Zion National Park 2020

Visiting Zion National Park after hiking the Grand Canyon has become a ritual for me. It just seems natural to wrap up a big hike with a relaxing visit to Zion as long as it includes a trip wading the cool waters on the Virgin River. My trip this year was no different. Well actually it was totally different, as COVID-19 had quite a grip on the park this year making it a very different experience.

Zion Mountain Ranch

Under ideal circumstances, we finish up our Grand Canyon portion of the trip hanging out on the North Rim. From there it is a short two hour drive to Zion Mountain Ranch near the East entrance to Zion. Of course this year the North Rim was closed due to a forest fire. This forced us to conclude our trip on the South Rim, and thus a 5 hour drive to our lodging for the Zion portion of the trip. I wasn’t really looking forward to cramming into van after hiking Bright Angel Trail from Phantom Ranch. However, the drive was incredibly scenic and when we arrived at the Holyoak cabin at Zion Mountain Ranch it was all worth it.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Our group of ten spent that first evening lounging on the spacious deck and having a few drinks. Frank cooked up some monster burgers on the Traeger grill, and we celebrated the completion of our Grand Canyon rim to river hike. The view off the deck was spectacular and the relatively cool evening air made for a perfect scene. We would stay up late and sleep in a little bit before heading into Zion National Park the next morning.

No shuttle buses

The pandemic has had a significant impact on access at Zion for 2020. The park relies heavily on a shuttle bus system to transport visitors along Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. Many of the most popular attractions are accessed along this road, including the Narrows. Without the shuttle bus access, there are extremely limited parking options to these attractions and rangers were closing the Scenic Drive at the intersection of the Zion-Carmel Highway. Statistics showed that only about 8% of the visitors to the park would be able to drive their own cars to those lots. I scoured social media and sought out options to increase our odds of access, and in the end it just took some good luck.

We arrived at the park and found only a short line at the East entrance to get in. To reduce contact with visitors, rangers were not charging fees at this time. We enjoyed the scenery driving through the moonscape that is Zion National Park, but moved onward with our eye on access to the Narrows. Approaching the Scenic Highway it was clear we were not going to get in on this pass as Rangers had the entrance blocked off and heavily fortified. We continued on to find the parking lot at the visitor center relatively empty and easily found a few parking spots.

Pa’rus Trail

• 

• 

• 

After a quick visit to the gift shop, we set out along the Pa’rus trail in search of a swimming hole in the Virgin River. With some guidance from a Ranger, we found the perfect spot about 3/4 mile from the visitor center. The river narrowed to a short waterfall before leading to a large and surprisingly deep swimming hole. The water was chilly but on this hot day a quick swim was exactly what we needed. Everyone took turns jumping off the falls then swimming through the current back to the slower water. These younger and braver swimmers used a nearby cottonwood tree to show off how deep it really was right in that spot.

Lunch time

Ready for lunch we walked back towards the visitor center and Springdale. The first stop on the other side of the fence was the Zion Brewing Company Brew Pub, and we were quickly seated on the beautiful outdoor patio for lunch. The food and beer were terrific, and I was especially pleased with my choice of bison meatloaf paired with a Juicy IPA. With full bellies and tired legs from another day in the desert, we started heading back towards Zion Mountain Ranch. But first we had to try one more time for access to the Scenic Highway and the Narrows.

Passing by the ranger blockade slowly, the ranger in front motioned to us that the road would open again in 10 minutes. We quickly found a nearby parking spot and waited. Sure enough it wasn’t long before we were waved in, and spirits were high. That was before we were then stopped by a secondary blockade, this time near the Grotto where we still had a 3 mile walk just to get to the parking lot for the Narrows. A few of our group walked on from there, eventually hitching a ride with one of the passing commercial shuttles for a small tip. The rest of us waited about 30 minutes until this ranger waved us in, and we ended up with a front row parking spot.

At last, The Narrows

The Narrows were as beautiful as ever. One advantage of this crazy time is that hardly anyone else was there. The cold water rushing between cliffs several hundred feet high on both sides creates a most unusual trail. I found the current and the round, slippery rocks to be a challenge to walk in but still managed to navigate the route without falling. Our group walked slowly, and for the most part stayed together soaking up the scenery of God’s wonderful creation. I know that Zion National Park is about way more than this hike alone, but walking the Narrows is totally worth every bit of planning and extra effort needed to make it happen.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

We ended our trip to the southwest by spending another evening on the deck of the cabin talking late into the night. Nick grilled up some pork chops while Eric made his signature pasta, and we had ice cream for desert. Ten friends, beautiful weather in this perfect place make a recipe for a lifetime of memories. Looking forward to next time that I get to visit Zion National Park. And when I do, you can bet I will be staying at Zion Mountain Ranch. Check them out if you are going to be in the area and are looking for a place to stay.

www.zmr.com

For a blog post on the first half of our trip, check out:

Rim To River Grand Canyon

For more on the Zion Brewing Company Brew Pub, check them out here:

Home