USA East Zion

Zion National Park visitation has grown tremendously year after year. This is understandable because it is quite beautiful and because of the state of Utah’s seemingly non-stop television ads promoting the “Big Five” referring to the five national parks located in the state. I live near Zion and visit often but usually avoid the crowds as much as possible by visiting on weekdays and spending most of my time on the less visited east side of the park. If you know where to go, you can spend hours there without coming across another person.

This shot was taken facing East about an hour before sundown on a Friday before the very busy Fourth of July weekend, a major holiday in the US. Even as the main part of the park (Zion Canyon) was PACKED with visitors, I only crossed paths with one family of four during the 3.5 hours I roamed the sea of slickrock on the east side. The sandstone hoodoo “knob” with a small juniper tree on top of it near the center of the slickrock “peninsula” is one of the most photographed spots on the east side of Zion.

As you exit the 1.1 mile (1.77 km) Zion Mt. Carmel Tunnel, drive 2.6 miles (4.18 km) and park at the pullout just before a bridge. There is room on both side of the road for 3 or 4 vehicles to park. If coming from the east entrance to Zion, drive west for 1.3 miles (2.1 km) to the pullout. Drop into the (usually) dry Pine Creek wash on the south side of the road (SR9) and follow the rocky drainage that snakes westward through a short and photogenic slot section for about 10 minutes until you get to an area where you easily scramble up to an open area of slickrock.