Follow our Zion National Park Guide while staying at the lodge in the park for 2 nights. Along with our daughter, we’re starting our adventure visiting the “Mighty 5” national parks in Utah. And our 1st 2 nights, we’re staying inside the park at the Zion Lodge. Being in the heart of the park, it’s the perfect place to explore Zion!
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Our Zion National Park Guide from the lodge
Originally, we weren’t planning to return to Zion on this trip, since we visited in November 2019. Our goal was to explore the 4 other Utah parks we hadn’t seen yet. But our daughter wasn’t with us last visit. And once we decided to fly into Las Vegas, a return made sense. However, this time we want to stay in the heart of the park. So we booked 2 nights with 2 queen beds for the 3 of us at Zion National Park Lodge.
This Zion National Park Guide reflects our experience from the lodge during our stay. We’ll cover our arrival at the park, stopping at the visitor center and check-in at the lodge. We’ll also share details about our room and dinner at the lodge our 1st night. And then with one full day to explore to park, we’ll share our experience starting and ending at the lodge.
Our plan is to start early on the Emerald Pools Trail, right across the street. We hope to beat the crowds before returning to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, we’ll use the shuttle to explore canyon stops, including the Temple of Sinawava. Instead of hiking the Narrows, we’ll walk the easier Riverside Walk. And if time allows, we’ll drive to the east side for the Canyon Overlook Trail. Before returning to the lodge, we’ll head into Springdale for dinner at the Zion Canyon Brew Pub. And the next morning after check-out, we’ll drive back through the tunnel before exiting the park toward Moab.
Arriving in Zion National Park
Our Zion National Park Guide begins with our arrival, though the adventure started last night in Las Vegas. After a late flight, we stayed at Paris on the Strip. And after enjoying brunch and checking-out, we took a leisurely drive to Zion. We only stopped twice, including a Costco stop for water, snacks and gas in St. George. Just before the entrance on the right, a roadside pull-out features Zion’s iconic entrance sign. So, we stop for photos.
Once we take a few pics, we head through the entrance with no line and show our annual pass. Past the entrance, we take the 1st right toward the visitor center which closes at 5:00PM. It is about 4:30PM now, and the parking lot is packed! The crowds are here, but the lot is very big, so we drive around to find an open spot. Then we rush to the visitor center.
Once inside, we find out the park store attached to the visitor center is open until 7:00PM. With a sigh of relief, we get in line to talk to a ranger. And then we head into the store where Becky finds the passport stamps. Once done, we peruse the large store buying our essential fridge magnets, stickers, etc. And after a quick restroom break, it’s only a 10 minute drive to the lodge.
Driving and checking in at the Zion National Park Lodge
One important thing to note is only lodge guests can drive on Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. So after turning onto the scenic drive, there is a gate requiring an access code. We received the code just a few days ago, so we drive up the gate to enter the numbers. A shuttle pulls up behind us and the gate immediately opens. Apparently they weren’t waiting for us. Once inside, vehicles may only stop at the lodge, located several miles up the road.
We pull into the main lodge parking lot near the shuttle stop, where there are parking spots reserved for check-in. And we walk through the main doors to the check-in counter to get information about our stay, including the Wi-Fi. We also find out that reservations for dinner are recommended. By now it’s after 5:30PM and we’re hungry. So, we book the next reservation at 6:15PM which gives us time to settle in before returning for dinner.
Our Zion National Park Lodge room
We drive our car the back to the main road and make the next left into the parking lot. And from here we can see the cabins, and our lodge building behind it. We are staying in the Watchman building.
We’re on the 2nd floor with no elevators. The problem is we have heavy luggage for this 10 day trip, and have to lug them up the stairs. But once in the room, we have a few minutes to relax. Once through the door, there is a bathroom vanity on our left. And just past that is a door for the toilet and tub shower.
In the main room are our 2 queen beds with a nightstand and lamp between them. There’s also a desk with lamp, a sitting chair, and a large cabinet with a mini-fridge. And surprisingly there is even a TV, which is uncommon at other national park lodges we’ve stayed.
