History of Zion's National Park

 

Most people who live in the United States are not aware how amazing the country really is. They have no idea of how much natural beauty can be found in the country. All they get to see is the big cities and the big amusement parks when they go on a vacation. If they knew about the history of Zion’s National Park they might want to find out some more information about visiting it.

The park is located in the southwest part of the United States. Its 229 square miles are located near Springdale, Utah. The park features a canyon that runs for 15 miles. Visitors to the park will see a wide variety of both plant and animal life.

Native Americans were the first humans to inhabit the area over 8,000 years ago. Several different tribes called this area home throughout the centuries. The white man first started settling in the area in the early 1860’s when the Mormons began to relocate to the area. The area was declared a National Monument in 1909 by President William Howard Taft. It was given the name Makuntuweap National Monument. The name was changed in to Zion National Park in 1918 by the newly created National Park Service.

The name Zion was chosen by the park service because they thought it would appeal to a much larger audience at the time. An additional section of the park that was called the Kolob section became a part of the park in 1956.

Visitors to the park will be able to marvel at the canyons that have been formed through 150 million years of nature’s handiwork. She has managed to create 9 different recognizable formations in the park.

There have been many modern amenities added to the park to make it more accessible to visitors in more recent times. The Zion Canyon Scenic Drive provides visitors with a road that allows them to drive through the park. In the 1990’s the park service added a bus shuttle service to ease the traffic that had grown on the scenic drive. The buses use propane gas powered engines that are more environmentally friendly.

Some of the popular activities for visitors include hiking on the different trails and rock climbing. The pictures that can be taken in this national park are often breathtakingly beautiful. A trip to Zion National Park will allow people to see a part of the United States that most people are not aware of. It is definitely something that is worth seeing and learning about. It is also one of those areas that are regretfully overlooked during vacation planning.