(Keywords: Hiking - Utah)
Zion National Park
Featuring:
Angel's Landing, Emerald Pools, Hidden Canyon, The Narrows and The Subway
Zion National Park is a beautiful place. From the bottom of Zion Canyon there are some sheer cliff faces almost 3,000' high.
Angel's Landing is a popular, strenuous hike that involves some minor scrambling with sheer drops on both sides. There's a rewarding, 360 degree view of Zion Canyon from the top. 5.0 miles roundtrip.
Emerald Pools is a moderate hike taking you past waterfalls and emerald colored pools, as the name implies. 3.0 miles roundtrip.
Hidden Canyon is a steep, but short hike. There's a section where the trail is carved right out of the sandstone cliff with no guardrail but there is a chain anchored in the mountain. Use extreme caution here. Continue .5 mile past trail end where minor scrambling is required to reach a small free-standing arch on your right. 2.2 miles roundtrip.
The Narrows isn't a trail, but a river hike where Zion Canyon becomes too narrow for the road to continue. Most people hike to "Wall Street" (a sheer rock face in the canyon sides) and turn around there. Approximately 8.0 miles roundtrip.
The Subway is a subway shaped canyon carved by water. This is a technical hike requiring minor scrambling around/over boulders. Large sections of the 'trail' is the creek itself. 9.5 miles roundtrip, permit required.
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GPS Map
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GPS Map Details
Filename: Zion.gpx
Filesize: 278 KB
Revised: 15 April 2009
Class A Data
Waypoints: 15 waypoints of interest including trailheads, trail intersections and geologic places of interest. like:
The Grotto (AL-001) Trailhead
Walter's Wiggles (AL-002)
Zion Lodge (EP-001)
Upper Emerald Pool (EP-004)
Wall Street (Narrows-002)
The Subway (Subway-002)
Trails: 5 GPS track logs:
Angel's Landing - from The Grotto to Angel's Landing summit
Emerald Pools - from Zion Lodge to Upper Emerald Pool
Hidden Canyon - from Weeping Rock to freestanding arch
The Narrows - from the Temple of Sinawava to Wall Street
The Subway - from Left Fork North Creek TH to the Subway
Adventure Travel Tip
Zion is a hot, dry, dusty place. Mid-September offers mild temperatures with highs around 85 degrees. Always take plenty of water with you on your hikes or some sort of water purification device. The Angel's Landing, Hidden Canyon and The Narrows hikes are not recommended for small children due to steep and/or slippery dropoffs or deep, swift water. Rubber boots and neoprene socks can be rented through local outfitters that help tremendously with traction on river hikes. NEVER hike in a slot canyon without knowing the weather conditions for your surrounding area. Thunderstorms, even far off in the distance, can cause flash floods in narrow canyons that can cause you to become stranded or even cause drowning. ALWAYS know the weather forecast!
Keep an eye out for the rare California Condor! They are hard to miss with their 8 foot wingspan.
More Info
Here is a link to the National Park Service website for Zion: http://www.nps.gov/zion/
Another helpful link: http://www.zionnational-park.com/
References:
Special thanks to Jeff for providing the waypoints, tracks and pictures for this GPS map of the Mt LeConte vicinity in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
