Traveling has been forever changed in 2020! gave us it’s a** to kiss, to put it mildly. The never ending Quarantine was a major sign that Covid-19 was not budging and we slowly began adapting to a “New Normal”. The global lockdown was the reality, still underway we all had to pause as a collective which had its pros and cons for all of us. Talks about Heading to Zion National park started in summer which was already quickly approaching its final moments. Honestly, the sound of Utah sounded very mid-west and lame. but it wasn’t until I got on Youtube University and educated myself on Zion and other historical landmarks in Utah that I quickly realized why it’s one of the top 5 places in the world to visit.
Utah has natural diversity, arid deserts, thriving pine forests, and natural springs in the mountain valleys and sand dunes. As a collective, we decided on Las Vegas as the meetup location and we would make the 5.5 hour drive to Utah, We had one night in Vegas with a beautiful dinner then headed to Utah first thing that next morning. Here’s a Beginner’s guide preparing you for Zion National Park specifically the Narrows Hike.
A bucket list staple at Zion is the Narrows hike and the reason why I will 100% go back. You are essentially inside of a canyon trekking through shallow waters crossing back and forth and maneuvering over slippery rocks it’s a major workout but still pretty moderate for anyone to enjoy from the elderly to children. The Narrows is 16 miles we did about 9 miles so almost 20 total up then back down. Keep in mind you have to plan for the time you spend driving up to the park. Because of Covid, there are no private cars permitted on the park grounds only shuttles. From our Air BnB, the total was about an hour from our shuttle stop to the actual park which we booked for 9 AM to maximize our day. As you journey through you will notice the massive canyon walls become narrower hinting at how the hike got its name. It gets chilly as you are wading through the water but as you move more you heat up making a comfortable atmosphere during your adventure verse a dry and hot climate where the average person would not last as long.
What to wear
Dress for a workout I wore water resistant clothing from Colombia and my shoes were definitely a major flex. I packed water shoes, and they were perfect. You want to reframe from wearing sneakers any shoe with a slippery soul, waterproof boots that are lightweight and what I will do next time is have shoes that protect your ankles the rocks are never ending and it will help for extra protection.
Gear
I brought my hiker backpack which is water resistant and light weight inside I packed an extra pair of socks my Canon Rebel t6 lunch and a ton of water. I also bought a hiking stick at a nearby store the morning of that came in handy and helped with balance. You can also rent from your shuttle location or the Park its self.
