It’s no secret that we are big fans of our national parks, and coming close behind our most favorite park, Yosemite, is Zion National Park in Utah. So, it was like coming home to visit Zion again and we are so grateful for the opportunity to spend five days in this wonder-filled part of the world.
A highlight of our time at Zion was our hike through ‘The Narrows,’ which is a ten mile hike in the Virgin River.
For millions of years, the Virgin River has been cutting a gorge through the red rock of Zion, going deep through some cracks without widening out. The results is a an impressive canyon that is as narrow as twenty feet wide and hundreds of feet tall between hard rock walls. Water marks, high above our heads, show where the canyon floor used to be, before it was swept away out to the desert.
We began the hike at 8 am and had many parts of the canyon all to ourselves throughout the hike which was truly magical. The water and canyon are fairly cold this time of year, so we rented dry boots and dry pants, along with an ever-so-necessary sturdy walking stick. It begins with one mile of paved trail and is followed by four-miles of hiking in the river, on polished cobblestones, through an awesome display of nature. The goal is to get to the “wall street” where the river is only 20′ wide with no shore and golden rock walls, where you cannot see the top.
The colors, the wind, the changing light, the energy, majesty, and life in the river — the water sometimes coming up near our waists — and the camaraderie among those traversing the trail was extraordinary and something that we will never forget. This is a highly recommended experience to one and all!
Click here to view additional photos of our hike through The Narrows.
