Zion
National Park is a myriad of deep sandstone canyons, which
extend over 30 miles from end to end and covers 229 square miles.
The Zion Canyons were named by early Mormon settlers (members
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) and many of
the formations in the park have names from the bible. The park
was established in 1909 as Mukuntuweap National Monument and expanded
in 1919 to Zion National Park. The park is composed mostly of
sandstone stained by the oxidizing of iron in the rock. Zion National
Park with its many canyons contains 75 species of mammals, 271
birds, 32 reptiles and amphibians and 8 fish in the streams and
rivers, which have carved these canyons.
Protected within Zion National Park is a spectacular
cliff-and-canyon landscape and wilderness full of the unexpected
including Kolob Arch - the world's largest arch - with a span
that measures 310 feet. Zion National Park is full of beautiful
colors, scenery and wildlife. Wildlife such as mule deer, golden
eagles, and mountain lions, also inhabit the Park. The sandstone
which makes up most of the rock in Zion National Park was formed
by the compacting of sand about 150 million years ago. This occurred
when cementing properties of compounds such as calcium carbonate
compacted the sand which covered the huge desert of the west.
Dunes were at that timed formed into the present
day Navajo Sandstone. The next stage of creation occurred starting
close to 4 million years ago when streams running of the Colorado
Plateau caused the Virgin River to flood. As the river flowed
through the current Zion, it eroded the rock away taking boulders,
sand, and pebbles with it. Over time it formed, or rather carved
the canyon we see today.
