It's not only in metropolis that you can find a subway, but they all pale in comparison to the tube-like a section of the Left Fork Creek canyon that snakes through Utah's Zion National Park, one of America's most dazzling national park. There's no shortage of things to do in this park, which spans 59,900 hectares, from enjoying the scenery while hiking a famous trail, and then there's Angel's Landing, a 1,488-foot tall rock formation in the southwestern Utah park, known as one of the scariest trails in the USA. After overcoming your fear of heights, you'll be rewarded with one of the most stunning viewpoints in the park. Another hike named The Narrows goes from the Temple of Sinawava into the Virgin River and through a gorge with thousand-foot-tall walls.
This famous slot canyon is so popular, you have to enter a lottery months in advance and hope to win a permit. Permits for hiking this route are given out on a lottery basis, but to increase your odds of winning it, apply through nps.gov at least three months in advance. But, if you're looking for something a little less intense than Angel's Landing, a little less crowded than The Narrows, and easier to access than The Subway, then there's always Zion's Kanarra Creek Trail.
With its mist, its underground lakes, its immensity, a hike through The Subway - underground slot canyon - will make you feel like you fell down the rabbit hole. Its mystique, ephemeral appearance is what has made The Subway the most popular hiking spot in the park, so you ned to request a permit months in advance. Despite being popular, it's not easily accessible. The easiest route is a 14-km round-trip hike starting at the Left Fork Trailhead. From here, you'll splash upstream the creek, and then you'll continue to delve deep into the rocky red landscape.
Once you start seeing the canyon is closing in, you'll get to clamber up shelf-like waterfalls and pink boulders. You'll have to continue until you reach a heavenly waterslide. The easiest time to hike this route is in August and September as the water levels are low then.
You can book your tour with America As You Like (americaasyoulikeit.com), which offers a whole package which includes flights, car hire and nights in the Zion National Park area They can also arrange the hiking permit for you.
What this tour operator offers are escorted tours, as they state on their website: “As well as our amazing fly drives, we also offer small and large group tours all over the US & Canada that take the hassle out of holidaying. These tours have been handpicked by us and include the services of a professional tour leader, transportation and some excursions and meals.”
They also give you the option to stay in the US & Canada a bit longer, so you can extend your holiday with a fly drive, wildlife and wilderness adventure or a city or beach break.”
One of the escorted tours they offer is the National Parks Walk, which is for 10 nights and in costs £2099 per person. The price includes flights, transportation in customised vehicle, all 10 hotel/lodging nights on a twin share basis, guided hikes in Zion National Park, guided hikes in Bryce Canyon National Park, hike to Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, Monument Valley half day hiking and backroads tour led by Navajo guides, Dead Horse Point State Park, Cruise the Las Vegas Strip, a Visit to the Goblin Valley State Park, a hiki to the remote Havasupai Reservation for incredible waterfalls and trails, half day hiking the Grand Canyon National Park rim trails.