Zion National Park Backcountry Itinerary by Kenny & Kristen

We decided to visit Zion National Park as a fun way to celebrate my (Kristen's) 29th birthday and as potentially our last bigger trip before I start school again this Fall. We tossed around a few different ideas for parks to visit, but Zion has been on our short list for a while and it won out in ease of getting there, expected weather and popularity in May, and interesting hikes. We also considered trying to compress our time in Zion and hit a few of the other National Parks in Utah while we were there, but ultimately we didn't want to rush things. We end up leaving every National Park with a to do list of what we want to do when we come back anyway (and Zion was no different). So Bryce Canyon, Arches, and the others will have to wait as well. # Zion Itinerary Here's what our trip looked like: **Thursday Night:** Fly into Vegas, do the Walmart stop for supplies, drive to Hurricane to an Air B n B for the night. **[Friday:](https://www.thekhsquared.com/blog/103)** Get settled (campground and backcountry permits), explore the Zion Valley **[Saturday:](https://www.thekhsquared.com/blog/106)** Backcountry hike from Lee Pass to Kolob Arch **[Sunday:](https://www.thekhsquared.com/blog/107)** Backcountry hike from Kolob Arch to Wildcat Canyon **[Monday:](https://www.thekhsquared.com/blog/108)** Backcountry hike from Wildcat Canyon to West Rim Trail and Angels Landing **Tuesday:** Drive back to Vegas and explore the strip. Fly home # Approximate Budget | Expense | Approximate $ | | --- | :---: | | Air BnB in Hurricane on the way into the park| $50 | | Dinner on the way in | $30 | | Groceries for camping | $70 | | Total campground fees: | $20 (Backcountry campgrounds are free of charge) | | Total Gas: | $50 (2 fill ups) | | Park Fees: | $50 ($35 entrance fee + $15 backcountry permit) | | Shuttle to Lee Pass| $80 ($40/person) | Ice and Firewood|$10| | Poop Bags | $12 | | Rental Car: | $110 (a large portion of this was covered by loyalty points) | | Total Cost (minus airfare): | $482 | # Other cool things we wish we did/will do next time: * The Narrows * The Narrows were closed while we were there due to the high water levels in early May * Subway Hike * Requires a special permit * East Rim Trail and Observation Point * These trails were closed due to Rock slides We learned a lot on this trip. Check out our pro tips [here](https://www.thekhsquared.com/blog/105) so you can benefit from our mistakes :)

Back