Stay and play in the heart of the Utah's National Parks and National Monuments and visit Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Dixie National Forest, Cedar Mountain, Red Canyon and ATV Central - the Coral Pink Sand Dunes.
The word "Zion" has many meanings and evokes various feelings. For those that have seen Zion, you need to know that it displays some of the greatest scenery that the world has to offer. A well known 1880 geologist once said: "Nothing can exceed the wondrous beauty of Zion in the nobility and beauty of the sculptures there is no comparison."
Long ago, when the Paiute Indians roamed the Zion area, they were afraid of the wind that blew through Zion Canyon, each evening, and thus refused to stay in the canyon after dark. They called Zion Canyon, I-u-goone. Early Utah settlers viewed the towering monoliths as grand natural temples and named it "Little Zion," meaning "the heavenly city of God". Today we call this incredible section of Southern Utah, Zion National Park.
The park is located in the Great Basin Desert, but this corner of the state is far from what one would picture as a hot and dry desert. The land is forested with 3,000 foot high mountains, plateaus, canyons and creeks winding and twisting through the terrain, is the Virgin River. This river is known for carving through tons of sandstone, over a multitude of time, to form Zion Canyon. East of the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel, you will find the geological wonder, Checkerboard Mesa and some of the most incredible scenery in Zion National Park.
