Zion National Park--Part 2

We made Zion our home for 5 nights. Saturday we decided to hike to the Emerald Pools. It was a hike we enjoyed the last time we were here and we hoped it would be too much for those visiting for the day---WRONG! We hiked the trail with at least 200 other people. It was a miserable hike as it is a narrow, winding trail and some people just don't know trail etiquette!

Here I am at the middle Emerald Pool--it doesn't own up to its name on this day.

Once we made it to the Upper Emerald Pool, it was time to head down again. There were just too many people!

When we got back to the rv we decided to lay low until Sunday afternoon when the crowds would thin out--we hoped. Our site was huge, the only drawback was that it was next to the dumpster and recycling bins.

Later in the afternoon we took a leisurely stroll along the banks of the Virgin River.

Sunday, we stayed close to the rv, also. Late in the day we rode our bicycles on the Pa'rus Trail to Canyon Junction and back.

It was the first time we had ridden our bicycles in quite some time.

The crowds started thinning out on Sunday and by Monday the campsites didn't fill until late in the day and most of those were taken by Europeans traveling in rented rvs.

Monday we rode the shuttle bus to the end of the line and hiked River Trail to The Narrows. Last time we were here, the water was high The Narrows was closed. On our way to The Narrows we got credit for an earthcache.

This time the water was down and people were hiking the slot canyon that makes up The Narrows.

We got back on the shuttle and got off at the stop for Hanging Gardens.

Then it was back to the rv for lunch and a rest. That afternoon we walked to the visitor center and through Watchman Campground.


On our last day at Zion I wanted to try Angel's Landing again. Last time we were at Zion it was so windy that the final hike to Angel's Landing was impossible to see. This time the weather was much nicer--very little wind.

The hike was good and there were not too many people making the trek to the top.

This time I made it to the chains going to the top of Angel's Landing, but I saw the drop-off and decided it wasn't for me.

Bob went a little further, but then decided it wasn't for him, either.

As we went back down, we got a picture of Walter's Wiggles from the top! The Wiggles is a switchback to get you to Scout's Landing just before Angel's Landing.

After our hike, we walked The Grotto Trail to the lodge where we enjoyed lunch before heading back to the rv.

We enjoyed our stay at Zion, but it was time to move on to a new area--Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Nevada.