 Located in Southwestern Utah,
Zion National Park is Utah's oldest and most visited national park. Zion is an ancient Hebrew word that stands for place
of peace and refuge. As you visit the immense canyons, beautifully sculptured rock formations, soaring cliffs and
breathtaking landscapes you will agree that Zion National Park certainly lives up to its name. Zion canyon was formed
over centuries of erosion caused by tributaries of the Virgin River which left behind the beautiful eroded canyon walls
and monoliths.
Zion National Park was originally occupied by the Anasazi people until about 800 years ago. Their abandoned cliff
houses and rock art are scattered throughout the park. After the Anasazi, the Paiute Indians occupied the canyon. The
first Mormon settlers arrived in Zion Canyon in 1858. The settlers called their new home Zion Canyon. In 1872 John
Wesley Powell surveyed the area and recorded the canyon's Indian name, Mukuntuweap. It was under this name that the
canyon was designated a national monument on 31 July 1909. In 1918 it was renamed Zion National Monument and in 1919
received national park status.
One early visitor to Zion Canyon was an artist named Frederick S. Dellenbaugh; he spent part of the summer of 1903
painting in Zion Canyon. His paintings were exhibited at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. In January of that same year
Dellenbaugh published an article about Zion National Park in Scribner's Magazine. The article, "A New Valley of Wonders,"
described Dellenbaugh's first view of the Great Temple, which stands at the entrance to Zion Canyon: "One hardly knows
just how to think of it. Never before has such a naked mountain of rock entered our minds. Without a shred of disguise
its transcendent form rises pre-eminent. There is almost nothing to compare to it. Niagara has the beauty of energy; the
Grand Canyon of immensity; the Yellowstone of singularity; the Yosemite of altitude; the ocean of power; this Great
Temple of eternity."
 Zion National Park is home to a diverse collection of geological wonders, including formations such as the towering
2,200-foot Great White Throne, the park's most famous landmark; the Court of the Patriarchs; the Sentinel; the Watchman;
Checkerboard Mesa; Kolob Arch, a 310 ft. long arch and the world's largest known natural span; and the Narrows of the
Virgin River, where a person can walk upstream to places so narrow that both sides of the canyon walls with your
outstretched hands.
Zion National Park has gained worldwide recognition for its beauty and grandeur, and currently receives around 3
million visitors each year The park has two visitor centers, one at the entrance to Kolob Canyon and the main visitor
center at the south entrance to the park. |
