Zion National Park: Water makes this desert transcendent
Mention Zion National Park, and many people think of soaring sandstone cliffs, not necessarily the river that carved them.
Amy Schmutz, of Durham, N.C., says she used to think of red rock and desert when picturing the landscape of southern Utah. That changed when she visited Zion with a group of college friends in April.
"The fact that so many of Zion's hikes include water features such as waterfalls, pools and rivers surprised me with a new dimension that I didn't expect and certainly enjoyed," she says.
Among the trails she trekked was the Riverside Walk, a paved, mile-long path that follows the Virgin River, which carved Zion Canyon, to the beginning of the Narrows, where the canyon becomes so narrow that there is no longer a bank on either side of the river.
Schmutz says there was an intriguing beauty to walking along the river at the base of the cliffs rather than climbing upward.
"It helped me appreciate the height and grandeur of the red rock surrounding me," she says.
Photographer David J. West has his own gallery in Zion's gateway town, Springdale. Many of his photographs of Zion feature the Virgin River or popular photo spots like the Subway, a permit-only section of the park where a stream flows through a tunnel-like canyon.
West says Zion's water speaks to him, especially because water is often so rare in the desert.
"To slow down and listen to what the water is saying, in a place like Zion National Park, on a deeper level, is enlightening," he said. "It always amazes me when I stop and look up at these 2,000-foot cliffs and to think this little river had so much to do with the shape and depth of the canyon."
In addition to carving the landscape, the Virgin River and its smaller tributaries also bring life to the canyon. Popular trails like Emerald Pools and Weeping Rock even have references to the water in their name.
"Water is precious in the desert, and Zion is full of it," says Aly Baltrus, chief of interpretation for the park. "It literally pops out of springs in the rock and cascades down."
Water filters down through layer after layer of sandstone for hundreds of years before it emerges from the sides of the cliffs. As it emerges, the water provides life for Weeping Rock's signature "hanging gardens" — verdant gatherings of lush plant life that cling to the colorful rock.
Baltrus notes that the water brings animal life, too. Hikers might enjoy the colorful columbine that grows in another set of hanging gardens along the Emerald Pools Trail while listening to a chorus of frogs.
Schmutz and her friends also hiked the Emerald Pools Trail, which takes hikers past a series of three pools, each higher than the next, connected by small streams and ribbon-like waterfalls.
"One of the things I loved about the Emerald Pools hike were the water features that served as rewards along the way," Schmutz says. "Each waterfall or pool seemed to appear just when I felt ready for a little rest."
However, the water in Zion is not always so tranquil. It can be an awesome force.
A massive storm in 2010 transformed the often placid Virgin River into a raging torrent that once again changed the landscape, this time overnight. During that storm West captured many photographs of temporary, rain-fed waterfalls pouring off clifftops.
"I notice people seem to be drawn to the beauty of water in the desert," he says. "The dynamic nature of water flowing through these beautiful and mysterious desert landscapes make Zion National Park very unique among other national parks."
However, like many places across the nation, southern Utah is facing drought conditions that have changed the appearance of some of these features in Zion. Baltrus says the Virgin River has been considerably lower this spring. Locations like the Emerald Pools and Weeping Rock, however, are not affected much by the drought because their primary water sources are springs.
Passey also reports for The Spectrum of St. George, Utah.
About the park
Size: 148,733 acres
Visitors: 3,189,696 in 2014
Established: 1909
History: President William Howard Taft created Mukuntuweap National Monument in 1909. In 1918, its name was changed to Zion National Monument, and the next year Congress established it as a national park. The western Kolob section of the park was first protected as Zion National Monument in 1937 and later incorporated into the park in 1956.
When visiting: The main section of the park is accessible via Utah Route 9 from the south and the east, while the Kolob Canyons section is accessible via Interstate 15 from the west. The main visitor center is at the south entrance near Springdale. For information, call 435-772-3256. The park is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Of note: In 1997, with park visitation at 2.4 million and increasing, a shuttle system was established to reduce traffic and parking problems, protect vegetation and restore some tranquility to Zion Canyon. Private vehicles are allowed on Zion Canyon Scenic Drive only during the off-season or when staying at Zion Lodge.