Highlights of Zion National Park

01 Ride Along Zion Canyon Scenic Drive

For a full dose of dramatic nature, drive along this road that runs along the canyon floor. You'll be cutting through tall cliff walls on both sides of the road and have fantastic views of some of the park's most famous sites. If you prefer, you can opt to take a shuttle bus run by park employees. Hop off the bus at any scenic site or trailhead and explore on your own. You can also bring a bike along, as there are racks on the bus for storage.

02 Hike For A Breathtaking View Over The Canyon

For experienced hikers, there's an outstanding reward after a climb to Angel's Landing. You'll follow a trail up the side of a mountain and along a narrow ridge. The 5.4-mile round trip encompasses high elevations and narrow steppes with long drops. This journey is not for the faint of heart. At trail's end, you will be 1,500 feet above the valley below.

03 Hike Through a Rock Cut

The Narrows cuts through the canyons and follows the Virgin River. It's best to hike this slot canyon trail in the summer when the river has receded, and you can safely pass through. You will still get a little wet, though, as you go through areas where the walls are so close, there is little shore to navigate along this most popular Zion National Park trail. Turn around and at any point to make this hike as long as you desire, though the complete journey, when taken, is a somewhat difficult 16 miles long.

04 Easy Hikes With Glimpses of Beauty

There are much easier hikes that will also take you to gorgeous natural features.

• Riverside Walk: This 2.2-mile trail follows the Virgin River, offering views of weeping walls and hanging gardens. The trail is paved.
• Emerald Pools: There are three different pools to hike to. This trail leads you to weeping walls, waterfalls, and pools of green water.
• Weeping Rock: This is a half-mile trail that takes you to cliff wall alcove. Water will either be dripping steadily from the wall, or it can be a full-on waterfall in spring. Hanging gardens and a view over the valley make this hike's end a delight. It's a short walk, but unpaved and somewhat steep in sections.

05 A Checkerboard Rock Formation

If you approach Zion National Park at the east gate, you'll quickly come across Checkerboard Mesa. Stop, if possible, in one of the pull-out spots to admire and photograph this unique, gray-and-pink rock formation that has cracks going in two different directions to resemble the squares of a checkerboard. Thousands of years of wind patterns helped form this amazing natural wonder.

06 The Human History Museum

Before exploring Zion, learn about the culture and history of the people who lived on the grounds hundreds of year ago. You can view an informative 22-minute film about the park, which gives you a nice overview of Zion. Interesting exhibits that feature Native American culture, pioneer settlements and the ecological environments that affect the national park are also illustrated.

07 Horseback Ride Tours

Ride the canyon trails on horseback along the river from March until October. A one-hour tour led by an authorized concessioner takes you along the Virgin River. There are also three-hour trips along Sand Beach Trail that afford a wonderful view of the park's Southern end. Truly this is an superb adventure to explore the canyon with knowledgeable guides.

08 Climb Zion's Slot Canyons

The sandstone cliff walls of Zion National Park are famous for rock climbing and canyoneering enthusiasts. You'll find most climbers take advantage of the temperate weather conditions in spring and fall and avoid the blistering heat of the unshaded walls in the summer. There are two bouldering areas in the park's main canyon. Drilled Pocket Boulder faces south and is on the west side of the south entrance to the park.

You need a permit if you plan on camping overnight during your climb but will not need one for day climbs. Appropriate gear, courses, and information can be gathered in the nearby town of Springdale.

09 Camp Beneath The Stars

There are three different campgrounds within Zion National Park:

• Watchman Campground
• South Campground
• Lava Point Campground

Both Watchman and South Campgrounds provide you with beautiful desert scenery and sites that are well spaced out. There is very little shade, so the area gets quite hot in sunny weather. These two campgrounds are near the West Gate entrance, close to Springdale.

The more primitive Lava Point Campground is very small, with just six sites, and higher up, at a nearly 8,000-foot elevation. It's on Kolob Terrace Road, about a 50-minute drive from the south entrance of Zion Canyon.

10 The Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway

For a majestic drive with hairpin turns, a rapid climb and two tunnels cut into rock, drive the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway for an unforgettable experience. The entire ride takes 30 minutes, with lots of photo opportunities along the way. One of the tunnels is 1.1 miles long and has windows that let you look over a cliff face as you drive through.