April 13-18, 2026
The drive to Zion
Leaving Sedona and heading to Zion I checked the route google offered and the route my RV GPS offered. Google, unaware that I was towing a trailer, wanted me to drive up the Sedona Canyon on 89A while the RV GPS had me going south back to I-17 and catching US Route 89 near Flagstaff. Glad I purchased the RV GPS over the winter.
After getting on US 89, called “National Park Highway”, I crossed the Colorado River, east of the Grand Canyon. I could not stop with the trailer there, wish I could have. I stopped shortly after and then again at a scenic pullout.
It was really an amazing drive from Sedona to Zion.
This picture was taken several days into my stay at Zion. I camped inside the park at the Watchman Campground and this sign is at the walking entrance from Zion Canyon Village into the park and Campground.
Here I am set up at Watchman Campground.
The Watchman Trail
The next morning I hike the Watchman Trail. I’m camped at Watchman and the Watchman peak overlooks the campground. Here is the Watchman taken in the afternoon after skies had cleared.
And here is what I saw on the hike, I was in the clouds.
It cleared up as the hours passed.
That night back at camp I lit my first fire of the trip.
And here is a better picture of the campsite.
Angel’s Landing
Ever since a former colleague shared pictures of his hike to Angel’s Landing this has been a bucket list item for me. It may have been the motivation for this years trip. The Angel’s Landing hike requires a permit which is issued via a lottery system. I entered the lottery when it first opened and received a permit. Angel’s Landing is also considered a Technical” Class 3 hike.
The Angel’s Landing Hike starts at Scout’s Lookout. So first you hike up a mountain about 1,200 feet through a series of steep switchbacks. Just getting to Scout’s Lookout is a strenuous hike.
And here comes the start of the hike to Angel’s Landing, they call it the “chains”.
Well I started but after about 200 feet on the chains I said F this and turned around. For me, the issue wasn’t the height. It was that I reached a section about 30 feet long where there were no chains. I think if there were chains the whole way I would have kept going.
I went back to Scout’s Lookout and hiked to about the same height as Angel’s Landing but on the West Rim trail. From the West Rim I took this picture of Angel’s Landing. I have zoomed in on two parts where if you look closely, especially on the peak, you can see people hiking.
I attempted Angel’s Landing on Wednesday, April 15. Two days later, on Friday, a 68 year old man fell while attempting the Angel’s Landing Hike. The park shut down the trail and the trail to Scout’s Lookout for recovery operations. The did recover the hiker but he did not survive the fall.
Weeping Rock
Weeping Rock is a very short trail to a rock that literally has spring water pouring out of it.
The Emerald Pools
Another relatively short hike is to the Emerald Pools. There are three – lower, middle, and upper. These pools are fed by sprigs and snow-pack melt. This is the water feeding the Lower Emerald Pool.
The Upper Emerald Pool:
The Middle Pool was honestly not picture worthy. But, on the trail to the pools there was a great view up the canyon and of the Virgin River.
The Court of the Patriarchs
My last day at Zion I hiked the extremely short trail to the overlook of the Court of the Patriarchs.
And then I went to the park museum, watched the movie and took care of things at camp. The view from the museum:
