Early Morning at the Canyon Overlook at Zion National Park
Because of jet lag, I didn’t have much difficulty getting up early in the morning to attempt a sunrise viewing at Zion National Park. It was still very dark when I left the hotel and there was barely any traffic going to the park. The park entrance booths were still closed because it was that early but the gates themselves were open. I have a ticket anyway, so I didn’t need to worry about getting caught inside the park without a ticket. Supposedly, one of the best spots for sunrises here in Zion National Park is at Canyon Overlook.
Mountains Around the Canyon Overlook at Zion National Park
The trailhead to Canyon Overlook is actually along the road on the way out of the park. There is very limited parking here so it is best to get here early. I was early enough to get the last few parking slots. I still parked behind another car, though I made sure that they had space to reverse when then need to pull out of the car park. There is a slightly bigger car park nearer the trailhead but I think I was too dark that I didn’t notice that it was a car park. By the time I got to the car park, there was already a bit of light. The skies were looking overcast and I hope that it isn’t a sign of things to come. The previous day was mostly clear skies, I am hoping that the skies would clear as the morning goes.
There is a proper trail to go to the Canyon Overlook. The trail mostly hugs the mountains so it was hard to see anything else apart from what is immediately around you. In the initial part of the climb, it was still rather hard to see the path. Remember, I don’t have a head lamp with me, but there was just enough light to see the way. In case you were wondering, there are parts of the trail which have drop offs, but these parts usually have guardrails. The elevation gains weren’t that drastic either so I think this was more or less an easy trail even for me.
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