Springdale, Utah // 30 October
The next day we had a later start and headed to Canyon Overlook, one of the view places you can drive to in the park. The trails starts the other side of the Zion-Mount Carmel tunnel. The tunnel is amazing, finished in the 1930s and at the time was the longest tunnel of its kind. It cuts through the mountain providing access from Zion to Bryce Canyon. We took the long way round with our caravan as even though we would fit we’d require a permit and escort as we’d take up the full tunnel.
Canyon Overlook Trail… The hike, like all of Zion, was very popular. We managed to find a park about 1km up the round from the trailhead. It wasn’t a long hike and the views were certainly worth it! The chipmunks greeted us at the end of the trail. They were very brave and very quick.
Weeping Rock… Weeping Rock was another short hike accessed from the shuttle. We parked back at the Visitor Center and jumped on the shuttle. It was super convenient and the drivers point out interesting sights, wildlife and facts. Weeping Rock is an amazing spot where the water that seeps through the porous rock meets a non-porous layer so flows out. It was amazing how much water weeps from the rock – the source is a spring and these springs are how people survived in the Utah mountains and deserts.