Past the beds is a door to our private balcony. Overlooking the cabins, we get a great view of the red canyon walls beyond. Away from the crowds, it’s peaceful. After freshening up, we take a leisurely few minute walk back to the main lodge building.
Red Rock Grill Dinner at the Zion National Park Lodge
At the main lodge building, we head upstairs for dinner at the Red Rock Grill. We’re a couple minutes early, and have to wait a short time before we’re seated by a window. We had the option to sit outside, but it’s too cold for us. However, they put us right next to the door. And every time someone goes out to the single table seated outside, we get a chilly blast of air.
Service is slow from seating to ordering and receiving drinks, but we feel better once our drinks arrive. We both want salads with our entrées, but no side salad is offered. So we share the Super Broccoli and Brussels Salad with apples, candied pecans, and cranberries. Our daughter wants steak, so Becky orders the 10-ounce strip steak to share. She also orders buttered noodles and fruit from the kids menu, while I choose the more adventurous bison meatloaf.
Once our order is finally placed, the food arrives quickly. The salad comes first and is mostly crunchy kale, which overpowers even the citrus herb vinaigrette. Our entrées arrive a few minutes later with generous portions. Becky’s steak is okay, while my meatloaf is unusual with whole pistachios and mushrooms baked in it. And the bacon around it lacks flavor. Though both our entrees come with carrots, asparagus, and mashed potatoes which we both like. We all eat enough to be satisfied, and an hour and 15 minutes later we head back downstairs.
Exploring the Lodge area
On the other side of the lobby is their general store which is still open until 8:00PM. So, we go in to look around and wind up buying some protein granola bars for breakfast tomorrow. Walking back to our building, I think we should’ve bought an extra bar. So, after walking Becky and our daughter back to the room, I go back to the store before they close. And after purchasing it, I walk past the building to the start of the Grotto Trail.
I remember from the last time we visited Zion, a lot of deer can be seen from the Grotto Trail. And it’s just before sunset when they normally come out. So, I decide to walk a little on the trail to look for deer. At the beginning of the trail is a large rock, and just past it I see a deer coming toward me. I actually have to walk around the rock on one side as the deer passes me on the other. I can clearly see it has an ear tag and collar before it leaves the trail to go into the woods.
Happy to have seen a deer, I walk back to our room to get ready for bed. It’s an early night for us after a late flight last night. But before we go to sleep we enjoy seeing some stars from the balcony. We are tired and sleep well in our beds, ready for our big day tomorrow.
Our Zion National Park Guide: Emerald Pools Trail from the Lodge
We’re up before 7:00AM, but running slow. While I’m waiting for everyone to get ready, I head out to our balcony. It’s cold this morning in the 30’s. But the canyon walls are starting to light-up as the Sun rises overhead. And I’m looking forward to exploring today.
Then I see the shuttle drive past. And I’m reminded we need to get going. From here I can also see people across the street already at the trailhead. With extra layers, water and snacks, we finally head out just before 8:00AM. The lodge and this trailhead start at shuttle stop #5.
As we’re walking toward the trailhead, we can also see some deer grazing. Though when we get closer they cross the river and head into the woods. Crossing the bridge to start the trail, we can still see some in the distance. Across the bridge is a small sign that points right for the lower and upper pools. It also points left for the middle pool. However, we’ve already mapped our route on AllTrails, we’re heading right toward the lower pool.
Lower Emerald Pool Trail
We’ll be heading to the lower pool, then up to the upper pool, and returning on the Kayenta Trail. The Kayenta will take us to the Grotto at shuttle stop 6. And from here is an easy 1/2 mile walk on the Grotto Trail back to the lodge. The total loop starting and ending at the lodge is 3 miles.
The Emerald Lower Pool trail is an easy paved trail for about 1/2 a mile. From the river, this trail starts to slowly ascend. And the views are great from the start. I go ahead of the girls, and spot deer on the trail around a bend. So I go back to tell the girls. And when we make it to the same bend, we can see one crossing the trail. It goes down into the woods, and as we pass it, we see more deer below.
