, the Zion Lodge.  Over here, there are a couple of a short and easy hikes (perfect for kids and families) the Lower and Upper Emerald Pool Trails. The Upper Emerald Pool trail was closed so after that short hike in the Lower Emerald Pool we went to shuttle Stop #7 which is the Weeping Rock Trail and it is designated as a strenuous hike according to the park site but I would actually say it’s really only on the moderate side.  If you are in decent shape you probably can handle this trail, but the incline is steep so be prepared. And again if you’re afraid of heights maybe this is not for you.

My husband and I finished this day by taking the shuttle to stop #9, this stop is called the Temple of Sinawava and this is where you find the infamous Narrows hike.  You do have to walk for about 30 minutes on a flat trail before you get to The Narrows, this trail used to be called the gateway to the narrows but it is now called the Riverside Walk. From our two days in Zion this trail and the river itself were easily the most popular stops, I saw far more people here than I saw at any of the other trails.

We took the Riverwalk Trail  all the way to the start of the Narrows and followed it for a little bit but by that time it was getting late and we didn’t have a second pair of shoes with us so once it got to the point to where the hike required us to get wet we decided to turn back.  We will probably be prepared the next time with more gear and proper shoes.  It is advisable to bring water, some snacks or a second pair of shoes (if you are getting in the water) and make sure your important belongings are in a water proof bag if you plan on taking on this challenge. For ladies, I would wear a bikini as underwear that way if it gets wet, your clothes won’t slither away in the water and stay put in your bodies

 

 

Next stop: Bryce Canyon National Park

The shuttle system in Bryce runs just as efficiently as it does at Zion and like Zion you can get a park map upon entry, it’s a good thing to keep this with you if it’s your first time in the park. On day one we took the shuttle all over Bryce and went on the Navajo Loop trail, it’s a shorter hike, only 1.3 miles and it’s rated as a moderate hike. The map says it is the most popular hike and of all the trails we went on in Bryce I can say that is it easily the most popular trail.  It is easily one of the best trails for photos, if not the best. Popular areas here are the Thor’s Hammer, the Hoodoos, the underground areas and the scenic overlooks as seen on the featured photo of this post.

 

 

On our way out of the park we made an impromptu stop at the Fairyland Loop trail, which starts outside of the park it turned out to be a bit more strenuous than the Navajo loop and since it starts outside of the park it was certainly more desolate, than the other trails. The loop itself goes on for about 8 miles and according to the map it suggests 4-5 hours in terms of the time to complete the loop.  It is a nice hike for people who don’t want to deal with the crowds that some of the other trails have.

On our second day we ended up stopping at Shuttle Stop #4 Court of the Patriarchs before we started hiking, I needed a little inspiration since I was pretty sore and tired but we made the short walk up Inspiration point for some photos. I am convinced that there isn’t a bad view anywhere in Bryce and this has to be one of the better one’s though admittedly it is something that I think I will see after my hikes the next time, it’s a nice place to just sit back and reflect after a day of hiking, to cool down and relax! After that we went to Shuttle Stop #3, Bryce Point  and spent some time on a trail called the Hat Shop.  It actually starts off as a relatively ho-hum descending trail but as we worked our way down and back trail (it isn’t a loop trail) we started to see more interesting things.  What started out as a trail with just some trees here and there turned into a trail with more Hoodoos and interesting rock formations, it is also a moderate trail.

 

 

After spending an hour or so at the Hat Shop we decided to finish the day by going to Shuttle Stop #8, Sunrise point, here I hiked the Tower Bridge trail.  Some landmarks here are the Chinese Wall and the Bridge itself where we spent well over two hours on this trail.  One thing I wanted to mention is when you walk up the trailhead starts off to the right but on the left hand side there is also an area where you can make your way up an incline and take some good photos of the landscape, we didn’t go up that way, we went straight to the trail but there were a lot of people making their way up the incline trail so I imagine the view from up there was just as fabulous as it is through all of Bryce!

Overall, when I reflect back about the time spent at each park, each one had it’s strong points and when hubby and I hike in Southern Utah in the future we will definitely try to get back to both parks. But if I had to chose one to visit and only one, I’d chose Zion National Park mainly for it’s variety of hiking trails from easy to difficult and if you’re a true blue hiker, you’ll probably say the same. You get more work done in Zion as opposed to Bryce Canyon with mostly moderate to a bit strenuous trails. Although as far as photo-taking and views, Bryce definitely wins it for me. Also don’t forget that there is so much to see and do in Southern Utah, it’s not just the hiking. There’s lots of fishing, hunting, ATV riding, Telescope Tours, Rodeo’s, Horseback Riding, Rafting, and really so much more outdoor activities that could be enjoyed by families, couples, college students or anyone who loves nature.

 

 

Thanks for reading this lengthy post, I hope you found what you were looking for if you are planning to take a trip on some of these Utah parks soon. I believe both parks are open during the winter season as well except when there is too much snow on the roads, then they close the parks. Check the websites before going just to be a tad sure.

Let me know your experience if you have been in these two parks or any other parks in Utah. I’d love to hear your stories on the comments below!