1. Jessica
Zion National Park English Language Arts
Sixth
Grade
3rd Hour
Zion National Park is the place to be, if you visit Zion you are
going to want to see the beautiful hidden caves, waterfalls, and the
wildlife. Zion is located along the edge of a region called the Colorado
Plateau. The rock layers in the park have been uplifted, tilted, and
eroded, forming a feature called the Grand Staircase, a series of
colorful cliffs stretching between Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon.
Zion is 146,592 acres of breath taking landscape.
Have you been to Zion National Park? Which by the way, was
voted #1 Park of the year in 2009.
Some tourist attractions at Zion National Park are the rock walls
that sometimes tower as high as 3,000 feet, and in some places almost
straight up and down. Zion contains many interesting rock formations
that came to be the way they are today by erosion. Zion Canyon is one

2. of the main features of the park. It is about 10 miles long and from 1/2
miles to less than 50 feet wide. Some rock formations range in color
from dark red and orange to light purple and pink. Also feel free to
visit some of the more popular locations at Zion which are the Virgin
River, Angles Landing and many other hidden caves and caverns.
The canyons walls ascend toward a brilliant blue sky. To really see
the beautiful sites of Zion, you need to walk among the towering
cliffs, or challenge your courage in a small narrow canyon.
Some fascinating facts about Zion National Park are, an area
from Zion to the Rocky Mountains, forces within the earth started to
push the ground up. This was not a drastic uplift, but very slowly the
earth started bringing huge blocks of the Earth’s crust up. Zion’s
elevation rose from near sea level to as high as 10,000 feet above sea
level.
The Uplift is still occurring. In 1992 a 5.8 magnitude earthquake
caused a landslide visible just outside the south entrance of the park in
Springdale. (Springdale is the nearest city to Zion.)
Wondering what your going to see on the boardwalk of Zion? This
section will help you figure out the significance of some of these plants

3. and animals. Changing elevations, temperature ranges, and varying
amounts of sun and water, as well as species from the Colorado Plateau,
Basin and Range, and Mojave Desert, all create a numerous amount of
habitats within the park for the little and not so little animals of Zion.
Zion National Park has a diversity of plant communities, supporting
more than 900 species of plants. Most of the animals in the lower
elevations are those of the desert are small creatures such as lizards
and snakes, kangaroo rats, rabbits, and squirrels. As the elevation
increases, watch for prairie dogs, beavers, Bighorn sheep, and mule
deer. In the high forests of Zion Canyon, keep an eye out for elk,
pronghorn, and, possibly,if your lucky, a black bear.
Thanks for reading! Now you know what beautiful sights,
fascinating wildlife, and interesting history there is at Zion National
Park. So what are you waiting for!? Go visit the beautiful sights of Zion
National Park.