In 1909 President William Howard Taft signed legislation that made Zion a national monument, which was known at that time as Mukuntuweap National Monument. In 1918 the name was changed to Zion National Monument, and in the following year was upgraded to a national park.
One of Zion’s most famous features is the death-defying hike up to Angels Landing. The trail climbs 1200 feet in roughly 2.4 miles. To reach the top hikers have to ascend Walter's Wiggles, a series of 21 steep switchbacks up to Scout Lookout. The last half-mile features sharp drop-offs along a narrow path, which includes chains for hikers to grip. The chains are there for a very good reason. In the past eight years alone six people have plunged to their deaths after losing their footing along this trail.
Although Zion Canyon is the main attraction, I highly recommend spending at least 2 or 3 hours exploring the area east of the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel. In addition to hiking the easy half-mile trail out to Zion Canyon Overlook, there are several interesting rock formations to check out. Here are a few random photos from this strange and beautiful area of the park:
Hiking Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks covers 56 hikes in the two parks, as well as the surrounding areas, such as Cedar Breaks National Monument.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
1 comment:
Nice places! Thanks for sharing with us.
Brian Head
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