Waterfall hikes in maryland11/14/2023 And even though the Kaiparowits Plateau didn’t make it into the official park name, it’s still pretty darn rad. The Grand Staircase area is harder to reach and the least visited, but it’s filled with amazing slot canyons. But others require a bit of backcountry driving. Some trails are accessible via paved roads, like Upper Calf Creek Falls (2.1 miles/650 foot gain) or the point-to-point Phillips Arch (10 miles, 900 foot gain). It’s also a hotspot for fossils and dinosaur bones, and its geology has long attracted scientists and researchers.Įscalante Canyons is the most popular region to visit, with many trails for various abilities. The Escalante Canyons, on the other hand, feature a maze of intricate slot canyons carved over eons by the Escalante River. Each area showcases distinct landscapes and ecosystems, from the multicolored mesas and buttes of the Grand Staircase to the expansive, high-elevation plateaus of the Kaiparowits. The monument is divided into three main regions: the Grand Staircase, the Kaiparowits Plateau, and the Escalante Canyons. It’s one of the best national parks near Zion (well, national monuments), designated in 1996 and covering 1.9 million acres of remote and largely undeveloped terrain. It’s known for rugged canyons, colorful cliffs, and unique geological formations, much like Zion. But it’s a great one (and also federally managed). Okay, Grand Staircase isn’t a national park - it’s a national monument. Get a self-serve permit at a visitor center or trailhead. Camping: Free, first-come, first-served.Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument It has guided full moon hikes, a June astronomy festival, ongoing evening ranger programs throughout the year, and summer telescope lessons and events. At more than 9,000 feet above sea level, this area receives a bit of snow, so don’t plan on hiking it in winter.īryce is also one of the best national parks near Zion for astrophotography and night sky viewing as it’s an International Dark Sky Park. This is probably the most popular hike in the park and goes directly through hoodoos to the iconic Thor’s Hammer rock formation.įairyland Loop Trail: A harder 8-mile/1,900-foot-gain hike that passes through a variety of landscapes, with views of the Bryce Amphitheater.īristlecone Loop Trail: An easier (1-mile/200-foot-gain) trail in the highest point of the park. The Queens Garden and Navajo Loop Trail: (2.9 miles/625-foot gain). Hiking is the most popular activity in the park, and good options include: Depending on lighting and the time of day, the hoodoos can be orange, pink, red, or other extremely vivid tones. The spire-like structures, formed by erosion, create an at-times surreal environment, forming arches, towers, narrow passages, and giant swaths of land that look like something from a Dr. The park’s high elevation (ranging from 6,600 to 9,100 feet above sea level) also means it has generally cooler temperatures than Zion, even in the hot summer months.īryce is also in southern Utah and is renowned for its otherworldly landscapes, the most notable features of which are the rock formations known as hoodoos. It’s not nearly as busy as Zion, and can be a great place to go on busy days when it feels like Zion’s trails and parking lots are already full by 8 AM. The most well-known of the national parks near Zion is Bryce Canyon National Park. First-come, first-served outside of that window. Reservations required from April – Oct, depending on campground. Here’s where to go when you want to add an extra National Park Service site to your Utah park agenda. That means you don’t have to travel too far to visit not just another national park near Zion, but also national monuments, national forests, and more. However, Utah has five national parks, plus a few other federal managed sites. Zion is one of the most popular national parks in the US park system, but with that comes crowds. And know that drive times are also dependent on what entrances you’re using and how deep into the park you’re driving, since traffic and dirt roads within parks can slow your speeds. Where to find the best state and national parks near ZionĪll the state and national parks near Zion listed below are day-trippable from the Zion area, though factors like weather and snowfall can make some drives take much longer than GoogleMaps estimates. While it’s totally worth the wait to see Zion Canyon and reach amazing hikes like Angels Landing or the Narrows, dealing with that level of crowds isn’t something you’ll want to contend with every day of your vacation.įortunately, there are tons of options for great state and national parks near Zion you can add to your Utah park itinerary, whether you’re trying to avoid crowds, want to see something different, or want to do something you can’t find within Zion, like paddleboarding or ATV tours. If that kind of wait just to reach a trailhead sounds, well, not all that great, you’re right.
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