As soon as we crossed into Southern Utah we were immediately greeted with sweeping mesas and plateaus and beautiful red rock cliffs and sandstone formations. The Greater Zion area is packed full of outdoor recreation areas. Our home for the next two weeks is Sand Hollow State Park in Hurricane Utah. All of this area is pretty windy, but Hurricane is especially so. You definitely have to plan around the wind forecast here.
On our first full day, I headed out for a bike ride. Another bonus for this area is there are plenty of bike routes. Mostly highway riding, but shoulders are really wide and the traffic is not too heavy. My route took me around Sand Hollow and around Quail Creek reservoirs. Amazing views. I met a local rider along the way, Jeff, who gave me some good tips and route ideas.
Visiting Zion National Park can be overwhelming. The crowds, limited parking, etc can leave a sour taste in one’s mouth if you are not prepared or expecting such hurdles. We planned to visit the park multiple days so we arrived with little expectations. We were able to get in a couple of short hikes and check out the visitor center. I’ll take that as a win. Zion Canyon is incredible, but in my opinion I would take a less impressive view if it meant little to no other people around.
Next up, Red Cliffs National Conservation Area. This place was awesome. Reminded me of Sedona Arizona. A great sand stone window rock along the trail. We encountered a mountain unicycler. That’s a first. His balance and skill on the unicycle was incredible. Fun to just hang out and watch. Some of the terrain he was riding down, I would have trouble just walking 🙂
Snow Canyon State Park is a nice alternative to Zion if you want some spectacular scenery and solitude. We encountered maybe 5 other people during our entire hike on the Snow Canyon Overlook trail. Most of the trail was just juniper trees and not much else to see, but when you reach the overlook and the view of Snow Canyon opens up, you have that moment of “oh wow, this was so worth it.” Sitting on the rocks of the overlook and gazing upon this gorgeous view, high up with the birds riding the wind currents just feet away from you, life doesn’t get much better.
On Zion Day 2, we brought the bikes and rode the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. Now this felt like the right way to experience Zion. We arrived and started early because we just don’t know when the parking areas will fill up. So it was pretty dang cold at the start and the further you go back in the canyon, the more the temperature drops. At Temple of Sinawava which is the end of the road it was 38 degrees. Yikes. We had plenty of layers on but still the ‘ol hands and toes were going numb. But the cool temps did not dampen our spirits and this ride turned out to be one of the most enjoyable experience I have ever had on two wheels. The best part — all downhill on the way back 🙂 And the temperature climbed quickly on our way back — over 60 once we made it back to Pa’rus Trail and the Visitor Center. That warm sunshine felt so nice 🙂 We peeled off all those layers and hopped back on the bike to Springdale. Lunch at the Zion Brew Pub. Something about food and beer after a good ride — it just tastes incredible. We were enjoying our day so much we continued riding along the Springdale Bike Path. A little stop for ice cream for the cherry on top of a wonderful day.
Hurricane Utah is well named — the winds can reach near hurricane force. The Sand Hollow Reservoir looked so enticing to paddle around with the kayak, but we knew we just had to wait and pick our moment when the winds calmed. Today was the day. The winds stopped blowing. We seized the moment and it did not disappoint. We paddled around the sand stone shores and the sand stone island. Blue skies, sunshine, water smooth as silk, the paddle and kayak cut through it with ease. It’s been a while since we kayaked without having to fight current and/or winds. Nice 🙂
The winds did not subside for long. A few days later we were under a Hazardous Weather Alert with winds expected to gust up to 55 mph. While Hurricane gets the biggest of the wind, the entire Greater Zion area is pretty windy. The trailer was a-rocking all night long and not in a good way if you catch my drift. It was a little scary. We took precautions to make sure everything outside was either stored or secured, but didn’t matter. The bikes got knocked over. The outdoor table/stove knocked over. Even the spare tire cover flew off. Neither one of us got much sleep. Felt like we were on the ocean during a storm. Luckily, nothing was damaged or broken. I think anything over 60 mph and we are leaving the trailer to stay in a hotel for the night 🙂
Zion Day 3 was a hiking day. We arrived a little later than previous days and the parking lot was full but with a little patience and luck we snagged a spot as someone was leaving. And this is just the beginning of the peak season. There are meters all along the town of Springdale about 5 miles of metered parking for when the area really explodes with visitors. We rode the shuttle to the trailheads, not a bad way to get around a National Park. The trails were crowded but still some pleasant hikes. Another stop at the Zion Brew Pub in Springdale for a tasty beverage as a farewell to Zion National Park.
I rode with my new friend, Jeff, the next day. Our route included the road to Zion along with some scenic side roads. We climbed Mesa Rd which is a challenging 3 mile climb up to the ridge of Hurricane Mesa — tough but the views and descent made it all worthwhile. We climbed the backside of Rockville which opened up into an incredible view of the backside of Zion Canyon. We battled a headwind on the way back but an ice cream break and big downhill back into Hurricane Valley helped push us to the end of the ride. We have met some very kind people on this journey. I hope Jeff visits us in Portugal for some European bike touring.
Our last couple of days in the Greater Zion area did not disappoint. A kayak day and a bike ride day. We biked the Snow Canyon Loop Bike Path in St George. St George has quite the infrastructure for cyclists. Bike paths connect you to pretty much any part of town. The Snow Canyon Loop is super scenic, but it does have 1700 ft of climbing. Emi did not like the climb 🙂 But once at the top of Snow Canyon, it was all downhill for 10 miles back to our vehicle. I thoroughly enjoyed this ride. I find it interesting that just a lazy day on the lake at camp, paddling around, exploring the sand stone islands and the vegetation along the shoreline can be just as nice as a day in a National Park with all its prestige and natural beauty. It really isn’t what activity you do or what landmark you see, it is how it makes you feel and who you share the experience with. Life is funny like that.
My opinion on Zion National Park — it is over-hyped, it is over-crowded, but I understand why. Having a town right on the park’s boundary where you can eat, drink, sleep, and walk right into the park makes things convenient. It is stunning and worth battling the crowds, and there are areas like Kolob Terrace Rd and the West entrance to Kolob Canyon where you can find some more solitude. My advice – be prepared and arrive early.
Well that’s a wrap for our stay here in Hurricane, Utah…next stop Bryce Canyon for a few days…then Moab, Utah!! Stay tuned…