Springdale, Utah // 29 October
We were up early for our first day in the National Park as we were attempting the Narrows hike. The hike starts at the far end of the canyon and continues up the canyon via the Virgin River.
Visitor Center… As Zion is such a narrow canyon the majority of the National Park is accessible by shuttle only, so the Visitor Center area has a dedicated pedestrian entrance and a really well laid out pedestrians space.
Preparing for our Narrows hike… The water temperature was around 10 deg C so we got ourselves outfitted in special hiking boots, wetsuit material socks, and waterproof suits. Robin’s and mine were bib and braces, so we’d stay dry in water just above our waists. The kids had full suits so would stay dry up to their necks. The water levels differ through the year along with the temperature. The hiking poles were extremely helpful to test out the water depth, find our footing and keep our balance (and have play fights).
Canyon Views on the shuttle ride up the canyon… The shuttles were super convenient and there were stunning views all the way up the canyon.
Riverside Walk from the Temple of Sinawava to the start of the Narrows… It’s a 1 mile hike from where the shuttle drops you off to the start of the Narrows.
The Narrows hike… We only did part of the hike, going up to the start of Wall Street and the junction with Orderville Canyon, which was about a 10km round trip hike. It was surprising how difficult it was to hike in the water. The current was strong and the riverbed was medium to large boulders making it difficult to find your step in places. At one point the water was up to the kids’ shoulders. We saw several people who lost their footing. It was very chilly even if you managed to stay dry! It was a ton of fun and really popular, so many people were hiking in the water.
One of the amazing things about our all day hike was seeing the morning light on the way up the canyon, then the afternoon light on our way back.
And we saw the infamous chubby Zion squirrels. Not sure why people feed the squirrels here, these are the first chubby squirrels we’ve seen!
