Picture above is a look backwards down into the canyon as you head out the east side of Zion towards the Zion-Mt Carmel Tunnel. The tunnel requires a $15 pass for vehicles over 8 ft wide or over 11'4" tall, which allows you to go through twice in a 7 day period. The traffic goes through one-way, so larger vehicles can drive the center line.
There are several windows along the 1.1 mile curving drive through the tunnel...
There are several windows along the 1.1 mile curving drive through the tunnel... ...and on the other side is a dramatically different landscape, vast mountainsides of slickrock, and sometimes, significantly cooler temperatures. Keep an eye out for Bighorn sheep - they say you can sometimes spot them from the road in this area; we were not fortunate enough to see any this trip.
Canyon Overlook trail is one of the best trails in Zion for a short hike and great views; it is at the east end of the tunnel (two small parking lots but parking can be tough). We'll post pictures from this hike in a subsequent post.
Continuing up Hwy 9, Checkerboard Mesa is worth stopping for.
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