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ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH

A solo campervan trip across the deserts of Utah and Arizona (and a little Colorado)

By Stories She Saw

June 23^rd, 2018

In April of 2017 I spent two weeks in a campervan working and travelling across the deserts of Utah and Arizona in the USA. I was inspired by my mum's memories of her roadtrip around the area in the late 1970s, and wanted to see - and explore - the landscape for myself.

Before I left, mum gifted me the map that she used on her journey - highlighted with the roads she'd taken and the places that she'd stopped. Rather than do too much research myself I decided to follow mum's exact footsteps, some 40 years later. During the two weeks I drove over 2,500 kms while visiting seven National Parks in three states (though I drove in four), and I fell in love with every single one of them. I have grand intentions to return to each for further exploration, but until then, I will just have to rely on my photos for memories.

On day one, I flew into Las Vegas and collected my van. I had booked late and the only remaining size was large enough to sleep four people, but there was a certain excitement in driving six feet off the ground; I felt indestructible (probably a good thing, given that the last time I drove on the right side of the road I wrote off my hire car...)

I left Vegas, stopped off at a Walmart to purchase petrol and supplies, then spent the rest of the day driving the 250 kms to the small town of Springdale on the outskirts of Zion National Park.

Exploring (some of) the Southwest USA by campervan

Over 2,500kms and 14 days of stunning desert vistas

My van - designed to sleep four people!

There's a law in some states of the US that allows 'boondocking' or self-contained overnighting of your van/RV, so I googled suitable places and found myself the perfect location close to my first proper destination in Utah. All that was left to do was drive down some dusty paths, get my back wheels caught in the sand, accidentally drive over an entire bush then park for the night, pour a premixed margarita and watch the sun dip below the horizon. (Then work for the next 6-8 hours through the night on my laptop #digitalnomad)

Sunset on night one - boondocking in Springdale, UT

The evening light was gorgeous, and I captured the true remoteness of my carpark on video just as dusk started to fade. It's a dark video, but it shows how beautifully quiet my location was... helpful given that I had no bathroom in my van!

The next morning, I woke to a desert paradise, and I wasn't even in a National Park yet! With deserts come coldness, so I prepared myself some warm porridge in the back of my van (after I had run around taking photos while not wearing enough clothes!) and headed off to my first stop - Zion National Park.

Sunrise from my boondocking spot, just outside of Springdale UT

My home for two weeks in all its glory!

So much beauty, yet I wasn't even in a National Park!

zion national park

Zion National Park is in Southwest Utah and about 590 sq kms in size. I didn't have a booking to stay in the campgrounds, but after pulling up early and a bit of sweet talking, I found a home for my van - and me - for the next two nights in the South Campground, which had a stunning view to the cliffs of Zion. (No camping or 'boondocking' is allowed in National Parks; you can only stay only in designated campgrounds).

Due to working while travelling - and clocking at least 8-10 hours a day - I ran my battery flat several times, which meant that I needed to be jumpstarted more than once. Luckily, that's not an unfamiliar situation for a digital nomad! (We don't share photos of that on our social media!)

A kitchen with a view!

Being a digital nomad means, for me, working on the road and regularly running my battery flat from charging my computer!

My kitchen for two weeks! (Note the important purchases - wine, beer and laughing cow cheese)

The main areas of Zion are serviced by a shuttle bus in order to remove excess cars from the road and limit the environmental impact from over 1m visitors a year. When I first arrived, I grabbed a map, filled up my A5 memobottle and caught the shuttle all the way to the end of the line.

Greeting me there was 'The Narrows' the narrowest part of Zion Canyon and a famed hike through the river with 1000ft red cliffs towering either side. Unfortunately, because I was travelling during spring when snowmelt was at its highest and flash flooding at its most likely, the Narrows was closed to hikers. Despite not being able to wade through the water for eight hours, the sight of the Virgin River running at full strength was spectacular and, honestly very humbling. I could not even imagine the power and terror of a flash flood.

