Virgin River - Zion National Park - Springdale, UT - National Wild and Scenic Rivers on Waymarking.com

Taken from the website, "Through the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-11), Congress designated approximately 165.5 miles of the Virgin River and its tributaries across federal land within Zion National Park (28 segments) and adjacent Bureau of Land Management Wilderness (11 segments), as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.

Over the course of 13 million years, the Virgin River has carved through the red sandstones of Zion National Park to create some of the most unforgettable scenery in the National Park System. In fact, this very act of natural erosion is responsible for "The Narrows," which is one of the premiere hiking adventures in the United States, possibly the world. In addition, there are several easy trails along the river.

Despite the obvious evidence of the erosive force of the river, the river itself winds peacefully through the canyon. Natural river processes proceed unimpeded, allowing for seasonal flooding and meander migration, vegetative recruitment and plant succession.

The corridor includes populations of desert bighorn sheep, Mexican spotted owl and the endemic Zion snail and exemplary riparian corridors and rare plant communities. Cottonwoods and willows along the banks provide shade of hikers and hiding spots for mule deer and numerous bird species. Other wildlife, such as ringtail cats, bobcats, foxes, rock squirrels and cottontail rabbits rest in the rocky hiding places carved in the sandstone. As the heat of the day yields to the cool of the desert night, look for the many animals drawn to the river to emerge to get on with their lives.

The Virgin River system contains some of the best examples in the region of prehistoric American Indian sites that provide a tangible connection between culturally associated tribes and their ancestors."

WILD: yes Number of WILD miles: 145.4 SCENIC: yes RECREATIONAL: no Number of RECREATIONAL miles: 11.3 River Link: [Web Link] Number of SCENIC miles: Not listed Support documentation: Not listed

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