PLEASE NOTE THIS TRIP IS FULL.  IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED TO THE WAITING LIST, CONTACT  BOB CROSS, racross@uark.edu or 479-466-3077.

You may have seen the previous Pack & Paddle announcement that because of the success of the Colorado trip, the Ozark Society will add additional major adventures to our activity list.  I now have further details of the proposed hiking trip to the Southwest Canyon Country in the fall.  The Needles District of Canyonlands National Park was mentioned as the probable destination but because of logistical problems with Canyonlands the trip will go to Zion National Park.  The dates are from September 21st to the 28th. We will stay in Group Site #1 in Watchman Campground that is next to the Visitor Center. There will be flush toilets and running water available but no showers. Only tents are allowed in the group sites, i.e., no RV nor pop-up camp trailers. The cost will be $4 per night per person plus park admission fees if there are 15 of us camping.  It will drop to $3 per night per person if there are 20 people. You will need to furnish all of your camping gear and food.

Adjacent to Zion is the town of Springdale where there are complete facilities—groceries, restaurants, motels, and showers. For the trip to happen there will be need to be at least 15 people signing up to camp.  If you are taking an RV or tent trailer, you may be able to make a reservation in Watchman or find a site in the adjacent South Campgound that does not accept reservations or at a campground outside the park.  The limit for the trip will be approximately 30 people including those staying in motels and camping on their own.  The  six led hikes at Zion will all be day hikes of moderate to strenuous difficulty.  One will be a 5 to 6 mile round trip with much wading up the Virgin River through the Narrows, a spectacular narrow slot canyon with cliffs rising several hundred feet on each side.  There are easy hikes that you can do on your own.  Zion is my favorite National Park with its spectacular, colorful sandstone cliffs.  Go to http://www.nps.gov/zion/photosmultimedia/photogallery.htm to see photo galleries of some of the Zion landscapes. The hikes are fantastic with stunning vistas, waterfalls, and unbelievable rock formations.  Zion is two hard driving days from Arkansas but I suggest a more leisurely drive.

If you wish to make a reservation for the trip, please send me your contact information and the names of the people in your party. My address is: P.O. Box 145, Fayetteville, AR 72702. If you will be camping in the group site, please send me a check made out to the Ozark Society for $28 times the number of people in your party.  Unless we have reservations for 15 people camping by August 15 the trip will be cancelled and I will will return the checks. You will receive refunds if there are more than 15 people camping.  ($7 per person refund if there are 20 people or more.)  I will send out additional information if the trip is a “go”.  Bob Cross, email racross@uark.edu or 479-466-3077.