Morning folks,
My wife & I are going to ZION in mid Sept to Celebrate our 30th anniversary (Nothing like running away from everyone you know to have a party!! LOL). We will actually be staying south of the park (Hurricane, Apple Valley, Hilldale. Probably in Hilldale).
we are mid/late 50's & would like to get your opinions on the top 5 hikes. anywhere from 5 to 10 miles is good & nothing we need climbing gear for. Maybe water shoes, but we will use the weather forecast to determine if we want to get wet.
We will head back to San Diego through Flagstaff and Prescott, if you know of any good hikes in those 2 areas as well. Maybe closer to the 4 to 5 mile range.
thanks
Bob
This could get long, lol How many days will you be there? Also I can help with almost anything you have a question about. If you have the time I would recommend a side trip to Bryce canyon for 1 day.
Lodging: I highly recommend staying in Hurricane. Its closer to the park and has everything you need. Probably 100 a night compared to 250ish in Springdale. There is nothing in Hilldale and its farther away. you might save a couple of bucks but its not worth it.
The Shuttle: Your lucky they stopped the permit system. It was a pain to use. In September it will be better, but the earlier you take it the better. 10am to 12am is prime time. Expect an hour wait. 7 to 8am is best, also late in the day is good. Lots of wildlife to see right before dark. The lodge has beer and soft serve ice cream, just a real nice spot to chill for a bit in the afternoon.
Hikes: If you only had 5 hours in the park the #1 thing you should do is the Narrows. It is a easy but slow hike because you are hiking in the river almost the whole time. You can rent shoes and a pole to help you but it is not needed. In September the flow of the river will be low. When you start up the narrows the first thing you see is a little waterfall on the right. This is Mystery Springs, It is a hike that requires gear. You might see some people rappelling down this wall. As you continue up stream you will get to a fork coming in from the right. This is orderville canyon, walk up it a little bit Its worth it. You can also do this canyon from the top down. Continue up the narrows until you hit big springs. This is a great spot and its as far as you are allowed to hike.
Angels Landing is a great hike but you can not be afraid of heights. Also start this hike as early as possible. Research this hike on youtube to get a better idea of what you are getting yourself into.
Emerald pools: I would not even do this hike.
Observation point: I believe this trail is still closed.
The Subway: My favorite hike from the top down. It requires climbing gear from the top and a car shuttle. You can do this hike from the bottom up and I would recommend this. It does require a permit for this hike. You can enter a lottery 2 months in advance, right now you have until Saturday to enter for A September date. There is also a last chance drawing a couple of days before it. Also sometimes you can get lucky the day before at the wilderness office if someone cancelled.
East Side of the park: Go through the tunnel and there is a lot to see. Bighorn sheep are almost always out close to the road. There are a couple of easy hikes that will take you to rim of the canyon without the crazy elevation climb. You can hike to Cable mountain or Observation point from this side. You can go to a ranch that has buffalo's.
The views are awesome and it's fairly fun once you get to the chains. The beginning is just work, but it's worth it once you get up top. I'm pretty out of shape, but was able to finish this at my own pace.
