Zion is my favorite national park for many reasons, so I try to pay it forward when I go. I had just paid for 2 passes so the ranger could let someone deserving in for free, who couldn’t afford it or seemed to need it. He was slightly dumbfounded and said this had only happened once before, the month before, and that made me sad. He said I was going to have an amazing, special visit. He was right. There was a herd of bighorn sheep not far from the entrance, and I was able to watch them for a very long time. They are so majestic looking, and seem less like sheep than some prehistoric deer on an African savanna. Such a gorgeous experience
Sincerely,
Zion National Park
Free-flowing rivers cut through multi-hued sedimentary rock to form Zion's deep and spectacular canyons. Park trails lead visitors to dramatic rock formations, hanging gardens, scenic vistas, ancient rock art and natural arches. People have lived in Zion’s landscape for at least 8,000 years, and the park's prehistoric art and artifacts tell the stories of the area’s previous inhabitants. The park also provides habitat for a variety of wildlife and large mammals, hardy desert plants like cholla and juniper, and rare and threatened birds like the peregrine falcon, California condor and Mexican spotted owl.
State(s): Utah
Established: 1909
“National Parks are the only way to protect some of our most beautiful and necessary natural places that bring comfort, peace, joy, sustenance in the deepest of ways. ”
National parks represent the best of America. Why do you care about protecting and preserving them? Tell us why parks matter to you!
Success! Thanks for sharing your story with us.
You’ll be notified by email when your story is approved and added to the collection on the My Park Story homepage.
In the meantime, you can share your own story page with your family and friends — and help us spread the word about these priceless memories and priceless places!
Here’s your unique story page link:
{{ storyUrl }}-
Greetings from Zion National Park
Zion National Park will always have a special place in my heart. The first time visiting, I hiked up to Observation Point in the morning and did a few miles in The Narrows in the afternoon. It was a glorious and exhausting introduction to the park. Years later, I brought…
-
Greetings from Zion National Park
I did the Narrows top-down in May 2021. I woke up in the middle of the night because I was warm, but I wasn't sweating...which could only mean one thing. Heatstroke was on the way. And when I rummaged in my pack for my Camebak, I discovered that it had…
-
Greetings from Zion National Park
My family were campers. We would camp during the summers on our vacations from Texas to California in the 1960's. We would stop at Zion NP and camp at the South Campground on the Virgin River. As an adult I continued to vacation at Zion many times. When I retired…
Preserve Our Parks
Make a tax-deductible gift today to provide a brighter future for our national parks and the millions of Americans who enjoy them.
Donate Now