Zion National Park

After spending the afternoon at Zion National Park in south-western Utah, I am thankful that our forefathers recognized the value of preserving land of exquisite beauty. We spent about six hours soaking up the majesty of high cliffs, craggy mountains, icy cold streams and big-eyed deer walking ten feet away from us.

The Court of the Patriarchs

After giving thanks for our sandwiches, we ate our lunch in the quiet solitude looking up at magnificent peaks named after the Biblical patriarchs- Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It was the perfect place to sit quietly and reflect on the natural beauty of God's creation.

There are many hiking trails within the park and we stopped to do three covering almost four miles. The Weeping Rock Trail was the steepest, at times seeming to go almost straight UP! At the end of the trail, we stood next to a huge "rock" (read: giant side of a cliff!) that seeped water and in places it fell over the outcroppings of smaller rocks making tiny waterfalls. The Riverside Walk took us alongside the Virgin River- a beautiful hike!

~ hiking views ~

The end of the trail on the Riverside Walk took us to The Narrows, a place where the canyon walls steepen and narrow. The marked trail ends here although "serious hikers" can continue the hike IN THE RIVER!! According to the Map and Guide Newspaper we received from the ranger, "At least 60% of the hike is spent wading, walking and sometimes swimming in the river. The current is swift, the water may be cold and deep, and the rocks underfoot are slippery. Flash flooding and hypothermia are constant dangers..." Yep, we passed on it!

This is where the "river walk" begins. As the canyon narrows, the river gets deeper.

Too soon it was time to leave... although I think we'll be back one day!

We stopped to admire the nearly full moon rising over the craggy peaks at sunset.