Zion National Park

Zion National Park is Utah's oldest National Park, and the most visited; you'll want to try to avoid going on a weekend, and regardless, try to get into the park as early as possible! You can also time it with your shuttle reservation time-slot.

Due to the large amount of visitors to Zion National Park, there is now a shuttle bus system to help reduce traffic and parking problems. The shuttle buses operate during the popular tourism months which now run from February through November; I would recommend getting your shuttle ticket(s) at least a month in advance as they only release a smaller amount the day before. To see the official shuttle dates and times, view the NPS Shuttle System page.

If you miss your chance to reserve shuttle tickets, or want to get into the park before the first shuttle, another fun option is to rent a bike/e-bike from Zion Cycles, Zion Peddler, Ebikes Zion, or Zion Outfitter.

Zion is located near the small town of Springdale, UT. For a small town, there are a surprisingly good amount of unique places to stay as well as tasty food and beer!

Food + Drinks:

A great way to end a day of hiking is with a beer (or two) at Zion Canyon Brew Pub - located just outside of the park entrance. It can get busy, but it's a fun way to wrap up your day and the food is really good too!
I was a really big fan of Whiptail Grill - a Mexican restaurant in Springdale.
If you want a fancy dinner experience with fresh and sustainably sourced food, Zion Mountain Ranch might be the perfect place for dinner!

Lodging

I stayed at Wander Camp Zion - glamping tents with incredible views of the park! This added to the overall experience, and the beds were really comfortable!
Other glamping options include Under Canvas, Wildflower, and Zion Glamping Adventures.
You can also stay at the Zion Mountain Ranch for a boutique/luxury, cabin experience.
If you're wanting to do traditional camping, you can reserve the Watchman Campground or the South Campground through recreation.gov.
There are also major chain hotels like Hilton and Marriott in Springdale.

Here are some of my favorite/must do hikes in Zion:

Easy(ish):

Emerald Pools (1.2-mile round-trip loop to the Lower Pool; 2-mile round-trip visit to the Middle and Lower Pools; 2.5-mile round-trip hike to all 3)
Canyon Overlook Trail (1.5 miles) - great for a sunrise or sunset!
East Rim Trail to Observation Point (7.15 miles)

Difficult:

The Narrows (2.5 - 4.5 miles, depending on how far you go) - If you go when it's colder, you'll want to rent cold water wading gear from Zion Outfitter.
Angels Landing (4.8 miles) - Because of increasing popularity (and for safety), you now have to have a permit to hike Angels Landing, which can be secured on recreation.gov. Seasonal lotteries take place during January, April, and July. There are also a fewer amount of permits released on day before lotteries.

** Both the Narrows and Angels Landing can take between 4-6hrs to complete.

If you have the time (and are wanting to do both), I would recommend staying

an extra night, so that you have two days at Zion NP, making this a seven day trip. **