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Zion National Park, Part 2
Posted by Bigfoot on June 29th, 2009
As noted in Part 1, a seven-mile-long road extends northward into Zion Canyon from a visitor’s center near the southern entrance to the park. At the north end of the road is a place called the Temple of Sinawava, named for the coyote god of the Paiute Indians. Unlike many named features in the park, the “Temple” is not a rock formation, but an open area surrounded mostly by cliffs. From the end of the road, a paved trail leads visitors about a mile further up the Virgin River, as the canyon narrows into a steep gorge.
Near the north end of the paved trail, the river cascades over these rocks.
Hikers may proceed even further upriver at the end of the trail, if they don’t mind getting their feet wet.
Back along the main road, this is the Zion Lodge.
After returning via shuttle bus to the visitor’s center and my rent-a-car, I drove toward the park’s east entrance. The road goes up the wall of a side canyon through several switchbacks. From one of them, I could see the Great Arch.
After going through a tunnel, I drove by a bunch of sandstone formations on the way to the east entrance. Here are three of them.
Part of that last one reminds me of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, sort of.
Thus ended my day in Zion, but I would soon return – to a different part of the park.
