Zion Canyon National Park, ca 1940

[Music] Zion Canyon National Park bordering the Great American Southwest yearly attracts thousands of motorists on vacation they are welcomed by government Rangers at the two main entrances and begin the discovery of new beauty released from trackless desert by modern highways two tunnels have been blasted through solid rock to open for everyone the amazing beauty of Zion Canyon let's thread our way through the mile-long tunnel it makes this Zion Mount Carmel highway an important feature of the park six observation ports on the tunnels outer side give us breathtaking glimpses of the glorious canyon below [Music] the exposed rock formations in Zion Canyon are mostly of Navajo Sandstone white sandstone forms the familiar caps of the region while heavier masses are a deep red in color sandstone one smooth shifting sand was converted into stone through the ages by pressure and chemical action the canyon country viewed from an airplane high above shows us a scene of memorable beauty Zion National Park covers 148 square miles traversed by the great Canyon 2500 feet or more in depth the region is not modernist but the great Canyon was carved through countless ages as a giant gulley and a high plateau washed by the erosive action of streams and the elements if you look carefully at the spires rising high above the canyon floor you will see that their tops are perfectly flat these Marshall level of the original plateau because these surface areas were harder they resisted erosion and remain at their old level while the softer stone around them wore slowly down a little at a time through hundreds of centuries [Music] cheap agents in this age long process are the streams of the area beginning with a gentle flow of a hidden spring these waters world of the rushing surge of a stream called the Virgin River carving fantastic patterns through the sandstone in rainy seasons the river grows in size showing less patience in the hungry assault against the stone ramparts to form it prism sweeping sand and rock particles with it the swollen river takes on the consistency and color of warm foot with sometimes as much as 80 percent silt making up its volume it's tiring just to think of a gigantic task this little river said not to accomplish and the rest and relaxation at hand in the Park Lodge are more than ever welcome the lodge reached by design my thermal highway offers food rest and entertainment with a dip in the pool to start the day and very evening entertainment to complete it first to claim the canyon visitors attention our giant monolith powering toward the sky and each dignified with a name such as the three patriarchs [Music] this ain't no angels landing Rainbow Bridge and many others [Music] trail hikes are organized daily by Park Rangers at the base of the canyons luxuriant foliage finds nourishment in the rich bottomland but disappears at higher levels safe but not simple is the trail of Lady Mountains rising 2,700 feet from the canyon floor [Music] ladders with cable guards protective but each has to furnish his own leg power and it takes plenty [Music] those of us who both some skill or interest in horsemanship find the trails more easily traversed [Music] I'm goal of all is observation points and from it the full length and breadth of the canyon can be seen the magnificent view is worth all the energy it takes to reach this canyon vantage point somebody like this country long before we did you guessed it the cliff dwellers with their houses and villages perched snugly on Ross hedges removing the danger of unfriendly visitors and here's one modern version of cliff dwellings all the trailers snug and safe like the others but when stairways are pulled up they're ready to go places well now we don't have to go to Hollywood because Hollywood comes to us a motion picture company with its cameras and set makes a thrilling sequence or a feature of the Old West as we modern pioneers walk in comfort and safety but like the old-time pioneers we must push on new scenes and new beauties beckons our hosts and posted to that the large give us a farewell songs and a cordial invitation to come back as we leave with regret this hospitable Canyon and its people away we go on a magic carpet confidence at modern highways and modern transportation will open still more vistas of beauty and excitement as we push on to new