Photos of the Week: Zions Canyon: Became one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in the last 10 years. See why:
OF ALL THE NATIONAL PARKS IN THE UNITED STATES, THERE ARE A FEW THAT COME TO THE TOP OF THE “MUST VISIT” LIST NOW. YELLOWSTONE SEEMS TO BE AT THE TOP OF THE LIST, BUT, SOMEHOW, ZIONS NATIONAL PARK HAS GROWN TO THE TOP OF THE LIST VERY FAST. PEOPLE VISIT YELLOWSTONE FOR THE UNIQUE GEYSERS, AND THE BEAUTY OF THE SCENERY, AND THE WILDLIFE. BUT….. STOP, WAIT….. ZIONS NATIONAL PARK SEEMS TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT DRAWS PEOPLE TO IT AS WELL, AND IT HAS BROUGHT A BIG PROBLEM TO THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE: TOO MANY PEOPLE, JUST LIKE YELLOWSTONE. WHY ALL OF A SUDDEN HAS ZIONS NATIONAL PARK BECOME SO POPULAR ALL OF A SUDDEN? WELL, IN PICTURES, MAYBE WE COULD SHOW YOU WHY:
The scenery and the country compared to Yellowstone is totally shocking. Yellowstone is green, high country with lots of mountain vistas, meadows and rivers and streams. Zions National Park seems to be the opposite: rugged canyons, red rocks and almost “Grand Canyon” feeling without the big canyon. But, a whole different breed of animals living here as well. Desert big horn sheep, deer, lizards, snakes, etc inhabit this country. But, there is something majestic about the scenery at Zions National Park. It is breathtaking. It makes you want to be a part of God’s Creation here too.
The mountains here just shoot up, making you think you are just puny. You don’t climb these. You adore these mountains. They are for your admiration only.
On this silent sacred ground,
Sweet peace fills the soul
-Terry Glassman
Even when my eyes are closed
Thinking of Zion’s trails.
-Melanie Salas
I did go four years ago
What an adventure!
-Gale McNomee Magann
Maybe you have heard of the “slot canyons” or the narrows. If you look closely at the photo above, you can see a person standing at the base of that canyon. This gives you an idea of the massiveness of this canyon. There are times when a rainstorm, on a mountainside far away, will bring all the water down through these narrow canyons, and if you are in these narrow canyons, you could get caught up in a very dangerous downstream flood, that has taken many lives. These canyon hikes are to be taken with great caution.
A million years of whispers –
A night deep in stars.
-Andrew Frieder
Part of really enjoying Zions National Park is getting out and taking hikes to see the magnificence of these mountains. Can you think of what you would say if you stood below these magnificent peaks?
The main entrance into the park on a typical day during the summer is incredibly busy. It can take hours some days to get around the park to see things in your car. The recommendation, they say, is to park your car outside the park, and take the shuttle. It will get you where you want to go, no waiting, and get you back to the car at the end of the day, with no hassle.
As you may have guessed, the red streaks are not blood. They are left by overlying layers of rock as they slowly erode. The Altar of Sacrifice is made mostly of Navajo Sandstone. On top of the Navajo Sandstone is the Sinawava Member of the Temple Cap Formation. Made of mudstone rich in iron oxide, the Sinawava Member leaves streaks of red on the layers below.
Every rain storm and snow melt washes a little more of the red stone down the cliff. The Altar of Sacrifice will maintain its striking appearance until there are no longer any overlying layers.
NPS Photo / Christina Adele Warburg
THAT’S A TRAIL?
-John Muir
NPS Photo / Brian Whitehead
[Image description: sage brush and junipers with red and white sandstone peaks in the background, peaks from left to right: Mountain of the Sun, Twin Brothers, East Temple, and Mount Spry.]
[Image description: Picture of Zion covered in snow from Canyon Overlook ]
NPS Photo / Christina Adele Warburg
When Zion Canyon received its first Federal protection in 1909, it was known as Mukuntuweap National Monument. Mukuntuweap is a Southern Paiute word that is sometimes translated as “straight canyon”. It is easy to see what might have been meant by this description.
Mukuntuweap’s popularity grew, but the name was hard for westerners to say. President Woodrow Wilson issued an executive proclamation on March 18, 1918 enlarging the monument from 15,840 acres to 76,800 acres and changing its name to Zion National Monument.
The following year, Senator Smoot introduced a Senate bill, which would transform Zion National Monument into a national park. On November 19, 1919, President Wilson signed the bill into law establishing Zion National Park as Utah’s first national park.
NPS Photo / Brian Whitehead
[Image description: almost vertical canyon walls of red and white sandstone extend into the distance as green trees and a river occupy the valley between.]
HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS PICTORIAL OF ZIONS NATIONAL PARK. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS OF THIS MAGNIFICENT PARK, PLEASE GO TO THEIR WEBSITE AT: https://www.facebook.com/zionnps/
* All photos courtesy of Zions National Park
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