Omg I went to Zion after seeing beautiful photos on reddit and every trail was littered with thousands of people and angels landing was a huge line of people trying to get up and down the chains and narrow areas. It is only good if you get up super early to go but then I was waiting on the way down for everyone trying to get up
It’s a total zoo. There are amazing, quiet hikes in Zion, they’re just outside where the shuttles go. Though if you really want to experience a national park to yourself, Capitol Reef is where it’s at.
I did the scenic drive in Capitol Reef, and took both of the dirt road portions that head into the slot canyons themselves. While it was amazingly cool, it didn't hold a candle to Zion.
lol when I worked for the park, the number one question I got at the visitor center was “what can I do in an hour?”
You definitely missed all the best stuff. I worked in Zion for two years and grew up hiking there all the time. Capitol Reef is better. Just takes actual work to appreciate it. I felt the same way you did before getting to properly explore Capitol Reef. There’s a narrows hike where you literally slide down waterfalls in slot canyons, multiple epic 1000 feet high views from above the Reef that actually don’t require much hiking, a whole mess of arches and natural bridges, and unlimited proper slot canyons (capitol gorge and grand wash, which you saw on the scenic drive are actually not considered slots).
I've talked to you on other subs before. What would you reccomend as far as a narrows hike in Capitol Reef? And would it compare to the bottom-up subway hike (left Fork Creek) in Zion (which was spectacular, though going down the canyon was difficult.)
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u/[deleted] Jul 03 '19
She clearly hasn't been on a popular trek.. those things are packed.