Zion marks the 8-month anniversary of when I officially packed up my things into a 5×10 storage unit and hit the road full time. It is my 26th national park, 20 of which I covered this year alone.
My fiancé and I rolled out of Las Vegas in my cherry red Corolla on Sunday morning with a little over $1k in blackjack earnings after a weekend in the city. We were ready for luck to follow us on this leg of our road trip in the Southwest, which would primarily be composed of national parks and Tex-Mex food. Our next destination was one of my most anticipated stops: Zion.
Zion National Park is one of the diamonds of the United States and, for this reason, one of the most trafficked by tourists. Summer marks intense desert heat and enough visitors to rival Rome. We came in January when crowds were notoriously light.
Off-season national park travel has been one of our favorite and most difficult aspects of road trips. Sometimes, it means snow and high-elevation closures, but the biggest perk is no people. Zion was one of our best off-season visits yet: dull crowds and beautiful, chilly-yet-dry weather. We were able to accomplish almost everything we set out to do this week without running into ice, snow, or sub-zero temps.
Where We Stayed
We opted for the suite-style accommodations at Zion Canyon Lodge. This budget find is in the heart of Springdale, which, for all intents and purposes, is inside the park. We could reach all of the Zion Canyon trails in just under 10 minutes and were only 20 minutes from most beyond the historic tunnel.
The Zion Canyon Lodge had everything we needed and more. Our room was only $80 per night in the off-season and featured free parking, a kitchenette with a hot plate, a full-sized fridge, and a separate bedroom. It was also within walking distance of just about all of the shops and restaurants in Springdale. They even offered a modest grab-and-go breakfast.
Rating: 10/10
Where We Ate
Joe and I attempted to limit dining out on the road, but we still had to try some of the restaurants in town. I won’t bore you with the many frozen dinners we eat on the road.
Bit and Spur Saloon
This elevated Tex-Mex-esque spot offered a unique menu featuring primarily Southwest options and, for some reason, an entire portion of the menu dedicated to pasta.
We started the meal with the chips with guac, queso, and salsa, as well as the stuffed jalapeños. We enjoyed all of the dips, but the peppers were so drowned in cheese we had trouble finding them on the plate.
For our mains, I tried the carne asada plate, which came with a generous portion of skirt steak, beans, rice, pico de gallo, queso fresco, and flour tortillas. Joe got the sweet potato masa tamales loaded with a heaping portion of pulled pork and seared mushrooms. To wash it all down, we each had 2 of their prickly pear margaritas.
Rating: 7/10
Zion Canyon Brewery
After hiking the West Rim Trail, we crawled our way into this oasis right outside the park entrance. The brewery feels very similar to just about all of the micro breweries out there, which isn’t a complaint; we really liked it.
We each started with a mug of beer and a cup of chili. I tried the Zion Pale Ale, which was crisp and light with hints of pine. Joe opted for the Burnt Mountain Brown Ale with a strong coffee finish and switched to what I had shortly after.
We tried 2 of their generously portioned appetizers: the brewer’s board and the hummus. The board featured 2 cheeses, warm sausage, house-made pretzel sticks, dips, and fruits, while the hummus was loaded with fresh veggies and warm pita bread. It was perfect after a long, strenuous hike.
Rating: 7.5/10
Oscar’s Cafe
We visited this diner-style Tex-Mex joint on our final morning before making the drive to our next destination. Like many Latino-run spots in the Southwest, the breakfast burrito did not disappoint.
I opted for the vegetarian green chile and black bean option, while Joe got the pork burrito. Both were absolutely loaded, delicious, and reasonably priced.
Rating: 8/10
Rating: 8/10
Our Hikes
Zion Canyon Overlook Trail
Distance: 1 mile
Elevation gain: 200 feet
Rating: 9.5/10
This was the perfect introduction to Zion for us. We completed this easy hike with breathtaking views on our first evening in the park and were welcomed by sunset vistas of the entire valley. If you are looking for something low impact and high reward, this is the hike for you.
The Watchman Trail
Distance: 3.6 miles
Elevation gain: 650 feet
Rating: 8/10
Of the mid-intensity hikes we did, this was our favorite. The main attraction to this trail was the insane views all the way up. Elevation gain was never too difficult, and there were plenty of shady points for us to stop and take a breath.
The Zion Narrows Riverside Walk
Distance: 1.9 miles
Elevation gain: 190 feet
Rating: 7/10
It’s a bit too cold for the Narrows in January (although some braver, less temperature-sensitive souls certainly do). We strolled the riverwalk up to the start of the Narrows before you actually had to get in the water. Cool to see; when we return in warmer weather, we definitely want to get in and do it!
Emerald Pools via Kayenta Trail
Distance: 2.7 miles
Elevation gain: 660 feet
Rating: 7/10
This one came very highly recommended and we left fairly underwhelmed by the pools themselves. Don’t get me wrong, the canyon views alone were enough for me to recommend this hike, but the lower 2 pools were nothing more than puddles, and the upper pool was nothing to write home about. Go for the rocks, not the water features.
East Rim Trail to Overlook
Distance: 4.7 miles
Elevation gain: 540 feet
Rating: 7/10
We treated this as our conditioning hike before taking on the big, daunting West Rim. This trail is fantastic for training because of its slight elevation gain and sandy walkways, making for a low-impact workout. Overall, we preferred the views on the West side of the park, but the grand finale overlooks made up for the walk-up. Do this trail if you don’t want to see another soul around, and don’t mind dumping some sand from your boots back in your car.
Timber Creek Overlook Trail
Distance: 1.2 miles
Elevation gain: 270 feet
Rating: 7.5/10
We wanted to see Kolob Canyons, and this was the perfect short and sweet-trail to do just that. With sprawling mountain views as far as the eye can see and even a glimpse at the Grand Canyon from the overlook, this was a great, easy walk.
The Grotto Trailhead to the West Rim
Distance: 6 miles
Elevation gain: 2,000 feet
Rating: 10/10
And for the grand finale… NOT Angel’s Landing! My fiancé and I both eagerly entered the lottery. Everyone we talked to said we’d have no trouble getting a permit in January, but we opened our emails on Friday afternoon to disappointment. Getting rejected from the lottery truly felt like a college rejection, but we still wanted to do something that challenged us.
We hiked up the daunting path all the way to the cables where a ranger checks for permits. From there, we kept going up the East Rim for about a mile and enjoyed a lunch of Clif bars and turkey jerky with a view of everyone lucky enough to climb to Angel’s Landing. There’s always next time, but this was a very cool alternative.