The trail is beautiful, with outstanding views throughout the hike, though our daughter insists it is still boring. We continue climbing the trail and stop for photos beside a large rock overlooking the canyon. After noticing other hikers catching up behind us, we quickly continue farther up the trail. After about 20 minutes, we reach the Lower Pool.
Water is falling off the rock ledge above us forming a large pool of water. It’s more like rain dripping over the edge than a waterfall, though the trail continues underneath as we get sprayed. So, we carefully walk along the slippery path as it dips down and climbs back up the other side. From above, we overlook the pool below, which surprisingly is not emerald colored. Though, we think our daughter enjoys it nonetheless.
Upper Emerald Pool Trail
Once past the lower pool, we see another sign pointing toward the middle and upper pools. And at the end of the paved path are steps going up. This is where the trail really gets interesting. We go around large rocks and down more steps to cross the stream flowing to the lower pool. On the other side we see a small sign pointing 0.3 miles toward the upper pool. This last section is getting more difficult, and warmer, as we can see the sun just over the canyon. We also pass a lot of other people.
About 20 minutes later we’re at the end. From here, we have to descend a narrow passage stepping down some rocks to get to the pool. After the girls go first, I make it to the last step before I start to slip. In slow motion, I can feel the sand on the step sliding as I try to balance myself. But then I fall, really fast, and hard. There wasn’t an open spot, but I put my left wrist up and somehow turned so my backside took the brunt of the fall. I hit the left side of my rear end so hard, it stung. And everyone who saw it, including Becky was fearing the worst.
I just sit against the rock for a minute, taking off my backpack and jacket, and just sit. And after a few minutes, the sharp pain I felt when I hit the rock, starts to fade. My butt literally saved my butt, but there’s a huge welt. Though luckily when I get up to walk toward the pool, I feel okay. So, we go check out the upper pool. And it’s pretty amazing.
Upper Emerald Pool
It feels much cooler here, sheltered inside a secluded cove surrounded by towering canyon walls. The refreshing air feels especially nice after warming up and shedding our jackets during the hike. And for a while, we have the upper pool entirely to ourselves, hidden away like a secret oasis. Unlike the lower pool, we can walk right up to the water’s edge. I put my hiking stick into the water and can barely touch the bottom. The pool is much deeper, and darker than we expected without direct sunlight shining on it. Above us, a small waterfall sprays gently down the cliffside into the pool before us.
The pool looks brownish in color, with its sandy bottom. Though the rocks and trees above it, are perfectly reflected in the water’s surface. After some pictures, I must be feeling good because we climb around some rocks. And about 15 minutes after my fall, we decide to head back. I take my bruised butt, and carefully step up the same step I slipped on earlier. And we’re back on the trail.
We take our time heading back down. It’s almost 30 minutes before we make it to the intersection of trails. From here, we can head back down the way we started to return on the Lower Emerald Pool trail. Or we can head backwards to the spur for the Middle Emerald Pool behind us that we missed. Nope we’re heading forward toward The Grotto on the Kayenta Trail. And it starts off with more steps.
Returning on the Kayenta Trail
After the steps, the Kayenta Trail starts off a little rocky along the other side of the ridge. We look back to see the Lower Pool, but the Upper Pool is long gone. After the fall I feel ok, though Becky is still very concerned. So, we take it easy as we pass a lot of prickly pear cactuses. We pass one that has a tear in one of its pads that looks like a mouth. Our daughter names it “Mr. Cactus”. As we continue to pass many other prickly pears, we see many other shapes and sizes.
On the way down, the trail becomes much easier. And the views are amazing. We can see back to where we started, and even the lodge in the far distance. But looking forward seeing the Virgin River curve through the canyon is breathtaking. And at the end we make it to another bridge with a lot of people around it. We walk across the street to shuttle stop #6, The Grotto.
The Grotto is a very popular spot, because you can start the West Rim Trail to Angel’s Landing from here. There’s also restrooms and after a quick pit stop, we find a picnic table. Our daughter wants to rest and eat some snacks. Though our plan is to continue our hike on the Grotto Trail back to the lodge. It’s an easy 1/2 mile walk, but she wants to take the shuttle back. At this point we’ve hiked for about 2.5 hours so far, but it’s too early for lunch. So we agree to take the shuttle back, as long as we make one stop first.
