From Canyon Rim to the Narrows: Zion National Park
Zion is one of those rare places you can experience from top to bottom in a single day—and still feel like you’ve only just begun. That’s exactly what we did, hiking our way through towering sandstone cliffs, dipping into icy river water, chatting with chipmunks, and spotting bighorn sheep on our way out. All in one long, full, memorable day.
We started high—literally—with the Canyon Overlook Trail, a short but steep climb that rewarded us with sweeping views over the canyon below. The kids charged up like mountain goats, and the chipmunks near the overlook made sure we paused for some trail-side entertainment. They scampered right up to inspect our snack supply and dazzled us with their fearlessness of a thousand-foot drop.
From there, we wound our way down into the canyon, hopping between stops like the Visitor Center, the under-renovation Nature Center, and the iconic Riverside Walk. The paved path along the Virgin River gave us close encounters with squirrels sunbathing on the rocks, and while the trail was busy, we found a quiet sandy patch near the river to dip our toes in. It felt like 40 degrees (Fahrenheit, of course)—enough to make the kids squeal and the adults rethink any desire to hike deeper into The Narrows without dry pants and neoprene socks. We’ll be back when the kids are older and ready to wade upstream through the Narrows where thousand-foot cliffs come a mere 20 feet apart.
The final adventure of the day was to the Middle and Upper Emerald Pools. With the bridge out near Zion Lodge, it was an out-and-back trail from the Grotto shuttle stop—longer and steeper than expected. Lorelei, Jack, and Adeline took it on with gusto, joined by Mom, Grandad, and Grandma, who weren’t about to let a few switchbacks and mountain hugging trails stop them. Meanwhile, Carolina, James, and I stayed back at the Lodge. James made his own fun by chasing a couple of wild turkeys across the lawn.
We capped the day with a moment of Zion magic—a herd of bighorn sheep perched on a giant rock near the park’s eastern exit. We pulled over, rolled down the windows, and just watched. Between them, the mule deer, wild turkeys, ravens, chipmunks, and squirrels, it felt like a regular safari.
And Poky? The pup sat this one out—but not without ceremony. He got a full hotdog before we left in the morning and he had already gotten his paws on Zion’s one dog-friendly trail—the Pa’rus Trail—a few days earlier so he could officially claim Zion trail credit too.
Zion gave us something rare: a canyon that lets you touch both the rim and the river in a single day. It’s compact without feeling small, grand without being overwhelming. It’s the kind of place where multiple generations can hike together, squirrels sunbathe by the Virgin River, and a toddler can chase turkeys across a Lodge lawn while everyone else pretends not to notice.
We’ll be back—when the kids are ready to wade through the Narrows and James is old enough not to chase the turkeys.