The Narrows during Spring

The Virgin River flowing through Zion

It is the Virgin River that has formed the sheer cliffs of Zion

It was humbling to stand and watch the powerful water rushing through the canyon

Chipmunk!

The raw red cliffs of Zion

The summit of this cliff face was where I would hike the following day, and where several rockclimbers were scaling when I took this photo!

Every way I looked, beautiful cliff faces soared above

No matter which way I turned, rich red cliffs towered over me; a powerful reminder of my true size and age in this beautiful world. The walls of Zion are formed from the Virgin River running through the canyon for a millennia. The flash floods in particular slowly shape and carve the walls. In fact, the Virgin transports close to 1m tonnes of sediment annually.

I spent a few hours on that first day exploring and marvelling at hidden waterfalls, emerald pools and slot canyons, never tiring of the magical views around me. Truly, the photos do it no justice, it is just too spectacular and too alive to capture.

Once upon a time, the Virgin River must have flowed through a hairpin bend here.

Rockclimbers were scaling this cliff, and what a stunning day to do it!

The colours of Zion kept changing as the sun dipped below the opposing cliffs

Looking up the cliff face

ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH

Peering through a slot canyon

A reflection in one of the Emerald Pools

ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH

Unsurprisingly, rock climbing is popular in Zion. Although I could not spot the minuscule climbers with my naked eye on the huge, sheer cliffs, I clicked photos in the general direction I was shown and zoomed in on them once I was back in my van. Many climbers tended to undertake multi-day trips, sleeping on the side of the cliffs in purpose built tents.

Rock climbers scaling down one of the cliffs

ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH

ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH

These guys were just getting started for the day

The desert flora (and fauna) was on display around Zion too. With hundreds of different varieties, I captured only a small selection.

ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH

ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH

ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH

ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH

ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH

ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH

ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH

ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH

ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH

ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH

ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH

ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH

The next day I rose early to work a few hours before sunrise as I had grand plans: a 6 hour, 12.8km hike up 655ft to Observation Point.

Halfway up I met an older couple. They had a daughter in Australia and had visited her several times and spoke to me of the beauty of our national parks. When they were younger they loved hiking, so despite her being a little slower and more fragile, they still spent time together trekking around the country. They weren't able to make it to the top this time, but that didn't matter - they'd seen it before - and they were together conquering mountains and life and old age. She insisted that they take my photo, because my mum would want to see it, and in 50 years time when I was forgetting who I was, I would want to have concrete evidence of that time I explored the world.

The second half of the hike was particularly hard going and towards the peak the drop was over 500ft with just a foot wrong on the thin path, but the views at the summit made it one of my most memorable days of solo travel, ever. The Virgin River snaked through the park below and the full span of time in which it must have taken to form Zion became painfully clear. This masterpiece was created over hundreds of thousands of years, and in hundreds of thousands of years' time, it would look completely different.

I sat at the peak devouring a peanut butter and banana sandwich I'd made for lunch, and contemplated how truly beautiful this life and this world is.

Echo Canyon on the way to Observation Point

Echo Canyon - I caught these hikers for scale (they were passing me on the way up)

Halfway up, looking over a typically hidden part of Zion

Echo Canyon and the trail on the right of the photo

Plane trails and brilliantly blue sky

The side of the rock face on my way up to Observation Point

This photo was taken for me by a lovely older woman who, I got the feeling, thrived when she was told she couldn't do something. (#familiar)

Remarkable to see the shapes formed by rushing water

A little closer to the summit...

Almost there... (That's the Virgin River below, weaving it's way around)

And I made it!

ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH

A chipmunk taking in the view

ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH

Keep reading here for my next stop at Bryce Canyon, Utah.

Footnotes

All photos taken by me on my Olympus OMD EM10 II, and the video and panorama were taken by me on my iPhone 7

FootNotes

All photos taken by me on my Olympus OMD EM10 II, and the video and panorama were taken by me on my iPhone 7

© 2026 Stories She Saw

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