Stop at Weeping Rock
It’s standing room only on the shuttle, but luckily we’re only going to the next stop. Once we arrive at shuttle stop #7, we walk on the sidewalk to a bridge past the parking lot. This trail was closed for nearly 2 years due to a significant rockfall. But it reopened late last year, and is now deemed safe.
Across the bridge is the trailhead sign for this short and easy 0.4 mile roundtrip hike. Though it is steep, ascending almost 100 feet in 0.2 miles. And our daughter thinks we tricked her into another hike. Though even with a lot of people on the trail, it’s only 7 minutes to the overlook.
At the end our some metal steps to get to the top. We hold onto the railings as water drips down, trying not to get wet. And it leads to a large rock alcove. This sheltered area was formed from water filtering through the sandstone over more than 1,000 years. And water continues to drip or “weep” over our heads.
The views here are pretty. And when people clear out, we just relax for a few minutes. On the way back, the walk down is much easier. It’s about a 25 minute stop. And we’re back on the shuttle, which seems more packed and very hot. Though this time the girls get a seat for the 20 minute return trip to the lodge.
Our Zion National Park Guide: Beer and lunch at Zion Lodge
As we exit the shuttle at Zion Lodge, we see the Beer Garden is already open. After a long morning, we are ready for some beers. Becky gets the Salt Lime Cerveza from Wasatch Brewery in Salt Lake City. And I get the Castle Dome Foam Pilsner from Moab Brewery. We can’t leave the area with our beers, so we sit and enjoy. Though after a quick stop, we are ready for lunch.
The main restaurant at the lodge, the Red Rock Grill, has a 45 minute wait. And after the slow service last night, we decide to go to the Castle Dome Café instead. Touted as a fast option, there’s no tables inside, just a line to order. It’s all to-go, and we discover the food is all pre-cooked. So, at the register they just grab boxes from under a heat lamp and hand them to us. Our daughter and I order personal pizzas, while Becky gets a cheeseburger and fries. We also order some breadsticks because we’re pretty hungry.
With food in hand, we walk back to our room to eat. Our daughter’s cheese pizza is a little burnt and she doesn’t like it at all. And she says the breadsticks are even worse. They can’t be that bad. But after 1 bite of hard and overly garlic bread, I agree. We throw them out immediately. The good news is my veggie pizza isn’t bad with mushrooms, black olives and onions. And Becky’s cheeseburger isn’t bad, and the fries are really good. After we finish eating, we decide to rest.
Our Zion National Park Guide: Riverside Walk
After lunch we take the shuttle to the Temple of Sinawava for the Riverside Walk. Last time we visited Zion, we liked this walk along the river to the start of the Narrows. And we decided we needed to take our daughter. The Riverside Walk is 1.1 miles to the Narrows, or just over 2 miles round trip.
As soon as we get off the shuttle, this area is extremely crowded. It’s mid-afternoon now, and it doesn’t get any better on the walk. In fact it’s a constant line of people in front of us. And when one person stops to take a picture, the whole line stops for a minute. Though it takes just over 20 minutes to get to the end.
With so many people here, we are glad we decided to not hike the Narrows. Though we go down to the river to get a closer look. But after 5 minutes, we are ready to head back. We see some rock squirrels on the way, including one a tourist tries to grab. As soon as we see some steps leading off the main trail, we head down toward the river to get some space.
A dirt path follows the river for a little while before coming back up to the main trail. It’s a nice break from the crowds, and cooler next to the river. We continue back to the shuttle stop, finishing the trail in just over an hour. Though there is a large line for the return shuttle, we pack into one for the ride back to the lodge. Once back, we get into our car for the remainder of the day.
