In January 2020, my best friend and I had planned an epic 10 day Utah and Arizona adventure for Spring that year. As we all know what happened in a few short months, the trip was cancelled, the world locked down, and life changed as we know it. Finally in August 2022, things started going back to normal so we aligned our schedules, circled a day, blocked our calendars and hit the road for the trip that came to be affectionately known by us as Utah 2.0! This trip was an amazing adventure filled with breathtaking panoramic views, meeting the nicest people, unexpectedly awesome food, and a few surprises throughout. Continue reading for all the details on our two days at Zion National Park, and our tips and tricks for getting the most out of your experience here. I’ll list out our best recommendations for hikes, food and where to stay. This page has affiliate links and if you purchase something from this page I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. I donate 5% of this blog’s revenue to the Environmental Defense Fund, so you help donate to a great cause if you click on any affiliate links or ads that may be on this page.
We both flew into Harry Reid International Airport – Las Vegas (LAS) with early flights, both landing by 10am. We took the airport shuttle to the car rental center where we had reserved a rental with Avis. From here, it is about a four hour drive to Zion National Park. On the way, we stopped at the Walmart in Hurricane, UT to get water, some snacks and a few household items. Here are some options for places to stop along the way from Las Vegas to Zion National Park:
- Walmart – St. George – 2610 Pioneer Rd, Saint George, UT 84790
- Target – St. George – 275 S River Road, Saint, George UT 84790
- Walmart – Hurricane – 180 N 3400 W St, Hurricane, UT 84737
Hint: Our Air BNB was in Orderville. We drove past Springdale and then took the Mt. Carmel Highway to get there. Even though you’re not stopping in Zion, you will pass through a National Park Service gate. We happened to have an annual pass handy, so it wasn’t a problem for us, but just be prepared if you happen to be going this way.
Where to Stay at Zion National Park
We stayed in Orderville at this cute little Air BnB called //ABODE³ at East Zion. The property is owned by East Zion Experiences which seemed like a great service if you’re interested in something a little unique during your trip. The AirBnB was clean and cute, but its definitely tiny, and about a 45 minute drive back to the visitor center at Zion. In hindsight I would recommend booking a hotel in Springdale. We almost stayed at SpringHill Suites – Springdale Zion National Park which I would consider if I ever came back to Zion. Its super convenient because the town of Springdale has its own shuttle and it would have just saved so much time. Also, driving through the mountains of the Mount Carmel Highway was just stunning and gorgeous but the thought of it made me a little nervous in the dark, so we were sure to leave before it got too late. If we stayed in Springdale, I would have felt very comfortable enjoying the parks longer and everything this cute little town had to offer. But if Air BnBs are more your speed, you’re looking for a very unique experience, and don’t mind driving through the Mt Carmel Highway (which was stunning!) then definitely consider Abode. The host were super helpful and sent out recommendations to help with your trip as soon as you book. The host was also very quick to answer any questions you might send their way and also have other properties you can consider. We also had a gorgeous sunset with this amazing rainbow one night.
The Shuttle Service at Zion National Park
From May to November the park offers a shuttle that circles throughout the park and stops at each of the trailheads. This route is the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive and is only available for you to drive in your personal vehicle winter season from November to May. The rest of the time it is closed for bus access only and a few other exemptions. For more information on the shuttle system, visit The Zion Canyon Shuttle System.
Note, there is a Zion Canyon Line and a Springdale Line. Once you’re out of the park and if you want to explore Springdale for food, shops, and nearby lodging, the Springdale line is a great option. Springdale is a cute little town just outside of the park that has everything you could need when you’re not exploring Zion Canyon. There is even a little market called The Happy Camper where you can find a lot of last minute necessities, so do keep this in mind if you have any last minute emergencies. I forgot contact solution and this place was a lifesaver since there really isn’t anything else within about an hour’s time.
Hiking Zion National Park
Angel’s Landing and Scout’s Lookout at Zion National Park
We were out the door by 6am to start our day hiking Angel’s Landing early. I highly recommend starting your day early because you will beat the crowds on the trails and also at the parking lot which is very important. Also, thunderstorms seem to usually threaten to roll in during the afternoon. You will not have phone service in this park so you won’t be able to keep track of the weather and we definitely didn’t want to get stuck in any heavy rain.
