Zion’s National Park – Oasis in the Desert

A National Park some find to just be on the way to other things, Zion’s is a beautiful oasis in the midst of a dry yet colorful desert. Surrounded by harsh, yet scenic, desert plateaus, Zion’s National Park is truly a desert oasis. A trip to visit Zion’s is never complete unless you take time to hike some of the trails available to the casual hiker. There are plenty of advanced hikes and rock climbs for those who are serious about their rocks, but most people fall into the casual visitor category, and those of you who do are the one’s I’ll address in this post.

First of all, unlike years past, now days in Zion you must take a shuttle to get into the main canyon itself. This is actually a good thing and something that should have been done year’s ago. Since the shuttle service started in 2000, traffic congestion has been virtually eliminated, pollution, noise and environmental damage has been reduced to reasonable level’s and the entire Zion experience has become something that is much more enjoyable. The shuttles’s run regularly and are extremely convenient. It’s nice to relax and let someone else worry about the drive up the canyon.

For the casual visitor, there are many options; some depend on how ambitious you are. some depend largely on what kind of shape you’re in and how much time you have. No matter what you’re planning on doing, there are definitely some things that everyone should know and pay strict attention to while visiting the Park.

One thing to take very seriously is, this is wilderness, folks! It is wild, desert country and don’t underestimate its danger if you don’t pay attention to the warnings amply given. For one thing, many of the trails are at height and have steep falls, the trails themselves are loose dirt and pebbles and can be very treacherous for the unaware. WATCH YOUR CHILDREN CLOSELY. I can’t stress that enough.