Our family took a trip to Zion National Park in Utah via Las Vegas, Nevada. It was easy to prep for Las Vegas since it is just a city stop with food, shopping, a concert, and one planned outdoor activity. The weather will be HOT so clothing to keep us cool is easy to pack. Shorts and tanks.

Prepping for Zion National Park took a little more work. We made sure to rent a car and reserve a room so we knew we could get to Zion National Park and have a place to stay. I tried researching all the different hikes and figuring out what we need to survive but between work and other obligations, I didn’t have much time to feel good about the accuracy of the information I was collecting. I was reading alerts warning visitors that the Kolob Canyon Road was partially closed and that the Narrows was closed to hiking and canyoneering and that the trail bridge at Zion Lodge was closed. These alerts made me want to have assistance to help us possibly make last-minute decisions and make the most of the short time we had in the park. Additionally, no one else in my travel group was helping with the planning process so I made the executive decision to hire a guide and found a couple of tours that met our needs.

Other than booking the tours, I wanted to make sure we had what we needed to enjoy our outdoor adventures. The temps look like it is in the 70s at the highs as opposed to reaching the 90s in Las Vegas. In addition to a camera/phone and backup battery, I packed a light backpack, wet bag, Crocs, swimsuit, sunscreen, sunglasses, lip balm, a hat, sneakers, shorts, and a light jacket. My husband bought the America the Beautiful National Park pass so we can’t forget to bring that. Living Hilo Style prepping for a trip.