Photo Spots in Zion National Park
Hey Guys! Hope your July is going well! Everyone seems to be traveling somewhere this month or making plans for their last summer vacation, what do you have planned for your last summer getaway? Maybe your planning a last minute trip to Zion National Park and need a little more research before you commit, we got you covered! Check out our things to know before you go blog post to get a heads up on crucial elements about Zion National Park. But anyways, today we wanted to continue the conversation about Zion National Park and give you an inside look at our top 5 favorite photo spots in Zion National Park.
Pa’rus Trail
One of the first photogenic and noteworthy areas that you will come across when you enter the park is the space between stops 1-3. With some amazing rock formations and views of the canyon, one of the best ways to experience and photograph this area is along the Pa’rus Trail. This section of the canyon seemed to be filled with more meadows, spacious grass areas and less trees than the rest of the park which allows you to capture a more wide, sprawling perspective of the canyon.
This is also a great area to photograph the sunset as the canyon turns more westward as you get closer to the entrance. This allows the setting sun’s light to find its way into the valley instead of being blocked by the high canyon walls, which is something that can make the sunset a little anticlimactic as you get further into the canyon.
Canyon Junction, The North Fork Virgin River
While stop 3, also known as Canyon Junction, can be a high traffic area amidst the shuttle stop and car traffic, taking a short walk down to the Virgin River from where the shuttle drops you off can provide some solace from the sometimes chaotic main road.
Starting from where the river meets stop 3, you can walk along the water and enjoy some more intimate views of the canyon with great opportunities for photos with foreground images ranging from the river to fallen logs to taller brush and trees. We didn’t walk too far up the river ourselves, you could go as far as you’d like but the canyon continues to narrow as you get further up river and closer to stop 4.
Zion-Mount Carmel Highway
Instead of heading further into the canyon from stop 3 which is only accessible via the Zion Shuttle, there is also the option to continue driving east along the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway. This route will take you along an incredibly scenic and photogenic drive leading through the eastern plateau of the park. Along the drive, there are a multitude of opportunities to pull over and photograph this area’s unique features and landscapes, as well as plenty of places where you can get out and explore some remote vantage points that many others might miss.
While driving through this area, we were fortunate enough to come across a herd of bighorn sheep that were grazing along the vibrant, red walls of the canyon, so keep an eye out for them as well.
Big Bend – Weeping Rock
One of our favorite spots that we found while exploring further into the canyon, is the area between stops 7 and 8 near Big Bend. This section of the canyon provides some amazing opportunities for photos as the river makes a sharp turn around the cliffs of the famous Angels’ Landing hiking spot.
The way the canyon turns and bends provides some unique angles and perspectives that make this spot stand out from the rest of the park. As you make your way closer to shuttle stop 8, the road along the canyon wall climbs in elevation and allows you to look down at the open valley that runs along the Virgin River below.
Kolob Terrace
Our last photo spot was probably our favorite place we went throughout our entire trip and one that is unique from all the others due to its location outside of the main Zion Canyon. Kolob Terrace is located along the western edge of the park’s boundary and is definitely off the beaten path for most people who visit Zion. The terrace is a very large area that offers incredible, sprawling views of the Utah landscape complimented by the dramatic, red cliffs that Zion is famous for.
Along the drive through this area, we came across plenty of cows grazing on the land and sometimes standing just next to a steep cliff, seemingly posed for the pictures we were taking. We would recommend checking this area out during sunrise or sunset as it can provide some extremely dramatic and colorful views unobstructed by the tall canyon walls of the main canyon.
Thanks for checking in with us! Hope you found these spots to be helpful and inspire you to take some amazing photos. Stay tuned for more Zion content ahead!
