Summer Solstice was just last week

According to astronomers that is the official beginning of summer. Here in southern Utah, we are pretty sure that it has been summer for awhile. It’s been many weeks, in fact, since our red rocks started heating up.

Summer is the time of the most visitation to Zion National Park and the surrounding areas of Southern Utah. Even with all the folks here, there are still many ways to enjoy the area, even for those visitors not from desert places.

The first rule is to stay safe, which in this unique place means to stay hydrated and cool.

We love mornings here. The canyon breeze that comes every morning makes walking just after dawn a particular pleasure.

Some visitors rush to ascend Angels Landing which is a great idea if that’s the trail you want to take. This hike isn’t for everyone. No one should go there that has a discomfort with heights.

Just as pleasant in the early morning is a stroll down the Pa’Rus trail. This is a hike for everyone, including those in wheelchairs or with a leashed dog. Just because it’s not a strenuous hike does not mean it is not spectacular. There was a reason this location was chosen as the amazing place for Robert Redford’s character to release his stallion at the end of “Electric Horseman”. It is an especially beautiful spot at sunset as well.

Which brings up the question of what to do in the hot afternoons. One of the locals’ favorite ways to stay cool is to relax in and around the Virgin River, a shallow river for the most part (check back on that during monsoon season). Behind Cable Mountain Lodge is a stretch of leafy cottonwoods on the river beach that gives deep shade to the water.

An after-lunch nap in the air conditioned rooms will get you ready for the evening possibilities. There are places close by the Lodge, such as Kolob Terrace, which will take you off the canyon floor and into the cooler alpine areas of Zion.

Ask at the front desk. We’ll be glad to help you plan your adventure.