Zion's Secret Stories: A Giant's Poem and a Canyon's Depths

Zions National Park Immersive Expereiences

Zion National Park is a place so immense it feels like a land of giants. It's easy to follow the crowds, but I've found its truest magic lies in its quieter corners and more challenging adventures. This is a collection of my favorite Zion experiences, from a poetic journey through its grand landscapes to my very first, nerve-wracking canyoneering descent into the subterranean depths of Pine Creek Canyon. These are the stories beyond the main trail, captured in immersive 360° for you to experience.

The Golden Nugget 🌟

Don't Miss This: Explore the East Side of Zion. My best secret for enjoying the park is to spend time wandering here. Almost every small pull-out has a fun, unofficial trail to wander and marvel at the unique slickrock formations, far from the crowds of the main canyon.

TRANSPORT YOURSELF TO THE LAND OF GIANTS

To capture the true feeling of Zion's scale, I wrote a poem. This video is a journey through my favorite spots in the park, from Scout Lookout to Canyon Overlook, set to the words that this giant landscape inspired. Put on your VR headset and feel the immensity for yourself.

"...This was my first canyoneering adventure, and it was into muddy very cold water, so to say this was difficult to film with my nerves, the cold, and needing to be focused on staying alive is an understatement..."

Adventure at a Glance

🏞️ Park: Zion National Park, Utah
🚶‍♀️ Activities: Canyoneering, Hiking, Exploring
⭐ Shauna's Rating: 💎💎💎💎💎 (5 out of 5 Diamonds)
☀️ Best For: Iconic views, challenging adventures, technical canyoneering, family-friendly hikes.
⏳ Recommended Time: 3-4 days to experience both the main canyon and the quieter East Side.
🧭 Can't-Miss Sights: Canyon Overlook Trail, Emerald Pools (in spring), the East Side pull-outs, and Pine Creek Canyon (with a permit).

My Zion Adventures

Conquering Pine Creek Canyon

My friend Paul invited me on a canyoneering trip through Pine Creek Canyon, and I said yes before I even knew how to rappel! This was my trial by fire. The journey involves 13 rappels (the longest a 100-foot free-hang) deep into the cold, dark, subterranean slots of Zion. Filming was incredibly difficult while managing my nerves, the cold, and the technical gear, but it was a blast. I learned so much, gained confidence, and was able to say I conquered something truly challenging!

Finding Treasure at Emerald Pools

The Emerald Pools hike is a Zion classic for a reason, especially in the spring when the waterfalls are flowing. It's a series of three pools—Lower, Middle, and Upper—each one a little more strenuous to reach than the last. I found quite a few 'treasures' on this hike, from the beauty of the falls to moments of quiet reflection. It's a refreshing and gorgeous trail.

Your Trail Guide: Helpful Hints

♦️ Pine Creek Canyon Permit: This is a technical canyon requiring a permit, which you must apply for months in advance. Do not attempt without proper training, gear, and an experienced leader.
♦️ Dressing for the Cold: The water in Pine Creek is frigid. A full wetsuit is a must. I wore warm clothes under mine and old layers over it and was very glad I did.
♦️ Emerald Pools in Spring: This hike is at its absolute best in the spring when snowmelt creates beautiful waterfalls and keeps the pools full and clear.
♦️ Knee Health: The trail to the upper Emerald Pools involves a lot of stairs, which can be tough on the knees. Take your time and know your limits.

VR Video Treasure Hunt!

🔎 The Great Arch: In the "Zions Giant" video, can you find the shot looking down on the Great Arch of Zion from the Canyon Overlook trail?
🔎 The 100-Foot Rappel: In the Pine Creek video, find the longest rappel where I'm hanging in open air. Feel the exposure!
🔎 Waterfall Walk-Through: In the Emerald Pools video, find the part where you can walk directly behind one of the waterfalls.
🔎 Stemming Lesson: In the Keyhole Canyon video, watch how Steve positions his hands and feet to stay above the water. Could you do it?

Conclusion

Zion National Park is a place of endless discovery. Whether you are writing a poem to its grandeur, pushing your limits in a dark canyon, or simply enjoying a beautiful waterfall, the park has a story for you. I'm so excited to have captured these unique adventures and can't wait to share more with you as they're ready. I hope they inspire you to find your own path in this land of giants.

Sending Love,

Shauna from VRGetaways

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Zions National Park VRGetaways

in Immersive 360 for VRHeadsets

Here are a collection of fun VR Getaways I enjoyed at Zions National Park. My best secret for enjoying Zions, is to spend time wandering around the East side. Every small pull out has a fun trail to wander and marvel at. When you are at Zions it truely feels like a land of the Giant, so here is my collection of my favorite spots. Besides the small pull outs, this has Scout Landing, Rim Trail, Canyon Overlook, Pine Creek Canyon and Emerald Pools.

ZIONS GIANT

Link to Zions GIANT

Oculus Portfolio Link

My second was my brave Journey that shares my journey Canyoneering into the depths of Pine Creek Canyon.

VR Canyoneering Pine Creek Canyon Zions

Pine Creek Slot Canyon descends 900 feet in 13 rappels, the longest being 100 feet with a double rappel needing 300 feet of rope. This goes deep into the subterranean levels of Zions National Park between the Tunnel and Canyon Overlook. This was my first canyoneering adventure, and it was into muddy very cold water, so to say this was difficult to film with my nerves, the cold,, and needing to be focused on staying alive is an understatement. You can imagine that controlling motion, and to keep lenses clean was pretty impossible. It was a great trial run though for me. I learned a ton, gained confidence in canyoneering, had a blast with my friends, and am able to say I conquered something really challenging! So if you can handle a little bit of motion for just 3 minutes, this will be a VR Adventure you will definitely not want to miss!

https://youtu.be/LEriDb9OUnk

Information about Pine Creek Canyon

Pine Creek Canyon is one of those Canyoneering places you have to apply and get a slot. It is usually a few months ahead so you can figure out who your group will be. A group can be up to 10 people. My friend Paul managed to get a slot here in early June, and invited me to go. I had never done repelling, so I said yes, but that meant I needed to dig in and get some training completed before going. Training is best if you can find a location that has a free repel on a section. I was glad I did that training and that I had someone like Paul and his sister there to watch my back and help keep me safe.
Pine Creek Canyon has 6 rappels with the longest being 100 feet, but is a double rappel so it is really more like 120 feet. It starts at the east end of the tunnel in Zions National Park, and the exit is right before the tunnel entrance on the west side. The rappels go deep into the sub-terrain levels of Zions to some crazy cool dark slot canyons. Some of the rappels have trick angular starts that makes the start of the rappel a little funky, but if you are with someone you trust and who is experienced they not too bad. So if the height of the huge 100 foot free rappel is not too crazy for you, the other things that are challenging is the cold water, and exit.
Many of the rappels drop you right into water that is quite cold since it seldom sees light, so a wet suit is a must. We had one person in our group with only a short knee length wet suits and he was shivering SO badly. I wore a wet suit on top of my comfy clothes, and had an old pair of leggings, wool socks, and an old jacket on top of my wet suit and I didn't get too cold. I was worried I I had on too many layers, but I was glad I had that many layers on. I still found my teeth rattling at times, but I didn't feel like my core was in trouble.
The exit is rough hiking, and I was warned a ton about this. I had some great people in my group, and I was told that if anything stressed me out, to just get on my tummy and slide down feet first and have someone there to catch me if I need it. I did that often, and I didn't hate the exit as much as I thought I would.