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
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