It was another lazy day in Watchman Campground, Zion National Park, UT, but it seemed like a good idea to just take a short hike and this was one of the shortest. Starting from the Visitor Center, the Archaeology Trail is an easy 0.4 miles round trip. The trail guide said there were "outlines of several prehistoric buildings" but I am not sure I fully appreciated the site. It just looked like some rocks in a line mostly buried in the dirt. It was a nice overlook with a view of the campground and visitor's center and the bus parking lot. Hundreds of years ago I am sure it would have been a nice place for a house or a gathering site.
The shuttle bus service will start at the end of March and run until October 27th (no more cars will be allowed to drive the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive.) One ranger told us they have 450 parking spaces in the park and have had as many as 5,000 cars in a single day. Obviously, that kind of traffic would detract from a visit. The shuttles are free and run every 7 minutes or less. Clearly an effective solution for a serious problem, but we are still happy to be here early and enjoy the freedom of using our own car and the cooler temperatures.
The buses are just waiting for their time to shine (April 1st).
We were told that, at the peak of the season, the buses move as many as 17,000 people a day around the park.
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