The Purple Passport

Seasoned advice for British Travellers

camping

Your Zion National Park Questions, Answered!

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The Zion National Park in Southwest Utah is one of the most visited national parks in the United States for a number of reasons. It has gorgeous scenery and plenty of hiking trails to explore, making it the perfect destination for those who love adventures. It is also home to diverse wildlife, from the mule deer to the bighorn sheep.

A trip to Zion National Park is one that you will remember for years to come. To make the trip more fruitful and enjoyable, here are some of the most frequently asked questions about the national park, answered.

How Do I Get There?

You can reach the Zion National Park in a number of ways. Those visiting the Grand Canyon or Monument Valley can continue their journey by car; the Zion National Park is about four hours away from the Grand Canyon. The same can be said for those who are visiting Zion from different parts of Utah. The closest national park is the Bryce National Park, which is about an hour away from Zion National Park.

The most convenient way to reach the park, however, is by flying to Las Vegas. From McCarran International Airport, the Zion National Park is around two to three hours away by car. You can easily rent a car from Las Vegas, plus you get the bonus of being able to sample this glamorous city upon arriving or before ending your trip.

What about Accommodation?

Being the popular destination that it is, Zion National Park has a number of accommodation options to choose from. The Bumbleberry Inn, the best Zion hotel in the area, offers homey accommodation for any kind of traveler. It has its own theater and you can use the shuttle rides to get to various points in the national park.

There are several camping grounds too, so you can go all out with your adventure to the national park and spend some time in the wild. The Lava Point Campground and the South Campground are the more popular ones, but you have other options to choose from. There are even RV resorts for those traveling in their RVs.

Is it Safe to Drive to Zion National Park?

Driving to Zion National Park is not only safe but highly recommended. The Zion Scenic Drive is actually one of the area’s best attractions. The route takes you across the national park and straight to the forest area.

The drive itself is special. You will be driving along a twisty road with gorgeous scenery to enjoy from start to finish. There are some areas with sharp hairpins and challenging turns – not all of them have guardrails – but as long as you are focused, you will have a lot of fun taking this route.

Don’t forget to have your camera ready too. You will be rewarded with breathtaking views of the landscape; chances are you’ll be making several stops while driving this route.

Once you get to Zion National Park, you will have even more things to do. Now that you have these questions answered, you can plan for the trip better and have the best time exploring the national park.

Avoiding the Most Common Sources of Money Waste in Camping and Hunting

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Traveling a lot can quickly bog you down with some serious expenses, and before you can even realize it, you’re spending thousands of dollars on new gear for every trip. Things can get even worse if you’re also an avid hunter, as the typical prices for equipment on that market can be quite steep for the average pocket. However, things don’t have to be so expensive in the long run if you actually prepare yourself a little bit. Knowing how to invest in the right camping and hunting gear, and how to take care of it, can go a long way towards minimizing your expenses with each next trip.

Waterproof Does Not Mean Water Is Irrelevant

A common mistake that some campers make which can cost a lot, in the long run, is to misunderstand the meaning of “waterproof” when it comes to some of their equipment. While it’s true that some gear is designed to operate properly when wet or even completely submerged in water, this doesn’t mean that it’s the optimal operating environment for the product. Usually, water resistance simply buys you some extra time to pull your expensive gear out of the water before it’s ruined, it doesn’t mean that you should leave things out in the rain. Water damage is probably one of the major causes of expense for inexperienced campers, and that’s unfortunate considering how easily it can be prevented.

Disassemble and Store Fishing and Hunting Gear Appropriately

Another point that gets ignored until it’s too late by many inexperienced campers is that proper maintenance of their gear can make a huge difference. This is especially true for something like an expensive hunting rifle – what’s the point of spending the time to compare receivers on maxblagg.net, carefully scouting out the best prices and even getting a custom paint job, if you leave the gun leaning against the first tree you can find every time you want to take a break? It might be annoying and it takes some extra time, but it’s the main thing that will prevent your equipment from breaking down too early.

Track Your Habits and Avoid Waste in the Future

Last but not least, consider how much food you’re throwing out after each trip. This is a source of waste that can be avoided very easily with just a little advance planning and it makes no sense to keep spending all that money on food you’re never going to eat in the first place. Even if you’re not aware of your eating habits – and those of your regular camping buddies – you can easily start a spreadsheet to track them and get an idea of what the situation is like.

Camping and hunting are commonly seen as expensive by less experienced people who don’t know how to plan ahead properly. It doesn’t have to be this way though, and as long as you know what your group is going to require on its next trip, you can easily save yourself a huge amount of money, especially if you consider how your savings will stack up in the long run.