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Observation Point overlooking Angels Landing

Canyons and Red Rocks: Best Hikes in Zion National Park

Go canyoneering one day, and see expansive red rock views the next, on the 10 best hikes in Zion National Park.

Hiking Easy, Moderate, Difficult, Severe

Observation Point overlooking Angels Landing
Observation Point overlooking Angels Landing Photo: Scott Anderson

Description

Zion National Park is renowned as one of the most beautiful national parks in the United States of America. Utah’s first national park, here you can “follow the paths where ancient native people and pioneers walked. Gaze up at massive sandstone cliffs of cream, pink, and red that soar into a brilliant blue sky. Experience wilderness in a narrow slot canyon,” according to the National Park Service. "Zion’s unique array of plants and animals will enchant you as you absorb the rich history of the past and enjoy the excitement of present-day adventures.”

"Located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert regions, the park has a unique geography and a variety of life zones that allow for unusual plant and animal diversity,” according to Wikipedia. In addition to Zion Canyon, which is 15 miles long and up to 2,640 feet deep, Zion National Park’s most prominent features are its famed slot canyons. Narrow slots in the rock allow experienced hikers to travel deep into a truly unique landscape. The canyons are so incredible and otherworldly that they’ve spawned an entire sport, called canyoneering.

The history of the area is difficult to immense, with “human habitation in the area. . .beginning about 8,000 years ago,” according to Wikipedia. Cast your mind back to the ancient Anasazi civilizations and subsequent Parrusits and Paiutes that inhabited this area, and enjoy the adventure that Zion offers to visitors today!

Sources: https://www.nps.gov/zion/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZionNationalPark

Routes included

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