Cedar City 2 - Zion

Zion National Park is the canyon formed by the Virgin River in Utah, and like Yosemite, is first viewed from the valley. Unlike Yosemite, these are red rock cliffs that rise hundreds of feet toward the blue heavens. The valley is very fertile and green, making a beautiful contrast against the bare rock mountains.

One of the trails we walked took us to "Weeping Rock" where a ranger told us that the water seeping out there was up to 200 years old. It took that long to filter from the top of the mesa.

The canyon narrows at its head. The trail meanders for another two miles from here, but we demurred.

We drove the east road out of the park which winds through a mile long tunnel up to the top of the mesa. These last three shots were taken on that road. If you look closely at the middle one, called "Checkerboard Mesa", you can see the unusual erosion lines in its face.