Mini-moon, how to see Zion National Park best in 3 days

Jack and I got married in September 2017 on Cape Cod. It was everything we could have asked for. Since it was technically a destination wedding, we had decided to postpone our European honeymoon a year, but we could not just go back to work. So, we had decided on a Mini-honeymoon or mini-moon to somewhere we both had on our bucket list, Zion National Park!

Enso Rings, we left the real rings at home.

Day 1: Flying into St. George was ridiculously expensive so we flew back home to Orange County, I already had everything packed prior to the wedding because well that is who I am. We had the car ready and woke up the next day (early) and drove the 6 hours to Zion. Our trip was from Tuesday through Friday. We love camping and usually would camp but we opted for a hotel as I had one free night and it is our mini-moon after all. We stayed at the Holiday Inn, and it was perfect, free breakfast, was right next to the park, had great views and friendly staff. After checking in we looked at Yelp, chose a place and ventured into town to this Mexican food place, Oscars Cafe, Jack described it as "garbage." Living in Southern California, the bar is set fairly high for Mexican food so it did not quite do it for us. It did have a nice outdoor seating area and friendly staff. We did try to make it to see the sunset at Canyon Overlook trail, but it was too late for sunset, we tried anyways (silly photo below). Plus side, we knew where it was so we could go back. Now onto the good stuff...

Day 2: The Narrows hike was definitely the highlight of our trip. The biggest tip here, if the weather is clear in Springdale and surrounding towns then do not wait to do another hike, do the Narrows that day. We got up early, gathered our gear, a quick bite and then we drove into the park and parked the car. The lot fills up quick. We were on the first free shuttle that operates within the park at 7 AM. The shuttles run every 7-10 minutes between March and November. It is roughly 40 minutes to get to the last stop, The Temple of Sinawava. You begin walking along the scenic trail along the river which guides you to the entrance to the Narrows. The water is very cold and if you are fortunate to have clear water as we did you can see the rocks on the river bed. Even with clear water it can be deceiving so tread carefully at times. If there was a recent flash flood, the water would be brown and murky. Because we were one of three couples to be on the trail that early we were able to get amazing photos that were unspoiled by crowds. After a few short turns, we were completely by ourselves as you can see from the pictures below.

Words and pictures cannot do it justice; it was really beautiful at every turn. Hard to keep walking without wanting to look up the whole time.

On the trip back out, it was quite the opposite and I will share more on that later. There are a few turns that you can go down that are within different slot canyons. We did not do Canyoneering, but that will a must do on our next trip out. You can continue through the Narrows for hours, probably give yourself 6 hours to really see the best sections of the Narrows. As you traverse the river, you will be in water more often than not and it will vary in depth from ankle deep to chest deep water. At some points you may need to swim if you are not careful or it is too deep. The current of the water is strong and can cause you to loose your footing, another excellent reason to each have a hiking pole.

It was about here that we stopped and turned around

My husband could have continued for longer, but my ankles had been beaten up by the rocks and I did not want to injure them further. We will be back one day as it is a 6 hour drive from our home. It was a bit of a struggle when heading out because of the crowds heading in. There are sudden drop-offs on the edges near the larger rocks so be sure to navigate carefully unless you want to go for a swim. This is where the hiking pole really came in handy.

Since we were up so early, we were done with the Narrows by noon-ish. So we decided to continue on to a shorter hike. We went exploring the Emerald pools, but I will save the details and that story for Day 3 as we decided to go back again.

For dinner we decided on the Spotted Dog Cafe, it was a fancier establishment than we had expected and a bit pricey but great food. We were definitely under-dressed, but I am sure they get that a lot. I had the Braised Lamb Shank and Jack had a beer and a burger.

