Zion Canyon
Despite our best intentions, it took a while to get under way from Las Vegas. Nevertheless, the trip to Springdale, UT (the town at the south end of Zion Park) was easy and we checked into the Bumbleberry Inn. This motel is the same one we stayed in a couple of years ago for an earlier Zion trip. It is reasonably priced, is located in a busy part of town and offers great views of the surrounding canyon.We entered the Park using my Senior Pass. This is a great bargain, costing me $10 or $12 a couple of years ago and allows free entry to national parks for me and anyone accompanying me, including free vehicle access. The first stop was the Zion Visitors Center which is a beautifully designed, ecologically cutting edge and highly functional building. It is surrounded by informative posters plus has several rangers available for consultation. We signed up for horseback riding for the next morning and then got onto the shuttle bus.
Zion heavily restricts vehicle access to the park but offers an excellent shuttle-bus service plying a 12-mile round trip through the lower end of the park. Visitors can get on and off at a number of stops, each of which features a variety of easy or hard excursions. It makes the process of visiting the park ideal for newcomers.