Zion National Park: A Treasure of the West

The Three Patriachs

In a previous post, My Most Memorable Trip, I spoke about a photography workshop that I booked with Kate Silvia Photograohy in November 2017 in Zion National Park.

Zion National Park is located in the UnitedStates in southwestern Utah near the town of Springdale. Located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin and the Mojave Desert regions, the park has a unique geography and a variety of life zones that allow for unusual plant and animal diversity. Numerous plant species as well as 289 species of birds, 75 mammals (including 19 species of bats), and 32 reptiles inhabit the park’s four life zones: desert, riparian, woodland, and coniferous forest. Zion National Park includes mountains, canyons, buttes, mesas, monoliths, rivers, slotc canyons and natural arches. A prominent feature of the 229-square-mile park is Zion Canyon, which is 15 miles long and up to 2,640 ft deep. The park attracted 5 million visitors in 2023.

The highlight of this trip was hiking the Narrows in the Park. The Narrows is a slot canyon characterized by a long and narrow channel carved into the softbrock ny erosion. They are known for their sheer rock walls and can be very deep. To hike the Narrows, we rented wet suits, and booties as well as walking sticks. We carried our camera equipment in water proof back packs. We also carried our snacks and water with us. This hike requires walking up the Virgin River. It’s very popular and can look like a highway with folks walking back and forth. The gorge’s walls are a thousand feet tall and the river can be as narrow as thirty feet wide in places. The gorge is subject to flash floods so the weather must be monitored constantly. The Narrows is one of the most popular areas in Zion National Park.

HIKING THE NARROWS

The depth of the water was ankle deep and at times it was up to our waist.

Walls of the Narrows

High canyon walls

IMAGES FROM THE PARK

The park is known for its red rock canyons, high plateaus, and the Virgin River.

The Watchman in the background with the Virgin River which runs through Zion National Park. The river and its tributaries are responsible for shaping the park’s landscape through erosion.

The Watchman

The name Zion comes from ancient Hebrew and means “sanctuary” or “refuge”. It appears over 150 times in the Old Testament. The word Zion is also used in a theological or spiritual sense in Scripture. In the Old Testament Zion refers figuratively to Israel as the people of God (Isaiah 60:14). In the New Testament, Zion refers to God’s spiritual kingdom.

Sunrise at temples and towers.

I travelled to the Valley of Fire Start Park in Nevada for the second part if the workshop. I will post a blog about the trip along with images.

A Little Bit of Faith and Photography

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