September, 2016
In September 2016, we decided on a trip to Utah. We were looking to spend some time with my brother and had been to Seattle a few times already, so we thought why not meet somewhere else instead. We flew into Las Vegas, met him there, along with his new girlfriend, Amy, for the first time, rented a car and drove to Utah. We had 6 days to spend in Utah, so we opted for 3 in Zion National Park and 3 in Bryce Canyon. Zion is the most visited National Park in Utah. September felt like a good time – less crowds and not as warm as the main summer months. Be prepared for crowds on every day of the week though as people are in search of red rock cliffs and challenging hikes with epic views year round.
We stayed at the Quality Inn & Suites Montclair – basic and simple accommodations for this trip as we just needed a place to sleep and shower. I picked this particular hotel as you can easily access the shuttle to the park. Although it was a bit further from the park entrance, I had read that the closer you stayed to the main entrance the more likely the shuttle would be full. We never had an issue getting a spot on the shuttle.
Springdale is a fun little spot with a main road full of hotels, local restaurants, boutique shops and stores full of gear mostly dedicated for hiking. There is a free hop–on-hop-off shuttle that runs along the main drag with pick up points to take you into the park.
We arrived a little later on the Saturday, checked into our hotel and opted for a quick evening hike of the Emerald Pools Trail. It is a network of trails of varied lengths to the lower, middle and upper Emerald Pools. A great way to break in the legs for a couple days of hiking. We picked the 4km round trip hike of all three pools, which took about an hour.
Best Hikes – Here are some of our favourite hikes from this trip!
Day 1 – Observation Point; Distance: 12.9km roundtrip and Elevation Gain: 2150 feet
I have to say this was by far my favourite hike and it was only the first day. It is less crowded then the popular Angel’s Landing trail and some many say even more strenuous. To access this trail, the shuttle drop off point is the Weeping Rock. The trail starts with a bunch of switchbacks providing no relief from the blazing sun until the trail turns east. Throughout the hike, you have views of Echo Canyon on one side of the climb. Eventually, as the trail wraps back around the other side of the mountain you will have sweeping views of Zion. There are many opportunities for photos with the most majestic landscapes. With more climbing, you will finally reach the Canyon Rim where the trail begins to plateau eventually leading you to Observation Point. At this point, you are higher than Angel’s Landing which offers infinite views of the valley, Angel’s Landing and the East and West Canyon rims.
Day 2 – Angel’s Landing; Distance: 8.7km roundtrip and Elevation Gain: 1488 feet
Welcome to the most popular hike in Zion. I recommend going as early as possible for this hike to avoid the crowds. This hike is known for the strenuous zig-zagging climb referred to as Walter’s Wiggles and is not for the faint of heart. This section will leave you breathless and not from the view. As you continue you will eventually reach the section where there is a stability chain for guidance. As this path offers traffic going up and down and only one chain, it can be a little nerve-racking dealing with crowds – so again, the earlier the better. I just remember my brother with both hands in his short pockets hiking down and how bold I thought he was as I held the chain a little tighter in some sections. A side note is that people have tragically fallen to their deaths on this hike with the most recent in 2019. There has been a total of nine deaths according to the park website. Be careful, hike responsibly and know your limits.
Hidden Canyon; Distance: 5.2 km round trip and Elevation Gain: 1391 feet
As Angel’s Landing is a shorter hike, we added on Hidden Canyon later that day. This trail is accessed by part of the trail for Observation Point with fewer switchbacks. This trail also has similar chains from Angel’s Landing along the upper part of the trail, but it didn’t seem as scary on this hike. Here you will get incredible views of Cable Mountain across the valley along with the red sandstone cliffs accompanying you for most of the hike. Once you get to the canyon you can continue on following the footprints along the sand. The canyon is shaded, offering respite from the sun and you can continue as long as you wish. The trail officially ends at a very impressive natural arch where you can turn around and hike back the same way you came.
Day 3 – Watchmen Trail; Distance: 4.8km round trip and Elevation Gain: 300 feet
We were looking for something a little shorter as we were leaving Zion to head to Bryce Canyon later this day. If you are here during the prime summer months, this trail is completely exposed to the sun offering no relief. So, I recommend adding this one in earlier or later in the day during those months. The nice thing about this trail is it is usually not that busy as tourists are either hiking The Narrows or Angel’s Landing. Not the most glamorous start to this hike as you will weave behind employee housing and construction materials, but eventually head into the hills, looping around a valley until eventually you are on top of the first layer of cliffs above the canyon. From the main viewpoint, you will see Springdale in the distance and the majestic towering Watchman’s Peak to the south. Stop here, grab a spot to sit and have a snack and just marvel in the beauty that surrounds you.
From here we were off to Tropic, Utah our next destination just outside of Bryce Canyon. This was approximately a 1 hour and 30 minute drive with most of it through Zion National Park, which will require a fee if you don’t have a park pass. Unfortunately, I was driving these narrowing twisted roads so could not be fully engaged in the views of the surrounding landscape on our drive.
Noteworthy Eateries: A couple of our favourite spots from our stay in Springdale.
Café Soleil – Little did I know that the new girlfriend was vegetarian – so this was a perfect spot to please everyone. They offer a great selection of wraps and we stopped here our first night, grabbed a table on the patio and enjoyed some live music. The Turkey Bacon Guacamole Wrap, Hummus Wrap, and Superfood Veggie Wraps were hits!
Deep Creek Coffee Company – Another great little café offering healthy, vegetarian friendly and gluten free options. The Avocado Toast and Honey Mustard Wrap are noteworthy!
Spotted Dog Café – A little more up-scale then we had planned on this trip, but a nice bistro with cozy art-filled dining rooms. If the weather permits, I recommend grabbing a table outside as it has that European outdoor dining vibe. Lots of options from fish, hormone-free meats and vegetarian dishes all handcrafted using fresh local produce. A cozy little place. Reservations recommended.
Zion Canyon Brew Pub – Welcome to southern Utah’s first micro-brewery! Located at the entrance of the park, you will find a large patio with a view of the Watchman trail. They serve up great beer and pub food with some of the best views. Some of our favourites were the Nachos, Kale Chicken Caesar, Elk Burger and Mediterranean Hummus. It was the perfect spot post hike to grab a brew and share some food!