Springdale lies at the mouth of Zion Canyon, and the effect of arriving is rather like walking into a cathedral. Red and cream cliffs rise on every side, thousands of feet high, with the Virgin River winding below them and cottonwoods lining its banks. The village itself is small, a single main street running along the base of the walls, with cafes, galleries, motels and outfitters, and a grand view of the Watchman, a peak that stands guard over the entrance.
Zion's story is one of water and stone. The Virgin River has carved the canyon out of Navajo sandstone, a rock formed from vast sand dunes about 180 million years ago, and the cliffs still show the flowing lines of the old dunes in their cross-bedding. The Paiute people lived here for centuries, and Mormon settlers arrived in the 1860s, calling the canyon Zion, a place of refuge. The area was made a national park in 1919.
For riders, this is the starting point of the highway that connects the canyon with the plateau to the east. The road in from Hurricane and La Verkin follows the river, with long, gentle bends through red country, and the approach from the west is easy and scenic. Traffic can be heavy in spring and summer, and parking in Springdale is limited, so arrive early. The town has a free shuttle that runs along the main street to the park entrance.
Fuel is available in town, though it is more expensive than in Hurricane, about twenty-six kilometres to the west, where there are supermarkets, motels and several stations. Restaurants in Springdale serve everything from burgers to fine dining, and there are bakeries for early starts. A pass is required to enter the park, and motorcycle rates are lower than for cars.
The best season is spring and autumn, when the days are warm and the nights cool. In summer, the heat in the canyon can reach well over a hundred degrees Fahrenheit, with afternoon thunderstorms that cause flash floods, which can be dangerous in narrow canyons. Winter is quiet, with occasional snow on the high plateau.
Take time to look up. The cliffs change colour through the day, from pink at dawn to gold and red in the late afternoon, and the light is worth waiting for.