Looking around at the packed shuttle buses and overflowing parking lots, you’d never know Zion National Park is under an excessive heat warning.
But you can certainly feel it.
As temperatures climbed toward a high of 107 degrees, Bram and Elke Vanderelst stopped at a drinking fountain outside the visitor center.
The Belgian family is visiting the U.S. for the first time, touring the West in an RV with their two young boys. Utah’s extreme heat caught them by surprise.
“We knew it was going to be hot,” Bram Vanderelst said, “but we kind of underestimated it.”
Like most other folks here, they're not letting the blazing temperatures stop them from enjoying the park. They got special water bottles for their kids to keep them hydrated and are starting their hikes early in the day before the heat peaks.
And not all the surprises they’ve found here are bad.
“What's really baffling is a lot of places have air conditioning, which is not common in Belgium,” he said. “So that's a nice surprise.”
Heat is not a new thing at Zion, so park staff are used to making sure visitors know how to stay safe. But on a day like this, the park puts extra emphasis on making sure that message sinks in — posting heat safety tips on its website and social media, reminding visitors to use the park’s water bottle filling stations and even placing rangers at popular trails to make sure hikers are ready for what they’re getting into.
Inside the visitor center, a long line of tourists wait to talk with rangers at the front desk. The big question: What can we do on a day like this?
“Hydrate, salty snacks, do your hardest hike earlier in the day,” ranger Jenn Cook told an inquiring tourist. “Don't hike after 11:00 or noon. It's way too hot.”
Two visitors in the line, Thomas and Bianca Kaas from Germany, wanted to hike Angel’s Landing, the park’s famed exposed ridgetop. But after talking it through with a ranger, they decided to opt for The Narrows instead, a slot canyon where visitors walk through a river.
They plan to get up early and drink lots and lots of water.
“I’ve never experienced so much heat in my life,” Thomas Kaas said. “I cannot remember such a time. It's crazy.”
Sandra Nolten’s family, visiting from The Netherlands, made an even bigger change. After camping the previous night, her husband was on the phone looking for a hotel room to escape the heat.
“We were traveling in a tent and we couldn't sleep,” Nolten said. “My son just convinced us to book an accommodation, so we're not camping tonight.”
This is the peak season for Zion. Nearly 4.7 million people visited the park in 2022, with the bulk of them arriving in the hottest months. And park staff respond to more than 100 search and rescue calls each year, many related to dangerous heat.
Park public affairs specialist Jonathan Shafer said many visitors who come from milder climates often aren’t mentally or physically prepared for how dangerous the heat in the Southwest can be.
“Going for a hike here isn't the same as going for a hike where you're from,” he said, “Especially in the summer, the temperatures can be extreme.”
For someone spending a full day in Zion on a hot summer day like this, the park recommends drinking around a gallon of water.
“If you're beginning to hydrate when you begin your hike, you're a little late,” Shafer said. “Starting to hydrate even the day before a hike is really important so that your body is ready for the conditions.”
Outside the visitor center, Shafer hiked down the steps onto the Pa’rus Trail. He stopped to point out one of the park’s signs that lists the symptoms of heat illness and gives a phone number to call in case of an emergency.
“It definitely doesn't take long to start feeling the effects of being out in the heat,” he said. “That's why it's so important that you start hydrating before you get here.”
On the way back to the parking lot, he turned off the trail and reached the Virgin River.
That’s where David and Cristina Escobar and their three kids found a prime spot. The family from California sat on rocks with their feet in the water, cooling off after a hot hike.
“This place is absolutely beautiful,” David Escobar said. “I'm pretty amazed right now.”
Like many of the visitors, they didn’t expect the heat to feel quite this intense. But they didn’t let it dampen their spirits.
With a little extra planning and a lot of extra water, they said, getting to enjoy this special piece of nature makes it all worth it.
