Zion National Park
When you decide to visit a place like Zion, it is obvious that any pictures you take will capture the beauty around you. These pictures never do it justice, I’m sure you have heard, but they are significant enough to take your breath away. The real difficulty comes when trying to apply words to a place that is so otherworldly that it can only be labeled as indescribable. It’s like trying to describe color to someone who lives in black and white.
A sense of belonging accompanies Zion, and places like it. This feeling is typically absent in the concrete world we live in. So absent, that many of us have forgotten that it exists. These places force us to be nothing but present because no fleeting thought could possibly be more demanding of our attention.
It’s a place where nature flows in a way that is so harmonious, it is impossible to avoid following the current. You are engulfed in so many strange, natural beauties, while a sense of familiarity emerges, only on par with feeling like you’re home.
Home.
I guess in a way, when we choose to immerse ourselves in nature and truly allow it to heal us, we are returning home. It is natural to us.
One of my favorite things about Zion is that whatever path you decide to embark on, you will undoubtedly see beauty that is unique to each trail. The park is diverse in ecosystems; however, everything coexists so beautifully.
If you choose a trail that allows you to venture into the canyon, the sandy banks that line the Virgin River will be your guide, while lush vegetation surrounds you.
This beauty is completely separate and incomparable to the beauty that is revealed when embarking up the canyon. From higher points you can observe the giants of the park, like the ponderosa pines and cottonwood trees, while listening to the trickle of falling water.
With trails of varying difficulties, every style of explorer is likely to find a path that suits desire.
The small town of Springdale, which can only be described as a hiker’s dream, sits outside of Zion. Springdale supplies local shopping, delicious restaurants, ample boarding, and a shuttle that takes you right to the park. The town is cozy and peaceful, the perfect place to relax after spending the day exploring.
We chose to visit Zion for my birthday in November, allowing us to experience the park’s beautifully colorful transition before frost. It is hard to imagine Zion, a place that is already so breathtaking, could be more beautiful at different times in the year. If you can handle the colder weather, the vivid colors of autumn at Zion are a sight unlike any other.
With Springdale only being a six hour drive from our home in Arizona, a weekend trip, giving us one day of hiking in the park, seemed like the perfect amount of time.
This was going to be our first “outdoorsy” vacation, and we didn’t quite know what to expect. Looking back, I wish we would have added an extra day in the park because I felt like there was so much more that I needed to see. I am already eager to return to the park, anticipating new types of beautifies each visit. Zion seems like a place I could truly never become bored of.
*Please be conscious in regards to park alerts. For more information regarding news and fees, visit the National Park Service website.*
