Gluten-Free Zion National Park and Grand Canyon North Rim

This week, I'm sharing some of my favorite trips to National Parks and Monuments. Plus, I'm eating gluten-free all the way, so you get to see firsthand how easy (or hard) it is to travel gluten-free! Yesterday, I wrote about Dinosaur National Monument. Today is Zion National Park and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon!

Zion National Park is a pretty cool place to visit any time of the year. We visited in the late fall, so we took advantage of some nice but short hikes. If you go in the summer, be sure to check out the Narrows - one of the few places I've seen in a national park where swimming and wading are not only encouraged, but an essential part of the trail.

Zion is known for its "hanging gardens," which are little plants that cling to sheer rock faces at places like Weeping Rock and Emerald Falls. If you're more into spectacular views, Zion has those too.

There are some great scenic drives at Zion and in the area in general. You can see "Great Arch," which isn't really an arch, and Checkerboard Mesa, a pretty cool rock that formed to look just like a checkerboard!

If you're at Zion, it's only a couple of hours away to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Of course, this can be a trip all on its own, too!  

There's no way photographs can adequately capture the Grand Canyon. We spent hours just staring at it, trying to wrap our heads around how big it was. 

Traveling gluten-free?  This one's a cinch!  The closest town to Zion National Park is Springdale, Utah. It seemed like every restaurant in town had a thorough understanding of gluten intolerance and how to feed gluten-free folks. We ate at Wildcat Willie's (gluten-free items noted right on the menu), Parallel 88 (servers had a great understanding, and the food was amazing),  and Cafe Soleil for delicious gluten-free sandwiches. There were plenty more we could have tried, but we saved a few pennies by packing lunches and eating breakfast at our B&B. 

As always, be sure to bring enough water, dress for the weather, and check with the park regarding current conditions and regulations. 

Have you been to Zion or the Grand Canyon? I'd love to ear about it!