Zion National Park

With beautiful colored stones

 

The Zion National Park can be found in Utah near the city of Springdale, it is located in the South West of America. The park has a land acre of almost two hundred and twenty nine square miles. The Zion Canyon takes up almost fifteen miles; this is almost 800 meters deep also. It is said that almost 8000 years ago was when the first Native American families moved to the area.

Since then, there have been many groups moving to and near the Zion national park; and it has been well known for almost a hundred years or more. President William Howard Taft, in 1909, the park was named a National Monument. He did this, so that the entire park, especially the canyon would be protected. It was named the Mukuntuweap National Monument. It wasn’t until 1918 when the National Park Service took charge of the park; during which time, the name of the Park was changed to Zion.

Many believed that the name change was due to the fact that the original name was difficult to pronounce. The National Park Service didn’t want to put off visitors just because they couldn’t say the name hence the name change.

Exploring the Park

The Horse Ranch Mountain is beautiful and it has an elevation of almost 2660 meters. The Horse Ranch Mountain can be found at the junction of the Great Basin, the Mojave Desert and the Colorado Plateau regions. Though, there are many amazing areas to visit in the park and no matter who visits they will enjoy the scenery.

There is a variety of plant species that can be found in the Zion National Park. There are almost 289 different species of birds as well as 75 different mammals with 19 of them being different species of bats. There are also 30 different types of reptiles which can be found in the park; these animals are going to be stretched across the four different life zones – the coniferous forest, the riparian, the desert and woodland areas. There are a variety of mountains and ranges as well as natural arches, monoliths, rivers, slot canyons, canyons, buttes, mesas and rivers.

All of the Zion national park is amazing and it will be very much remembered for years to come.

The Activities of the Park

Hiking is a very popular activity when it comes to visiting Zion National Park in the summer time. Hikers can hike to Big Springs but to hike beyond that area, it will require a permit to do so. It can take almost 12 very strenuous hours to hike from Chamberlain’s Ranch so many experienced hikers love this trek. Though, there is a shorter alterative to choose from for those who are not experienced hikers.

To be honest, rock climbing is going to be one of the more popular activities in the Zion National Park. However, there are plenty of short walks to take including the Space shot, the Prodigal Son, Moonlight Buttress and Touchstone; each are all very popular short walks to take however.

The Zion Lodge does offer lodgings for all visitors. This is going to be found within the Zion Canyon; and the lodge is open all year round. There are plenty of cabins to take shelter at or motel units to use also. There is also a cafe, a restaurant and a gift store to stop in at but for any visitor should remember is that the lodgings are going to fill up very fast so if any visitor is looking for a vacancy they better book quickly and in advance also.

There are three different campgrounds to use also including the site at Lava Point, the South campground and the Watchman also. Watchman however takes reservations so for anyone looking to stay here; they will need to book in advance. Lava Point will only be open up from June to October and overnight camping will require permits.

There are many activities to choose from including;

Nature Walks

Evening Programs

Horseback Riding Trips

Rock Climbing

There are quite a lot of different activities to choose from but the evening programs will be available from the late part of March through to the early part of November. Though, there are junior programs available for younger admirers of the park including the Junior Ranger program which is for children aged 6-12 years. This group is going to be active from Memorial Day through to Labor Day. All of the activities are going to take place at the Zion Nature Centre.

For visitors who wish to stay a few days at the Zion National park, there are Rangers who can help. Rangers love to help plan the stay for many visitors and there are many opportunities to learn about the history of the park. There is the Zion Natural History Association which offers books, souvenirs and maps for those visiting the areas. All of the proceeds which are made will be put back into the park to benefit it. This could help to improve restore some wild life and other areas of the park also.

Only a few meters from the park, there is the amazing little town of Springdale, Utah. This is south of the park and visitors are going to be able to get lodgings, entertainment and food. Though there are many opportunities for learning about the history of the Zion Canyon and history in the south west of America. Visitors can also find there are shelter, food and entertainment to the east of the park. This can be found on the Mount Carmel Junction and the Zion Mount Carmel Highway.

Some of the animals found in the park include:

The Whiptail

Collared Lizards

Rock Squirrels

Merriam Kangaroo Rats

Cougars

Coyotes

Ring Tail Cats

Golden Eagles

Red Tailed Hawks

Bighorn Sheep

California Condors

Plant Life

Manzanita Shrubs

Cliff Rose

Pinyon Pine

Gambel Oak

Aspen

Location

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