Before departing our 'disbursed' camping spot, we drove down the dirt road a bit. This is government land and is open to different uses. 4-wheeling on ATV's is big all around here and there are concessions to rent them and conduct trail rides, although people bring their own and just go off on the trails. This is such a place. Down the road was a corral with saddled horses, waiting for the dudes to come on a trail ride. Cattle also graze out here. I know pictures of mountains are getting kind of boring, but here's where we turned around. We returned to the RV to get ready to depart. See it right there in the middle? We planned to 'do' Zion and move on to Hurricane, Utah for the next night. It's less than 100 miles, but the 12 miles or so approaching the Visitor Center at point B is something else!! The road descends into the canyon on a very winding road. Even though it's a through highway, all traffic must pay the $25 park entry fee (unless you have the $10 lifetime Senior Pass, then it's free). If you are in a dually pickup, are pulling a trailer, or an RV, you must also pay a $15 'escort fee' to go through the 1.1 mile tunnel. No 18 wheelers! (we saw one get turned back at the park entrance.) Much of the drive was done creeping along at 15-20 mph, even before the tunnel. The reason for the tunnel fee is that all oncoming traffic must clear the tunnel before we could go through. Of course all traffic behind us had to wait as well. The height limit at the center of the tunnel is 13' 1" and we are under 12', so we are OK in the middle of the road. Entering the tunnel was a little 'dicey' before my eyes adjusted to the dark. I tried to keep the center of the RV on the yellow lines on the center of the road and was apparently successful, since we didn't scrape the roof anywhere. It was totally dark except for occasional openings in the side wall. It was a tense drive, and remember it's 1.1 miles. Finally the light at the end of the tunnel! From here there was a series of 180 degree switchbacks. Very scenic for those not driving. (arrow points to the road after the turn) Here's a map of this stretch of road. Finally resting at the RV parking area at the Visitor Center. Zion Park, like Bryce Canyon, is popular with hikers, as there are many trails throughout the parks. Whereas Bryce is viewed from the rim of the canyon, Zion is viewed from the valley floor, which follows the Virgin River. The river formed the canyon over the centuries and continue to erode and change the valley. Access to the valley is by shuttle buses that run every 5 minutes or so. There are stops at scenic spots and trailheads, and you can get on and off as you like. Here's one of the stops. The hiking trails here are mostly climbing, in fact we saw a climber scaling a sheer cliff. In the next photo, we could see people on the rim, 1400 feet up, who had hiked up there. A short trail along the river. And another friend! Zion was breathtaking, but we were glad to move on to spend the night in Hurricane, Utah. We are surprised to see apparent signs of prosperity in this small town, mostly new and attractive buildings, nicely landscaped. The Walmart was on the outskirts. Tomorrow we head for VEGAS, BABY! Stay tuned.
6 Comments
Diana LeBlanc
5/24/2011 04:25:07 am
These were beautiful shots. Breathtaking! Did you park in the WalMart parking lot??
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Who Are We?
Chuck and Mary Lou have been traveling in their RV since 2002 and have lately been taking longer, extended trips. This is our way to share our experiences. Trip Reports
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