ZION best trails in the US

In my short travels through the US, I haven’t found a better group of trails than the ones in Zion National Park in Utah.

You don’t have to be an avid hiker to enjoy the park.  Along with the challenging hikes like Angels Landing, there are also short hikes that will still stimulate your visual senses like the lower Emerald Pool, which only took 30 minutes.

This bridge is near the trailhead of both the lower and upper Emerald Pools and crosses the Virgin River.

Another short trail, 15 -20 min., and still pretty spectacular is the hanging gardens with a great view at the end of the trail.

One of the top trails in the national park system is Angels Landing, an intimidating and thrilling trail. It starts with a series of switch backs which will take your legs away and then get ready for the section that will take your breath away. Imagine a narrow trail on the side of cliff and, oh yah, your over a thousand feet high. Keep a grip on the chain link provided for hikers. The trail culminates on high perch with a stunning view of the near by monoliths. If you’re thinking to yourself it’s too difficult, during my hike I saw young kids, maybe 10, to people in their 60’s on the trail. With multiple breaks and photo stops it took me 3 hours to the top and just a little more than 2 hours to the bottom.

The other big draw is  The Zion Narrows hike. First undertaken in 1872, the trail is the north fork of the Virgin River. Yes, the trail is the river. The river can be a foot deep or over 10 feet so the key is to stay on the banks but on certain parts of the river, it doesn’t exist. The trail, or river, flows between soaring sandstone cliffs. The trail is long enough for an overnight trip or can be customized to your liking. Just head back to the trail head when you’ve had enough. I went for a 3 hour hike and found out later I turned back to soon as I was near a waterfall with a pool at the bottom of it made just for swimmers by mother nature. Maybe next time.

And, don’t miss out on the amazing view from the Overlook Trail (below) which I hiked during my Southwest National Parks Road Trip.

These are just a few of the trails in Zion. I’m sure there’s a trail just to your liking here. Go dust off your hiking shoes and bring lots of water and power bars.