We pulled over
for a photo shoot at the park entrance sign, then made our way to the Visitors’
Center to learn about visiting and hiking in the park. No cars are allowed on
the scenic drive from March to November, so we would need to take the shuttle
and hop off at different stops along the route. Buses ran frequently, and we
had the freedom to see the sights and to take photographs as much as we wanted.
Our strategy was
to take the shuttle to the furthest stop, the Temple of Sinawava, and see what
we could there. Then we would make the trip back, taking the shuttle or hiking
to the next stop. That let us see a good deal of the park, get some exercise,
and soak up the grandeur of Zion.
One favorite spot
was Weeping Rock, a popular park feature with a trail that ascends to a rock
alcove with dripping springs and hanging gardens. Part of the trail had been
closed in September after a rock slide made it unsafe. It had reopened, but from
the shuttle stop, we and our fellow nature lovers could make the 98-foot climb.
As wondrous as is
Mother Nature’s role is making Zion National Park, I also have to salute the
visionary first National Parks Service Director, Stephen T. Mather. He set out
to develop visitor access to the natural wonders of the national park system.
With Mather’s promotion and dedication, by 1930 hard-working engineering and
construction crews had built the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway and Tunnel, making
Zion, Bryce Canyon, and the Grand Canyon accessible by automobile.
 |
| Photo from NPS website |
The 25-mile road
was a joint effort between the National Park Service, the state of Utah, and
the Bureau of Public Roads. Most challenging was creating the 1.1-mile long
tunnel that would connect the new road from the east with the winding road to
the west. The tunnel would have to be carved through the heart of the sandstone
cliffs. This remarkable feat of engineering and construction is now listed in the
National Register of Historic Places. In
2012, the American Society of Civil Engineers named the road and Tunnel a
Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
Though we spent only
a day and a half in Zion, it was a fitting intro to the variety of Utah
landforms and national parks. Navigating the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway and
passing through the magnificent Tunnel were part of the magic.
~ xoA ~