Angel’s Landing is one of the most popular hikes at Zion National Park, and its definitely one of the more unique, bucket list hikes you can do. But we are beginner hikers, this was the first time we did a trip like this, and we opted against going all the way to Angel’s Landing. Instead we stopped at Scout’s Lookout and continued left along the West Rim Mesa Trail, instead of going right to Angel’s Landing. We stopped and had our PB&J lunch we packed at Scout’s Lookout, watched everyone go up to Angel’s Landing and took in the views. Even though we didn’t do the Angel’s Landing hike, this is a great viewpoint. If you have people in your group that want to go to Angel’s Landing, and you’re not comfortable I recommend going up to Scout’s Landing and hanging out until they complete it. I wouldn’t feel pressured to complete this, its surely something that’s not for the faint of heart and the Scout’s Lookout views are just as breathtaking. Bonus: if you do continue along the East Mesa Trail, you’ll notice it’s not crowded at all. You’ll get to the same elevation as Angel’s Landing, just without the crowds.
If you do decide to hike Angel’s Landing you will need a permit to do so. The permit system is relatively new because of the increased popularity of the hike and it helps to minimize people on the ridge. Visit the link above for the details on how to submit your permit request.
Observation Point – Zion National Park
Observation Point via East Mesa Trail is a little different to get to. At this point in time, you can’t hike there from inside the park, so you will need to take your personal vehicle from the Zion Mt. Carmel HWY and then take the North Fork County Road and enter the park from the east. You will pass local homes and it feels like you’re going the wrong way. The road also turns into a dirt road and feels a bit tight, so we were glad we made it here early before it got too crowded. You will come to a very small awkward parking area to leave your car and start your hike. You can also take a shuttle via East Zion Adventures. Once you do get to the trailhead, it is a 7 mile out and back hike, through a forested path. Its a flat, easy hike, but very long and boring until you get to the amazing view at the end. It was also very buggy with lots of flies. I had a citronella bracelet that really didn’t work at all. All in all, its a beautiful view once you get to the end, we do recommend it, definitely take into account the sketchy drive and parking lot, and the long buggy, woodsy hike.
The cool thing about this hike is, you can see the narrow ridge of Angel’s Landing right below my right shoulder in the photo on the left. For as much hype as Angel’s Landing gets, its not the highest view point, more that of a daring experience to overcome and score some bragging rights. I just thought it was cool to be looking down on this view when we felt like we were already so high up when we gazed out from Scout’s Lookout just the day before.
We didn’t have time for any other hikes. But we felt that after so many drives up the mountain through the tunnel through the Mt. Carmel Highway, the stunning views from the tunnel along the Mt. Carmel Highway (you can see the tunnel window right above the car in the picture below) and taking the shuttle through the park to Angel’s Landing, we saw a lot of the beauty this park had to offer. We do still want to return to hike the Narrows, which we didn’t do because of the toxic cyanobacteria in the water at the time. There are other hikes as well that were closed that we wanted to see, so be sure to check the National Park Services Current Conditions for Zion National Park when you are getting ready to visit so you can accurately plan your trip.
Where to Eat in Springdale – Zion National Park
FeelLove Coffee
For breakfast, pastries, coffee, or just a light bite, we highly recommend FeelLove Coffee. For this little coffeeshop alone, I wish we stayed in Springdale because hands down this was the best avocado toast I’ve ever had. The coffee menu is also extensive and I couldn’t decide what to get but what we both ordered was amazing. I also got an almond pastry which was fresh and delicious, even at 3pm. I can’t recommend this little coffee shop enough, go here! Even if you don’t drink coffee, all their beverages are amazing, my bestie got something that wasn’t caffeinated and it was really tasty and refreshing.
Oscar’s Cafe
For dinner we went to Oscar’s Café which has everything but is known for its Mexican. We got the fish tacos, although it sounded like they had been slow roasting pork all day for the special, so I think we made the wrong choice but it was still very good.
There’s lots of other restaurants throughout Springdale, and the locals didn’t have enough good things to say about all of them so I don’t think you can go wrong. Zion Brewery is Southern Utah’s first microbrewery and it looked like a great option for food as well. It is a quick walk from the Visitor Center. Just note once you walk past the visitor center, if you want to re-enter for parking, you will likely need your park pass to re-enter.
I hope this helps you plan your trip to Zion National Park! If you found this helpful please leave a comment below! And don’t forget to follow me on Instagram at @amanda_meets_world_ 🙂
