Zion National Park: Carrie's Vegan Basecamp Community Hiking and Camping Adventure

Travel along with me through my first fun trip to the gorgeous, dry, red rock canyons of Zion National Park in Utah, on my unique weekend "vegan basecamp" camping experience with my friend Deb and 30 other vegan folks in mid September 2025 (so different from the green, humid Atlanta region I came from). We go together on the iconic "narrows hike," sloshing through the rocky Virgin River in a beautiful slot canyon and later on a night hike under the stars. I also share audio and musings from the Weeping Rock trail, the Emerald Pools trail, Wildcat Canyon trail (and a few birds, bees, squirrels, a turkey, a tarantula, crickets, and mule deer...some folks saw endangered California Condors but I didn't). In this 51-minute "In Tune to Nature" episode that I pieced together from my phone audio, you'll also enjoy lively banter around the campfire (and in line for the Zion shuttle) with people like Tara, Ashley, John, Nova, Elizabeth, and Deb sharing their nature experiences in Zion and why they are continuously inspired to be vegan and help fellow animals (whether it's adopting a dog who was going to end up in the food system or getting stuck on a Las Vegas highway next to a slaughterhouse truck filled with panicked pigs). 

Elizabeth and Colt put together these community vegan group camping experiences as a labor of love https://theveganbasecamp.com/ cooking us delicious plant-based meals and coffee over a grill, and it might inspire others to do the same in their own park regions.

On the trip, I didn't see that many Zion Park Service employees, but I always thanked them for their service and expressed my discontent with the insulting budget and hiring cuts that are making their lives so stressful. So at the end of the show, I remind us how to support the park service by contacting Congress and also joining conservation advocacy groups like the National Park Conservation Association. https://www.npca.org/. Plus there is a new public lands journalism outlet (nonprofit) that can keep us informed: Re:Public at https://www.republic.land/ 

"In Tune to Nature" is a weekly hour-long radio show airing Wednesdays at 6pm Eastern Time on 89.3FM-Atlanta radio and streaming worldwide on wrfg.org (Radio Free Georgia, a nonprofit indie station) hosted by me, Carrie Freeman, or friend Melody Paris. The show's website and my contact info can be found at https://wrfg.org/intunetonature/  While there, consider donating to Radio Free Georgia, a 50+ year old progressive, non-commercial, indie radio station, run largely by volunteers like me.

Take care of yourself and others, including other animals from tarantulas to condors to mule deer.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on In Tune to Nature do not necessarily reflect those of WRFG, its board, staff or volunteers.

Photo Credit: Selfie with Carrie Freeman and Debra Merskin, Zion NP.