Our Zion National Park Guide: Drive to the East Side
The shuttle between the lodge and the Temple of Sinawava, is probably the most crowded area of the park. So driving through the Zion-Mt Carmel Tunnel to the east side is a welcome break. And we get to listen to “Steve” from the GuideAlong app for the 20 minute scenic drive to the tunnel. If you follow us, you know GuideAlong is like having a guide in your car. The narrated tours use GPS to provide interesting facts and history while pointing out spots along the way. Check out their combo tour: Zion Bryce Canyon Self-guided Audio Driving Tour | Guide Along.
As we approach the 1.1 mile tunnel, “Steve” provides history of the engineering marvel carved through the sandstone cliffs. And we find the windows in the tunnel to be fascinating. Though we drove out here to hike the Canyon Overlook Trail. And just past the tunnel exit, its small 10-car lot is full. So, we continue to the next lot just off the road to the left. It is also full. As we continue down the road, there are cars straddling both sides of the road for at least mile. So, we continue until we find a place to turn around.
We stop at a small parking lot, where we can get out and explore. But after a quick stretch of our legs, we decide to drive back. And around a turn, the car in front of us is stopped in the road. Just off it are some desert bighorn sheep! So we slowly drive past them as one poses for us. Heading back to the parking lots for the trail, they are still full. So, we continue through the tunnel and head to Springdale for dinner.
Our Zion National Park Guide: Dinner at Zion Canyon Brewery
Rather than drive into Springdale, we park at the far end of the visitor center parking lot. From here there is a short path that takes us over a bridge to Zion Canyon Brewery. It’s free to park, and we walk over with our Stanley growler we bought the last time we were here.
It’s a short walk to get there, but a short wait when we arrive. However, we are seated right around 6:00PM for dinner. And I order their Burnt Mountain Brown ale and a prickly pear lemonade for our daughter. Becky can’t decide and orders tasters of their Ascender hefeweizen and their Conviction Stout, which we liked last time. We also order their pretzel sticks with beer cheese and house-made spicy brown mustard.
The brown ale is great, and our daughter enjoys the lemonade. And Becky likes both tasters, so we order a pint of each. Though it takes a while before we get the pretzel sticks. And the mustard is bit runny, but otherwise good. Though the beer cheese dip tastes like it has peppers in it, and we don’t care for it. Ready for dinner, we order the kids chicken strips with mashed potatoes for our daughter. I get the fish and chips, while Becky orders their buffalo meatloaf burger with chimichurri fries.
My fish looks like it came straight from the freezer section of the grocery store. Though Becky’s meatloaf burger is the clear winner. After dinner we order a growler fill of the brown ale. And with beer in hand, we visit some shops getting some things for breakfast in the morning. We want to leave early to try again to get parking for the Canyon Overlook Trail.
Retuning to Zion National Park Lodge
We take the short walk back to the visitor center parking lot that is now empty. And then drive back to the lodge. On the way, we have to stop again to put in the code. This time the shuttle has stopped for the day, but the code works. Once on the scenic drive, there’s still a little light. So, I pull in the small parking lot for shuttle stop #4, the Court of the Patriarchs.
The Court of the Patriarchs are three peaks named: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And I think I can see them from the parking lot. Becky’s not sure we should park here, but it’s the only stop we haven’t done. Their website says no stopping during shuttle season, but I must have read that to mean when it’s not operating. So, I jump out while Becky stays in the car with our daughter.
It’s just a short, but steep 2-minute walk to the overlook. Alone, I take a couple pictures and run back to the car. And sure enough I can see the 3 peaks right behind the car. We’re here not even 5 minutes before we head back to the lodge for the night.
Back at the Lodge and using the Wi-Fi
We’re back before 8:30PM after a full day exploring the park. Back in the room we check-in on our phones. But this is the worst time to use their Wi-Fi. At night is when most people are in their rooms.
We ask about it at the front desk, and basically told good luck. They don’t have enough bandwidth for everyone, so expect to get knocked off regularly. And there is absolutely no cell service. But after showers, we go to bed so we can get up early tomorrow.