Day 3: Angels Landing, if you have an extreme fear of heights then this hike is definitely not for you. I do have a slight fear of heights, but I would be dammed if I did not complete this hike and check it off my bucket list (more on that in a bit). Give yourself between 3 and 6 hours to complete this hike depending on your fitness level and pace. We had the same goal and agenda as we did with Day 1, up early, quick breakfast, first few on the shuttle and first on the trail. We made sure to dress in layers and had plenty of water in our packs and a few snacks to consume once we made it. Remember; pack it in and pack it out, don't be that person because no one likes that person.

The shuttle stop you take within Zion is stop #6 - the Grotto Trailhead. This is a strenuous roughly 5 mile round trip hike with 1500 feet of elevation gain. The peak itself is 5,790' in elevation. To begin the trail, you will cross the bridge from the Grotto Picnic area. It begins with an easy gradation in sandy terrain until you hit the paved portion that contains numerous switchbacks. This will lead you to Refrigerator Canyon. Guess what is next....more switchbacks (there are 21 and are dubbed Walter's Wiggles)!!! There are numerous spots to stop along the way with lookouts for photo opportunities. Again, beauty at every turn. Be sure to do everything at your own pace,

Tackling Walters Wiggles on the Way to Angels Landing

Sweet we made it, a lot of people are sitting and taking a break and looking at the views.... Nope, not it. This is Scout Lookout and where most turn back and I was almost one of those who turned back. That is Angels Landing, way up there (picture below).

You want me to climb that....wait up?!

Decision making time. My husband was a bit nervous but more for my sake as well. He went along and I stayed back for a while and watched as he continued on. A nice gentleman next to me said to me "It looks a lot worse than it is." So with those little words of encouragement I gained up the courage to try. I yelled out to Jack, "I am coming." He laughed and waited for me, so we could continue up the trail together. It was definitely nerve racking and extremely narrow at multiple spots but absolutely breathtaking. It was so worth it once you reach the top. They called it Angels Landing, because the spot is so small that only an angel could land there.

A topic that usually comes to mind when we are hiking is along the lines of how did this trail come to be? Who was that person or persons that decided, I am going to climb up this steep mountain trail? After doing some research it shows that the switchbacks, Walters Wiggles, were added in 1926 and named after Walter Ruesch, Zions first superintendent.

That chain was imprinted on my hand, had quite the death grip on it at times haha

I cannot say this enough, do this hike early! Zion is looking into a permit system for safety reasons for this hike due to the increased popularity and crowding. With more people on the trail at once it makes it increasingly dangerous. During the descent you will be maneuvering with the crowds and depending on the severity of the drops please be courteous and utilize the "safe" spots to pass and let people by.

Similar to Day 2, since starting early it meant being done early. There were showers and thunderstorms in the forecast and thankfully we had completed the two major hikes we wanted to and the others were not at risk of being closed due to flash floods so we decided to keep going.

As some heavy showers were rolling through, we decided to do some souvenir shopping until they passed. I got a nice 3/4 length shirt that I love that says Zion (shocker) on it. We also picked up a nice print that we have on our wall at home.

The Emerald Pools, Weeping Rock and Canyon Overlook Trail were three easy short hikes that do not require a lot of time. With the rainy weather it made the Emerald Pools beautiful with running waterfalls. Definitely glad that we made it back out because the waterfall from Upper Emerald Pools was night and day compared to the previous day. The Emerald Pools consists of three Pools, Lower, Middle and Upper. To start the hike, you must get off at the 5th Stop for Zion Lodge. Once off the shuttle, continue walking across the bridge and continue along the trail. We suggest making it to the Upper Emerald Pools. We enjoyed that the most and got the waterfall shots pictured below. It is only 2 miles and a total of 400 feet in elevation gain (200 to the middle and 200 to the upper); a cake walk after Angels Landing.

After the Pools we got back on the shuttle and went to Weeping Rock Trail, you get off at Stop #7, dubbed Weeping Rock Trailhead. While many of the rocks in Zion are "Weeping," this one is at the end of the 10 minute paved path and is something cool and unique with the water trickling down onto everyone. It was very crowded so not the best for photos but definitely well worth the short little trek.

