Risks and Rewards at Zion National Park - November 18, 2016

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1. 0:00The state of Utah is home to five major national parks.
2. 0:08They are among the most famous parks in the United States.
3. 0:15This week, our national parks journey brings us to the southeastern part of the state.
4. 0:22Here you will find narrow canyons, steep cliffs,
5. 0:29and hidden river valleys.
6. 0:32Welcome to Zion National Park.
7. 0:37Zion sits within a desert landscape.
8. 0:42The 260 -kilometer-long Virgin River runs through it.
9. 0:49It provides water for more than 1 ,000 kinds of plants to grow
10. 0:56and over 100 kinds of animals to live,
11. 1:02including the desert tortoise, desert bighorn sheep,
12. 1:07and mountain lions.
13. 1:10River water has also carved out the area's spectacular canyons and gorges.
14. 1:19One of them, called Zion Canyon, stretches more than 20 kilometers through the park.
15. 1:28In some places, it is more than 600 meters deep.
16. 1:34At its most narrow point, it is just 6 meters across.
17. 1:40Zion is one of the 10 most visited parks in the country.
18. 1:49Travelers from America and around the world come here to explore its canyons,
19. 1:57climb its steep walls, and walk its dramatic trails.
20. 2:04Zion's extraordinary beauty affected early Mormon settlers.
21. 2:13Members of the religious group came to the area beginning in the 1850s.
22. 2:20They thought it looked like heaven.
23. 2:24They named the land after a place from the Bible,
24. 2:29Zion. Zion means sanctuary or refuge in ancient Hebrew.
25. 2:38Mormons were not, of course, the first people to explore the area.
26. 2:45Experts say humans first arrived around 12 ,000 years ago.
27. 2:51They hunted very large animals, like mammoths, giant sloths, and camels.
28. 3:01Climate change and overhunting caused these animals to die out about 8 ,000 years ago.
29. 3:11Humans changed their methods.
30. 3:14They hunted smaller animals and gathered other food.
31. 3:20Some 2 ,000 years ago, a culture centered on what we now call Zion began
32. 3:28to form. Scientists know these people as the Virgin Anasazi.
33. 3:36They settled in the area and grew crops.
34. 3:39They used the water from the Virgin River and depended on the rich diversity
35. 3:47of native plants and animals.
36. 3:51Over time, many Native American groups called the area home,
37. 3:58including the Southern Paiute.
38. 4:00The Southern Paiutes called the area Macuntooweepe.
39. 4:07In their language, the name meant straight canyon.
40. 4:13The United States Congress moved to protect the area beginning in the early 1900s.
41. 4:22In 1909, it became a national monument.
42. 4:26It was called Makuntaweep National Monument.
43. 4:33President William Taft established the National Monument.
44. 4:38He described the land as a labyrinth of remarkable canyons
45. 4:43with highly ornate and beautifully colored walls,
46. 4:48in which are plainly recorded the geological events of past ages.
47. 4:55In 1918,
48. 4:58the National Monument became a national park.
49. 5:03And in 1919, Congress changed its name to Zion, the name used by the Mormons.
50. 5:13Today, almost three million people visit Zion National Park each year.
51. 5:21Driving is restricted in much of the park during busy months.
52. 5:28Instead, visitors travel in small buses that take them to areas where they can walk
53. 5:36on paths into the wild areas.
54. 5:41Walking is the best way to explore Zion.
55. 5:45The park offers visitors many different kinds of paths.
56. 5:52Some are short and easy.
57. 5:54One easy walk is almost two kilometers.
58. 5:59It takes hikers to a clear pool of water and waterfalls.
59. 6:05Other hikes take most people all day to complete.
60. 6:12Some are not advisable for people who are afraid of high places.
61. 6:19A hike called Angel's Landing is considered one of the most exciting hikes in America.
62. 6:27The trail leads to the top of a rock formation
63. 6:33that stands more than 450 meters above the canyon floor.
64. 6:41Toward the top of the rock, the walking path becomes extremely narrow.
65. 6:49On both sides are very steep cliffs.
66. 6:53Hikers can hold onto a rope for increased safety.
67. 7:00Most hikers say the views from Angel's Landing make the difficult and dangerous experience worth it.
68. 7:10Some visitors favor the lower parts of Zion National Park.
69. 7:16One popular area is known as the Narrows.
70. 7:21The Narrows is the narrowest part of Zion Canyon.
71. 7:27The area has extremely tall canyon walls and unusual hanging gardens.
72. 7:36These green areas of wildflowers,
73. 7:41ferns, and mosses grow out of the sandstone walls.
74. 7:48If you want to explore the Narrows, you must be ready to get wet.
75. 7:56Hiking in the Narrows means walking next to, and even in, the Virgin River.
76. 8:04If water levels are high,
77. 8:08walking in the river can be extremely difficult.
78. 8:11Sometimes hikers may be waist-high in water.
79. 8:18Even near the canyon floor, hikes at Zion can be dangerous.
80. 8:25The great amount of rock in the area does not absorb water.
81. 8:32As a result, sudden floods, called flash floods, are a serious threat.
82. 8:39People can help prepare themselves as much as possible for the dangers
83. 8:46of Zion National Park at the Visitor's Center.
84. 8:51But the risks come with great rewards.
85. 8:56As the famous American pilot Amelia Earhart once said,
86. 9:02Adventure is worthwhile in itself.
87. 9:07I'm Katie Weaver.
88. 9:09And I'm Ashley Thompson.