Two National Parks in Their Off Season

A Trip Highlight of Zion and Bryce Canyon

I’ve been missing the outdoors a lot lately. And I don’t mean the beaches in SoCal, I’m talking staring up at mountains that put into perspective just how small you really are. So instead of enjoying the 70 degree weather at home for my week off, we packed up and drove 7 hours to 30 degree Utah.

After running the half marathon in Sedona last February, I fell in love with the red rock landscape. That was when I made a mental note to eventually visit Zion National Park. 

From my not so extensive research, I discovered that January is Zion’s off season. This meant few crowds, cold weather, and free for all on parking. Zion is known to have shuttles during high season that take you from the town of Springdale throughout the park. This is said to aid in congestion and noise within the park. In Winter however, these shuttles don’t run because of the limited visitors so you have to look for parking at the trailheads. We knew we would have to leave early for this because if we didn’t find a spot, there weren’t any shuttles that could take us.

Zion Day 1

Our first full day in Zion, we left our Airbnb in Hurricane at 6am to get to the park by sunrise for parking. We wanted to make this a large hiking day, so I downloaded the AllTrails maps for Scout Lookout, Emerald Pools, and Watchmen Trail. Unsure of the trail conditions, we didn’t get an Angels Landing permit and chose to hike to Scout Lookout. We were pleased to arrive at an empty parking lot and get an early start to our day. Feeling extremely out of shape, we took in the overcast views of the red rocks and bare winter branches.

We shared the trail with maybe 6 other hikers throughout the day and found a lot of privacy when we made our way through Walters Wiggles to the lookout point. Luckily, we could take in the view of Angels Landing and the canyons without fighting off crows that would surely be there in summer. As we made our way back down, we hopped on the connecting Kayenta Trail to Emerald Pools.

Emerald Pools

I found Emerald Pools to be underwhelming. My favorite view on the trail wasn’t even a pool itself, but the massive rocks in the background coming down from the upper pool. The lower pool has a waterfall that you could walk underneath which was pretty neat to see, although I feel it would have been prettier in summer with the sunshine out. The middle pool was uphill from there and was not very thrilling with Jacob pointing out, “we have this in San Ramon.” The upper pool was about 0.3 miles from the middle and consisted of a large waterfall. While the upper pool was more worth the steps, we ranked the hike at the bottom of our list for the trip.

As we made our way back down to the parking lot, we were surprised to see a full parking lot with cars circling for spots. To our amazement, the trailhead filled up in the time we were off hiking. I can’t imagine what it must be like in their peak season if spots were filling up like this in the winter. We finished the day on the Watchmen Trail after parking at the visitor’s center and were greeted with stunning expansive views of the canyons and low crowds. At this point, it was 2pm and we had already hiked 15 miles for the day. We forced our sore legs back down the rocks and ended with a hot tub at our Airbnb. Tomorrow was going to be quite the adventure.

Zion Day 2

After reviewing the weather for the week, we decided our Zion experience wouldn’t be complete without a little risk through the Narrows.

We rented our gear from Zion Outfitters which included canyoneering boots, neoprene socks, dry bibs, dry sack, and large wooden sticks. After forcing Jacob out of bed again at 5am, we made our way to another empty parking lot at the Temple of Sinawava Trailhead. The biggest risk with the narrows is the potential for a flash flood.

The weather showed no warnings for the day and the ranger the previous day had assured us that although cold, there was no inclement weather until later that night. We made our way down the Riverwalk trail in our busty gear at 8am and saw the flash flood warning sign that read “probable.” Cursing as we made our way down the river, we hoped to run into other crazy people who were planning on experiencing this canyon. We eventually met a couple who spoke to a ranger that morning and said the river rpm was down by 10 from the previous day, now at 68, and gave them the go ahead.

There’s always risk associated with hiking the narrows, it’s just about whether or not you want to take it. We decided to take it. 

Trudging Through

As we began our hike into the river, we felt the water overtake our shoes. We knew this water must be freezing, but the neoprene socks kept our feet warm. We trudged along bank to bank, stopping to admire the canyon along the way. The caves in the canyon, height of the rock walls, and curves that lead on miles downstream. It was like an adult’s playground.

The water would hit our ankles, then our calves, then rise suddenly to our waist with certain steps. Making us meticulously plan out where to step along the way. We made it a decent way down the narrows, fighting strong currents and yanking our wooden sticks out of rock crevices, before we heard thunder and decided to turn back for more adventures and abort the risk. 

It was so peaceful in the narrows and such a fun challenge to wade upstream, I can only imagine how refreshing (and busy) it must be in the summer. I was surprised at how warm our gear kept us and how much fun we really had walking through.

It was 11am by the time we made it back to the car and I convinced Jacob the trip wouldn’t be complete without the 2 hour drive over to Bryce Canyon.

Bryce Canyon

The road to Bryce Canyon National Park takes you through Zion and Dixie National Forest, so the drive doesn’t truly feel that lengthy. I was awestruck at the change in scenery only 2 hours away, for now the mountains in the distance were covered in snow.

As we approached the national park entrance, I saw no Hoodoos in sight. Just barren trees and snowy banks. Skeptical, we paid the fee and continued on to Sunset Point. As we peered over the edge of the Rim Trail, we were greeted by miles of snow covered Hoodoos with their fierce red tops shining through. This instantly became one of my favorite places. All I wanted was to be down there walking amongst the rocks, admiring their size.

Roadblock

I went to start the Navajo Loop, but was disappointed to see it had been closed (later research showed that this loop closes in the Winter due to hazardous conditions). With a shitty mood, I peered over the edge one last time and saw people amongst the rocks in the distance! I pulled out my map and figured they must be coming through the Sunrise Point side. We got in our car and drove to the other point and sure enough, Queens Garden was open and would lead us amongst these rocks.

We made our way down the muddiest trail I’ve ever been on, and I had the time of my life. The mud collected on the bottom of our shoes and felt like we had ankle weights driving each step down. We carefully made our way amongst the rising Hoodoos, admiring the natural arches in rocks along the path. I was surprised at how many people were out on this trail in January as the elevation sits higher than Zion and welcomes more snow. Nonetheless, everyone we passed had a huge smile on their face that mirrored our own, just grateful to be able to witness the beauty that rose around us.

As we made our way back, shoes completely totaled from the mud, I took one last look down at the red around me. Winter was such a magical time to visit this park as the white really parallels the immense beauty of the red.

Emotional Outburst

This trip was the peaceful getaway I needed before life starts to pick up again. I continue to be amazed by the sheer beauty the world allows me to see. One of my resolutions for the year was to get outside more. To prioritize real hikes when I have the time off. While there’s a time and place for vacation travel, I want to be lost in the mountains. Staring up at peaks and asking all the philosophical questions that come with. 

I can’t wait to see what mountains I will hike this year and so grateful to have started the year off with two crowd less national parks. Although it is definitely colder to hike in the off season, it allows you to truly experience a place without outside triggers.