Photo Credit: Danika Perkinson
Photo Credit: Isaac Garcia
Photo Credit: Jamie Hagan
Photo Credit: Karan Chawla
Photo Credit: Photo by George Pagan III on Unsplash
Angel's Landing
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Photo Credit: Photo by Karan Chawla on Unsplash
Zion National Park, located in southwestern Utah, is known for its massive sandstone cliffs, narrow slot canyons, and unique desert ecosystems. Established in 1919, it was Utah’s first national park and continues to attract visitors with its dramatic elevation shifts and striking rock formations. The park’s most iconic feature, Zion Canyon, stretches for 15 miles and reaches depths of up to 2,640 feet, carved over time by the Virgin River. Visitors often begin their experience with the scenic drive along Zion Canyon Scenic Route, which is closed to private vehicles much of the year and accessed by a free shuttle system that stops at trailheads and viewpoints.
Hiking is a major draw in Zion, with trails ranging from short walks to demanding climbs. Angels Landing, a trail that ends atop a narrow rock fin with steep drop-offs on either side, has become a bucket-list hike for many and now requires a permit due to its popularity and risk factors. Another standout is The Narrows, where visitors wade directly through the Virgin River between canyon walls that rise hundreds of feet above. Trekking through this section often involves navigating waist-deep water, making it one of the more unusual hiking experiences in the U.S. National Park System.
Other Popular Destinations in Utah
Bryce Canyon, tucked into the high plateaus of southern Utah, offers one of the most unusual landscapes in the American Southwest. It’s not actually a canyon but a series of natural amphitheaters carved into the edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. What makes Bryce unique is its dense collection of hoodoos which are tall, thin spires of rock formed over millions of years by frost-wedging and erosion.
Nestled between Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park, Moab is the perfect entryway to some of Utah’s most iconic scenery. Dotted with gorgeous sandstone formations, mesas, and buttes, Moab epitomizes the rugged beauty of the American Southwest.
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