Grand Canyon to Zion National Park
September 2020
After we left the Grand Canyon National Park, we headed north to Zion National Park. We took off early because we wanted to make sure to see the road into Zion on Hwy 9 in the daylight.
We took off on Hwy 89 towards Page AZ. This little town is on the border of Utah and Arizona, as well as Navajo land. Because of this, depending on when you go, there are 3 time zones that you might experience while you’re in this town.
As you are driving north, you will drive through some pretty barren desert. There are quite a few, fun roadside stands where you can purchase Native American jewelry and goods if you want to stretch your legs. Our air conditioning had gone out in our car in Phoenix so the 100+ degrees was pretty hot even with the windows down. There are some crazy rock formations that you will drive by on this highway that are pretty cool though. There are not very many places to find gas or a bathroom, so make sure to stop before you leave the Grand Canyon and Page.
Horseshoe bend, Page Arizona
In Page Arizona, you can find Horseshoe bend and Antelope Canyon. Both are AMAZING and definitely something not to miss if you have time, and both are open. Horseshoe Bend is this cool bend on the Colorado River. The river makes a horseshoe bend in the river and you can see it from above. When we were here, there was just a small parking lot on the side of the road. Now, there is a $10 fee in order to park here. We've heard that they will be starting a shuttle bus soon, so that will help with the parking. Parking on the shoulder of the highway is not allowed.
This 1 mile down to the overlook hike, is a little more difficult than it looks. You will be walking in sand and sandstone and it’s on a bit of a hill. Once you get to the overlook, be careful because there are sheer drop-offs, and you are standing on sandstone. Personally, being a touch afraid of heights, I decided to army crawl to the edge for some amazing pictures.
Next, we wanted to see the well-known Antelope Canyon. We did this tour a few years ago and because we had such an awesome experience, we wanted to do it again. Unfortunately, because this is on Navajo land, they are closed until further notice because of Covid-19. If they ever open again, it’s something that everyone should see at least once.
Because this slot canyon is on Navajo land, you have to pay to take a guided tour We decided to take a Photography tour. You'll want to get the time from the cashier since Navajo time can vary from Arizona time if you plan on going into town until your tour starts.
This was an awesome experience. The guides helped us with our cameras and phones to find the perfect photos.
If you have an extra day or 2, Lake Powell is also here. It would be a nice reprieve from the hot summer Arizona weather.
Next on your way out of Page Az, you will come up to Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. This is part of the National Park System. There is a nice little visitor center and clean bathrooms at the footbridge that goes over the Colorado River. Be sure to stop in this visitor center to get a map, information, and a stamp in your National Park Passport book. We also took a few minutes to drive down to the river to dip our feet in it.
From here, keep heading north on Highway 89. Once you get to Mt Carmel, turn west onto Route 9. This is the road that will take you right into Zion National Park. A friend had told me about the road into the park and how Magnificent this road was. I had kept this a secret from Jeff and told him that I wanted to drive in. I knew that he would want to take pictures and take it all in. This road literally is cut into the mountain. The drive takes you through several tunnels, overlooks and some tight hairpin turns. At one point, we had to stop to let the rams cross in front of us. We were blown away with just the drive-in. We had no idea what this park had in store for us!
