REDISCOVER ZION BY BIKE

REDISCOVER ZION BY BIKE

By Kye Nordfelt Health Promotion Director

Southern Utah is amazing for so many reasons; the friendly people, entertainment options, great food, and of course the incredible scenery. From the high desert to the snow covered mountains - it has it all, and I love living here. If you’re looking for a memorable vacation or just a fun day trip you will never forget biking Zion National Park’s main canyon. I recently rode it with my family and here is a summary of our experience. Bicycling is a fun way to get your 30 minutes of exercise in a day. I love to ride a bike and I love to be with my family (my wife and I have five kids). I am an avid bike commuter and comfortable on the road, but the rest of my family is not. We like to ride both e-bikes and regular pedal bikes, and either style works for the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. When I first moved to Southern Utah we were anxious to visit Zion. Within the first year we visited the park two separate times, however I didn’t love the experience. I was cooped up in a stuffy bus and often felt like I was in a line at an amusement park along the trails. Unfortunately, this experience turned me off and I didn’t return to the park for many years. One day a friend told me to try ditching the park buses and take my family through on bikes instead. I hesitated taking all my kids because I didn’t know how safe it was or if they could handle

the ride, but we eventually decided to give it a go. I admit that we actually brought electric bikes for this ride, although we saw many individuals and families riding pedal bikes in the canyon, too. Over the years, I have trolled the classifieds and found a number of inexpensive e-bikes that have provided a ton of fun for our family. You can also rent e-bikes in Springdale, Zion’s gateway town. The path to Zion Canyon Scenic Drive and the drive itself is a steady ascent so you will want to bring a bike that allows you to shift up and down to make it easier to ride. We drove up to Zion, parked in the visitor’s center parking lot and unloaded our bikes. While the beauty around the visitor’s center was already remarkable, my family was anxious to get into the canyon. We rode our bikes through the parking lot and hit a biking/walking path just south of the South Campground. This two-lane exclusive bike and walking trail winds back and forth across the Virgin River, peacefully separated from auto traffic and featuring excellent views culminating in a ride under the highway (SR 9) into Zion’s canyon. Coming out from under the bridge you approach the base of the canyon where the scenery only becomes more spectacular. We merged onto the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, a two-lane road designed for vehicles, but Zion National Park has blocked off the road to car traffic. Only buses and approved touring company vehicles are allowed, making it ideal for riding or walking. Vehicular traffic was occasional and the buses would drive by slowly (around 30 miles per hour). My kids, ages 9 to 16, had no problem riding the road. The lack of traffic helped them feel completely comfortable. We continued to ride, wind blowing through our hair as we gazed up at the imposing red and orange colored cliffs intermixed with white slick rock, toward the top and dotted with beautiful ponderosa pine trees

clinging to the cliffs. I had never experienced such joy in a ride. I felt like a kid riding for the first time, feeling that natural high and freedom a bike can provide. We stopped at the Court of the Patriarchs for pictures, and continued on past Zion’s Lodge. At one point along the road, we passed deer grazing about five feet from the roadside. The kids loved it. We had a look at Angels Whether you have a pedal bike or want to give e-bikes a try, Landing and pulled off the road at Big Bend where we took more pictures. The there are many scenic routes to experience in Southern Utah! park has done a great job at creating a walking and biking-friendly route with the scenic road, which is being used abundantly by pedestrians along with novice and expert riders. We didn’t have to worry about cars buzzing by our ears or getting hit by oncoming traffic. We ended at the Temple of Sinawava, where many start their hike up the famous Zion Narrows. We pulled out a lunch and the kids played in the Virgin River before the return trip. The downhill descent out of the canyon was a blast - we especially enjoyed this part. We rode with many other people, all smiling and waving as they experienced one of America's greatest national parks. Our total mileage was about 16 miles round-trip. Take a lunch, stop and enjoy the views, play in the river, and consider adding a hike for variety. Zion Canyon is now one of our family’s favorite rides. We have since ridden this road a couple of times with relatives and friends and each experience is breathtaking. A couple of other amazing local bike rides on paved paths can be found in Snow Canyon State Park, Bryce Canyon National Park to Red Canyon, and up Coal Creek east of Cedar City. All these routes are beautiful and can be planned as part of a vacation or day trip. Whether you have a pedal bike or want to give e-bikes a try, there are many scenic routes to experience in Southern Utah!

Chamerion angustifolium Thrives in open meadows, along streams, roadsides, and forest edges.