Our Zion National Park Guide: Exiting the East Side of the Park
Our Zion National Park Guide continues as we load the car, check-out and get on the road. We have to drive through the tunnel to exit the park, because today we are headed to Moab. But first, we will try one more time to find parking for the Canyon Overlook Trail. However, before we get to the tunnel traffic is stopped. And after a few minutes a RV comes through, and now it’s our time to go one way. After the tunnel, there’s still no parking in either of the lots. But Becky wants to take a video coming out of the other side of the tunnel. So, we find a place to turn around. And I see some space behind another car in the 2nd lot, so I pull behind it.
I’m sticking out a little bit and don’t think this is a good place to park. But just past the lot on the side of the road, we see some people leaving. So we wait a minute, and once they start to pull out we drive over and back into the spot. We have a real parking spot! There’s also restrooms at this lot, so we go there first and we are ready to start the hike.
Canyon Overlook Trail
A sidewalk takes us straight from our car to the trailhead. And from the trail sign, there are stairs that lead up. We continue up over some rocks where we can now look back at the 1st lot or forward at the tunnel exit.
The trail continues along the side of a cliff, gradually ascending, with some steps and rocks to climb over. There are also some railings, but a few narrow spots and drop-offs without. It is also very crowded for this time of the morning. But we take it slow, letting a lot of others pass us.
Some trails are kind of boring until the end, but this one is interesting the whole way. At one part we have to walk through an alcove in the cliff to get to the other side. And the views become better the farther we go. We even spot a chipmunk along the way. And our daughter hasn’t complained once!
Even taking it slow, we reach the overlook in about 30 minutes. There’s a small fence at the end where we can look out at the east canyon. And the views are incredible. We can even see the road we took below to get to the tunnel. There’s also plenty of places to spread out and get better views. We spend at least 25 minutes at the top admiring the views around us.
On the way back, it seems more crowded, but just as fun. So, we take it easy, enjoying the trail and the views. And we finish in about 1.5 hours.
Exiting Zion National Park
Since we are parked along the street facing the tunnel, we head back through one more time. This time there is no one-way traffic, so we go straight through without waiting. Becky wants to take some videos, so we enjoy the drive. On the other side at the large pullout, we turn around to go back through it again.
Once back through we pass our parking spot, and continue past the line of cars. And just like yesterday, around the same area we spot some desert bighorn sheep! We slow down enough to see a couple close to the road and another 5 sitting on the ridge. Just a few minutes up the road we want to make 1 more stop.
Checkerboard Mesa is a famous formation named for its checkerboard appearance. There is plenty of parking, so we make a quick stop. At the left end of the parking lot is a sign, and the best view of the 6,670 feet rock formation.
After the stop, it’s less than 5 minutes to the park exit. And just past it is a pullout for another park sign. But we’ve got enough pictures, and we’re ready to get to Moab for our next adventures!
Our Zion National Park Guide from the Lodge Summary
Our Zion National Park Guide from the lodge was full of adventure. After arriving late afternoon the 1st day, and stopping at the visitor center, we checked into the lodge and had dinner. And it was the base for everything we wanted to do, including starting the next morning on the Emerald Pools Trail. After the hike, we took the shuttle to Weeping Rock, before returning to the lodge for beer and lunch. And after some rest, we did the Riverside Walk to the start of the Narrows. Back on the shuttle, we returned to the lodge to drive through the tunnel to the east side of the park. But with no parking for the Canyon Overlook Trail, we went to dinner at Zion Canyon Brew Pub. However, the next morning we left early. And we got a parking spot to hike the trail before leaving the park.
Staying at the lodge allowed us to beat some crowds early. But in the afternoon, the lodge and the shuttle stops were extremely crowded. The shuttles were also really packed, but you have to use them in the canyon. Though being at the lodge, we definitely saved time riding shuttles. The other advantage of staying at the lodge was access to food and essentials. Though the food was not the best, it worked. And having the general store was helpful. Wi-Fi was to be expected. But the best part of staying at the lodge was being in the canyon when the crowds were gone. It’s the morning and nights that make staying in the lodge worth it to us. With 2 nights at the lodge, we were able to do everything we wanted. So with a sore butt, it’s off to Moab for more adventures!
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