Day 19 - (08/28) Springdale, UT

The day we stopped traffic …

We drove from Bryce to Zion NP today and didn’t take any side excursions. The 84 mile trip (UT 12W, US 89S, UT9W) took 3 ½ hours. Pretty slow, huh? Zion National Park Scenic Byway (UT 9) gets most of the credit. There are many places where the speed limit is down to 15 mph. We went through two tunnels. The second tunnel is a mile long, was built in 1930, and is narrow. Some large vehicles (we’re included here) have to pay a fee and be escorted through … they stop traffic coming the other way and you drive down the center of the roadway. Some large vehicles don’t get to go through at all.

We’re staying at Zion Canyon Campground just outside the park entrance.

Here's a view from the front of the trailer

Zion operates a free shuttle system that greatly reduces private vehicle traffic and pollution in the park. The summer buses start at 5:45am, end at 11:00pm, and run 6 to 15 minutes apart.

It’s 106° at Zion NP today. We waited until 6pm to enter the park and start our look around. We took the shuttle from the visitor center to the museum, then walked the Pa’rus Trail to Canyon Junction, rode to Court of the Patriarchs, then rode the bus to the end of the route and returned to the visitor center at 9pm.

What a view as the sun sets!

The Virign River continues to shape Zion Canyon

Pa'rus Trail along Virgin River - see the heron?

The Patriarchs - Abraham (L), Isaac (C), Jacob (far R)

We saw buffalo, alpaca, mountain goats, mule deer, wild turkeys, a heron and a gray fox today.

Did you know?
* Zion Canyon is believed to be the deepest sandstone canyon in the world. It was (and is being) formed by the Virgin River.

* The floor of Zion Canyon is at the same elevation as the top of the Grand Canyon.

* Water seeping out of the Zion Canyon walls has been dated at 1200 years old.

* There are more, different types of vegetation in Zion Canyon than in Hawaii.

* The Virgin River moves 50,000 tons of sediment per day.