Zion National Park located in Southwest Utah was one of our favorite is parks. The seemingly peaceful Virgin River with it's loads of sand and pebbles chiseled out Zion Canyon's massive 2,000 feet sandstone walls, plateaus and mesas.

There are six trails rated from easy to strenuous that crisscross the park. A free hop-on-and-off shuttle bus provides access to all the trail heads along Zion Canyon's scenic six-mile drive. Although the park is open year round the bus only runs from April through October.

We loved wading in the crystal clear Virgin River between the 2,000-foot-high canyon walls in the Zion Narrows. Although the trailhead for this 16-mile hike starts in the Southeast section beyond the park it can also be accessed via the Weeping Rock and River Walk trails. Weeping Rock is an easy paved road that ends at a stone grotto lavishly adored with natural hanging gardens. River walk is a paved path between the steep canyon walls.

The early Mormon settlers gave the area the name Zion in the1850s. The word “Zion” means a sacred place devoted to God. They felt the massive stone formations and red cliff faces elicited feelings of reverence in those who paused to reflect on their majesty. My husband and I could not agree more.