We had made an attempt to visit California for Veteran’s Day but it fell through, so instead we went up to Zion! This place is incredibly beautiful and only about 3 hours away.
Our journey begins at the Canyon Junction, looking south towards the Anasazi Way. It’s easy to see why the western settlers fell in love with this place and why it was a sacred site to the early American peoples, from the ancient Anasazi and Fremont cultures to the Paiute most recently.
This was earlier on the next day but a similar view – look at all the beautiful colors of the trees in the background!
We rented a vehicle and drove on up, staying in a tiny cabin roughly 45 minutes from the park. We were able to utilize our season pass to get in and out with no problems, so exploring we went!
As we scoured the park there were so many things to shoot, but I liked the close up on these leaves a lot. All told, it was beautiful timing for fall colors. Even the drive to the park was full of beautiful waves of color. We couldn’t have asked for a better weekend!
This was right at the entrance to the Riverside Walk, a beautiful bridge showcasing the many colors present that weekend. We don’t have too many trees, especially large deciduous ones, so this was quite the welcome sight.
Walking back across the river, we were greeted by this monstrous tree. Take a look at the people at the base of the tree! I tried to get as much perspective on it as possible but it was just so hard to capture. Behind the cottonwood is the formation known as The Spearhead, known for its giant sandstone cliff face.
Walking north from the Lodge, we encountered some wildlife on our way to The Grotto. I took a ton of pictures here but not all of them turned out…this and another 10 point were roaming along our route as well, guarding over at least 3 doe and a number of fawns.
Deer are the most common animal seen in Zion, and the Mule Deer is the most frequent type. Because their primary natural predator – the mountain lion – has an extreme aversion to crowds, the deer thrive in the valley.
Many of the names for these peaks come from a Mormon named Isaac Behunin who picked biblical names for the formations. Having a flat mesa, this mountains echos the mount upon which Abraham offered Isaac.
As always, thanks for reading!