Utah - Zion National Park

We knew while in the area we obviously had to hit up Zion National Park.  The biggest barrier to this park is how busy it gets. By 9-10 it is swamped and parking typically shuts down. They only run the shuttles (which we wouldn't want to use anyway) during peak seasons and holidays so we knew if we wanted to visit this park we were gonna have to go early. So we came up with the idea of heading out that way for sunrise.  We found a trail that we heard had great views of sunrise as it rises behind you and fills the canyon and we thought the kids might be able to handle it.

So up and at 'em early before we had to leave Utah behind!  We were right on schedule as daylight began to break and we could see the mountains start to awaken.

Now I am going to be completely honest and say that as I researched this park I truly did not understand why this place was so popular. I still assume a lot of the reason is that it is so easy to get to from civilization but as I watched these mountains began to come alive I truly began to understand the aweof this place! 

We were running a bit behind schedule and the short hike with kids was much more challenging than we anticipated but we all made it for the big show! Want to talk about jawdropping!

For reference, the mountain we watched sunrise from was right above that arch.  It was cold and tough with the kids but still a memory that I will never forget. It was more than I could have ever imagined so I am glad we made the journey! Honestly we took lots more pictures and drove around other parts of the park but there is just no way that pictures can do this place justice!  It is that amazing.  

It was getting quite busy by the time we left (Peter had to get to work and the kids were tired, cold, and hungry) but this is definitely on the come back to list also.  There are tons of really really challenging hikes here and everything in between so we will definitely be back when we have more time!  We also saw tons of wildlife in our short time in the park - tons of deer everywhere, lots of mountains goats up close and personal (which I am glad I didn't meet up with on my journey back down the mountain, alone, with a fussy cold baby) and lots of turkeys! 

Pros of this place:

It is jaw dropping and amazingly beautiful

has tons of hiking

Easy to get to, took us about an hour from St George

There's a whole little and adorable town right outside the gates with food and lodging options if you want to stay really close by 

cons:

Super busy 

I wouldn't like the shuttle service if I visited in the busy seasons 

really challenging hiking options so use caution 

Current rank of National Parks Visited:

1) Bryce Canyon

2) Zion 

3) Capitol Reef