We got back onto the shuttle to take us back to the park entrance. We hopped into our car (my trusty Altima). Before departing the park, we had one more trail to do before dinner. Canyon Overlook Trail, talk about the best last hike to really mark the end of an amazing trip. To get to the Trail head you will need to drive to the east entrance of the Mount Carmel Tunnel off of Highway 9. There is a parking area quickly after you exit the tunnel on the right (south side of the road). You cross the street to get to the trail head. This is one of the quintessential Zion hikes and will get an amazing photo. At only 100 feet in elevation gain and a mile round-trip it would be a disservice if you did not do this hike. We made it in amble time to take some fun pictures and get some excellent sunset photos.

The storms were not completely over as you can see from the dark clouds off in the distance. Thunder and lightning were creeping in closer and closer, needless to say we did not stick around long after the sun went down. It might not be the best place to be when you can see lightning.

To round out the perfect day, we saved the best dinner spot for last. We regrouped back at the hotel and then took a drive, roughly 30 minutes, to the town of La Verkin to eat at Stage Coach Grill. Everything about the place was perfect, the atmosphere, people, prices and food. Great recommendation from our friend and worth the little trek (more on that below). With a long day complete and stomachs full, we went back to the hotel and relaxed.

Day 4: We were able to take our time in the morning, grabbed breakfast and took it upstairs and outside so we could eat and listen to nature while we viewed the mountains, see below.

Not a bad view for breakfast

Being roughly 1.5 hours away, we wanted to see Bryce Canyon but we decided to save that for another trip to really be able to see it. We had the most amazing time and would not have changed a thing.

I am an animal lover and was really happy to be this close to a deer, we also say a Bighorn Sheep, multiple chipmunks and one other that I was not as enthusiastic about; a Tarantula.

Packing List

• Head lamps (depending on the time of the year)

• Hiking Pole (one set is all we needed as we only used for the Narrows, but you can get a set for each for you other hikes if they would help you.)

• Neoprene/quick drying clothing

• Shoes (for the Narrows I had Keens, and I would have went for a more supportive shoe that covered my ankles given the uneven river bed). Comfortable hiking shoes with a good grip for Angels landing.

• Layers - since starting the hikes early and working up a sweat, you will be removing layers as you go and the day gets warmer.

• Day Pack - One of those Camelbak type backs, we searched reviews on Amazon and each got one.

• Granola bars and snacks for the hikes

Hikes

• Emerald Pools

• Weeping Rock

• Canyon Overlook Trail

• The Narrows

• Angels Landing

Must know

• Shuttles outside the park start an hour later than within the park.

• Drive into the park, park your car and be the first on the shuttle to the Narrows or Angels Landing. (Yes, you will be in the dark when starting your hike as the sun is rising. So, depending on the sunrise time you may need head lamps at the beginning.)

• Flash floods are a serious matter and should be treated as such. Be sure to check the weather beforehand everyday

Places to Eat

• Cafe Soleil - Great little Sandwich spot. I do not have a photo but it was perfect and quick. We sat on the outdoor patio. http://cafesoleilzionpark.com/

• Spotted Dog Cafe - Fancier than you would expect from the photos, if possible, opt to sit outside. The food was great as was the waitstaff. http://www.flanigans.com/dining/?utm_source=tripadvisor&utm_medium=referral

• Stage Coach Grill - This restaurant is where the picture below was taken. It is excellent, has great service and great food. It is located in La Verkin, which is about a 30 minute drive and well worth it to get quality food at a great price outside Springdale. Our friends had eaten there previously and recommended it to us; they were right. https://thestagecoachgrille.com/

Dinner at Stage Coach Grill - hubby got a burger

Hope you enjoyed all the information, leave any questions or comments below and I will be happy to answer them.

Thank you!