Risks and Rewards at Zion National Park

01The state of Utah is home to five major national parks.

02They are among the most famous parks in the United States.

03This week, our national parks journey brings us to the southeastern part of the state.

04Here you will find narrow canyons, steep cliffs, and hidden river valleys.

05Welcome to Zion National Park.

06Zion sits within a desert landscape.

07The 260-kilometer-long Virgin River runs through it.

08It provides water for more than 1,000 kinds of plants to grow and over 100 kinds of animals to live, including the desert tortoise, desert bighorn sheep, and mountain lions.

09River water has also carved out the area's spectacular canyons and gorges.

10One of them, called Zion Canyon, stretches more than 20 kilometers through the park.

11In some places, it is more than 600 meters deep.

12At its most narrow point, it is just 6 meters across.

13Zion is one of the 10 most visited parks in the country.

14Travelers from America and around the world come here to explore its canyons, climb its steep walls, and walk its dramatic trails.

15Zion's extraordinary beauty affected early Mormon settlers.

16Members of the religious group came to the area beginning in the 1850s.

17They thought it looked like heaven.

18They named the land after a place from the Bible, Zion.

19Zion means sanctuary or refuge in ancient Hebrew.

20Mormons were not, of course, the first people to explore the area.

21Experts say humans first arrived around 12,000 years ago.

22They hunted very large animals, like mammoths, giant sloths, and camels.

23Climate change and overhunting caused these animals to die out about 8,000 years ago.

24Humans changed their methods.

25They hunted smaller animals and gathered other food.

26Some 2,000 years ago, a culture centered on what we now call Zion began to form.

27Scientists know these people as the Virgin Anasazi.

28They settled in the area and grew crops.

29They used the water from the Virgin River and depended on the rich diversity of native plants and animals.

30Over time, many Native American groups called the area home, including the Southern Paiute.

31The Southern Paiutes called the area Makantuweep.

32In their language, the name meant Straight Canyon.

33The United States Congress moved to protect the area beginning in the early 1900s.

34In 1909, it became a national monument.

35It was called Makantuweep National Monument.

36President William Taft established the national monument.

37He described the land as a labyrinth of remarkable canyons with highly ornate and beautifully colored walls, in which are plainly recorded the geological events of past ages.

38In 1918, the national monument became a national park.

39And in 1919, Congress changed its name to Zion, the name used by the Mormons.

40Today, almost 3 million people visit Zion National Park each year.

41Driving is restricted in much of the park during busy months.

42Instead, visitors travel in small buses that take them to areas where they can walk on paths into the wild areas.

43Walking is the best way to explore Zion.

44The park offers visitors many different kinds of paths.

45Some are short and easy.

46One easy walk is almost 2 kilometers.

47It takes hikers to a clear pool of water and waterfalls.

48Other hikes take most people all day to complete.

49Some are not advisable for people who are afraid of high places.

50A hike called Angel's Landing is considered one of the most exciting hikes in America.

51The trail leads to the top of a rock formation that stands more than 450 meters above the canyon floor.

52Toward the top of the rock, the walking path becomes extremely narrow.

53On both sides are very steep cliffs.

54Hikers can hold onto a rope for increased safety.

55Most hikers say the views from Angel's Landing make the difficult and dangerous experience worth it.

56Some visitors favor the lower parts of Zion National Park.

57One popular area is known as the Narrows.

58The Narrows is the narrowest part of Zion Canyon.

59The area has extremely tall canyon walls and unusual hanging gardens.

60These green areas of wildflowers, ferns, and mosses grow out of the sandstone walls.

61If you want to explore the Narrows, you must be ready to get wet.

62Hiking in the Narrows means walking next to, and even in, the Virgin River.

63If water levels are high, walking in the river can be extremely difficult.

64Sometimes, hikers may be waist-high in water.

65Even near the canyon floor, hikes at Zion can be dangerous.

66The great amount of rock in the area does not absorb water.

67As a result, sudden floods, called flash floods, are a serious threat.

68People can help prepare themselves as much as possible for the dangers of Zion National Park at the Visitor's Center.

69But the risks come with great rewards.

70As the famous American pilot Amelia Earhart once said, adventure is worthwhile in itself.

71I'm Katie Weaver.

72And I'm Ashley Thompson.

73I'm Ashley Thompson.

74I'm Ashley Thompson.