chapters for Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands.)
By late March or early April, an abundance of wildflowers bursts onto the scene, their colorful blossoms vying for the visitors’ attention with the colorful canyon walls. As spring changes to summer, more flowers bloom, but their colors are shortlived. Many early summer flowers fade as heat and dryness begin to dominate, and night-blooming flowers then begin to blossom.
Summer thunderstorms initiate Zion’s second most prolific blooming season. Even some spring flowers bloom again if summer rains are abundant. Yellow flowers seem to dominate the scene in late summer and fall.
A vast array of birds is found in Zion, representing 271 species, of which 125 remain year-round. Rufous-sided towhees, blue-gray gnatcatchers, and blackheaded grosbeaks are common denizens of forest habitats, while water ouzels, Say’s phoebes, great blue herons, and Calliope hummingbirds prefer an aquatic habitat. Roadrunners scurry across open desert, and golden eagles and red-tailed hawks soar on invisible air currents in search of prey. In the fall pinyon and scrub jays congregate in pinyon woodlands, feasting on pinyon nuts.
Reptiles are by far the most frequently encountered animals on Zion’s trails. These cold-blooded creatures are especially well-adapted to living in a semiarid environment. Of the 30 species of reptiles occurring in Zion, hikers will most commonly see the eastern fence lizard, likely doing “pushups” on a trailside boulder. Short-horned lizards and western skinks are also common.
Gopher snakes and whipsnakes are common in the drier areas, while the western garter snake prefers to stay close to water. The western rattlesnake is Zion’s only poisonous reptile, occurring in canyons and on dry slopes. They are rarely seen, however, and if given half a chance will usually slither away and hide.
Amphibians, of which only seven species occur in Zion, are infrequently seen, since they stay close to water sources and damp areas. Snails are an important part of Zion’s aquatic community. Most noteworthy is the Zion snail, a tiny invertebrate about the size of a pinhead. Endemic to Zion, this snail is found only along seeps and springs on the canyon walls of the Zion Narrows.
Fish inhabit many of Zion’s streams, including cutthroat trout and bluehead suckers. Fishing is poor, however, in the siltladen Virgin River.
Common Zion rodents are the desert cottontail, the pocket gopher, and the cliff chipmunk. The latter is particularly noticeable begging handouts from hikers in places such as Observation Point.
Fossil dinosaur track, Left Fork North Creek
One of the most common large mammals in Zion is the mule deer. They range from Zion Canyon to the plateaus. Rarely seen is their chief predator, the mountain lion. Occasionally, a Rocky Mountain elk wanders into the Park from the higher plateau to the north. Striped and spotted skunks, gray foxes, ringtails, mountain voles, and insect-eating bats also live in Zion, although most of them are seldom seen.
Finally, many hikers are well acquainted with the most abundant of life forms in the Park, insects. Mosquitoes, no-see-ums, and biting flies are real nuisances in spring and early summer and in some locations these annoying creatures persist well into autumn.
Interpretive Activities
Everyone’s first stop in Zion should be at the Visitor Center. Books, maps, backcountry permits for overnight hiking, weather reports, interpretive displays, and schedules of interpretive programs are available there. Park rangers on duty are veritable encyclopedias of information. Zion’s Visitor Center is the largest and most complete such facility in all of Utah’s national parks, and your experience in the Park will be greatly enriched by a stop.
During the peak tourist season, roughly from late March through early November, Visitor Center hours are 8 A.M.–9 P.M.. Winter hours are 8 A.M.–5 P.M. Evening programs at South Campground’s Amphitheater and naturalist programs at the Visitor Center are conducted from spring through fall. Children’s programs are conducted twice daily at the Nature Center, near the campground amphitheater, from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Parents can leave their children here and enjoy a short hike in the canyon.
Ranger-guided hikes include Riverside Walk; up the Narrows to Orderville Canyon; Angels Landing; the Emerald Pools Trail to Middle Pool; the Watchman Trail; the Canyon Overlook Trail; and naturalists-choice hikes.
Springdale, Utah, located at the mouth of Zion Canyon just south of the Park’s south entrance, offers a full line of services for Park visitors. Hikers, however, are advised to come prepared, since there is little hiking equipment or backpack food available in town. Springdale has several motels, restaurants, gas stations, and grocery stores. The communities of St. George, Hurricane, Kanab, and Cedar City also have a wide array of services and accommodations. Hospitals are located in St. George, Kanab, and Cedar City.
Campgrounds
The private Zion Canyon Campground, a short distance south of the South Entrance, offers a spacious, shady campground with tent sites and full hookups for RVs. Hot showers, a laundry, and a market are also available.
Zion has two large campgrounds, one of which remains open through the winter. Watchman and South campgrounds are located a short distance north of the South Entrance. Overnight camping fees are collected at the self-registration station at each campground.
Watchman Campground is Zion’s largest, with 246 campsites on a bench above North Fork Virgin River at 3900 feet. Young boxelders, velvet ash, netleaf hackberry, and Fremont cottonwoods shade campers, but are still small enough to allow fine views of the canyon walls, including the fluted cliffs of The Watchman and Bridge Mountain. South Campground, at 3950 feet, is considerably smaller, with 141 campsites. Large netleaf hackberry and Fremont cottonwood provide ample shade for campers at this pleasant riverside campground. These two campgrounds often fill by early- to mid-afternoon during the spring-through-fall peak season, so come early if you plan to camp here.
Lava Point Campground is a stark contrast to the desert-like campgrounds in Zion Canyon. It rests atop the lava-capped mesa of Lava Point at 7900 feet. This is a primitive campground, and since no water is provided, no fee is charged. Its six campsites are shaded by white fir, ponderosa pine, aspen, and Gambel oak. Views from the campsites are limited to the peaceful forest that surrounds it.
Wood gathering in the Park is prohibited, so if you want to build a fire in the grills provided at each campground, bring your own.
Zion has two developed picnic sites. The Grotto Picnic Area is on the shady canyon floor between Red Arch Mountain and The Spearhead. A large parking area serves the spacious picnic area, elevation 4290 feet. The Kolob Canyons Viewpoint (elevation 6300 feet) at the roadend in the Kolob section of Zion also boasts a small but delightful picnic area. Nestled against a hillside in a woodland of pinyon and juniper, this site offers some of the most dramatic views in all of the Park.
Visitors are free to picnic wherever they wish in the Park, but everyone should be sure to pack out all their trash, including orange and banana peels—these biodegradable items will not decompose in the arid desert climate.
Zion Lodge offers a variety of services and accommodations. A motel, motel suites, and western cabins are available for an overnight stay, but guests are advised to make reservations four to six months in advance. The lodge is open all year. A restaurant and a gift shop are here. Guided tram tours are available, and arrangements for horseback rides along the Sand Bench Trail and information on the shuttle service for hikers are also available at Zion Lodge.
For further information:
Park
