Utah’s most popular park
The landscape of Zion National Park draws adventurers and admirers of beauty alike, said Brian Passey in USA Today. This 229-square-mile “collection of cliffs and canyons” in southwestern Utah is the state’s oldest and most popular park, attracting nearly 3 million visitors annually. The 2.7-mile-long Angels Landing trail is “a must-do for thrill seekers”—near the end, “hikers grasp chains navigating a steep, narrow ridge with sheer cliffs on both sides.” The park is also “perfect for canyoneering treks—intense hikes through narrow slot canyons that often require rappelling and swimming.” Of course, gentler pleasures can be had, and artists are drawn to Zion’s colorful hues and geological formations of sandstone formed over 200 million years. Diverse wildlife also calls the park home, including deer, wild turkeys, and bighorn sheep. “If you’re lucky you might catch a glimpse of an endangered California condor—with its massive 10-foot wingspan.”
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