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The Ultimate Southwest Vacation includes Zion National Park, Utah!

Stay in Mount Carmel Junction, the heart of the parks, and visit the treasures of the Southwest.

Zion Park 12 miles
Grand Staircase 9 miles
Sand Dunes 11 miles
Dixie Forest 22 miles
Cedar Breaks 45 miles
Red Canyon 47 miles
Coyote Butte 57 miles
Bryce Canyon 60 miles
North Rim 85 miles
Toroweap 90 miles

In these pages you will find insiders information on Zion National Park lodging, adventures and hikes. This detailed guide includes road maps, park maps, pictures, trail beta, backpacking, history, fees, geology, flora, fauna, campgrounds, things for kids to do and even information on Zion's hidden treasures.

Making summer memories in the Utah National Parks and National Monuments.

Utah!

Zion National Park Map

Directions to Zion National Park
From Salt Lake City: Travel I-15 south, past Beaver. Exit on Hwy 20. Follow US-89 to Mount Carmel Junction. Take U-9 to Zion's east entrance.
From Arizona: Travel 89A through Fredonia, Arizona and Kanab Utah. Follow US-89 to to Mount Carmel Junction. Take U-9 to the east park entrance.
From Las Vegas: Travel I-15 north. Take exit 16 and travel through Hurricane. Make a right on U-9 at the second traffic light in LaVerkin. Continue on U-9 to the south entrance of the park. U-9 through Zion National Park is always open and is also called the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway.

Oversized Vehicle Information
Zion Canyon Shuttle Information

Follow the squiggly, steep trail up Walter's Wiggles to the start of the Angels Landing Trail. The trail is along the thin fin of Angels Landing to a spectacular view of Zion Canyon.

Suggested gear: Bring a sturdy pair of shoes to hike the narrows. Some hikers prefer hiking boots for the support to the ankles and to prevent bruising from hitting the rocks at the bottom of the river. Others prefer a good quality rubber shoe like the Sportiva Exum Ridge. Many like to have a nice hiking stick.

Zion National Park Tour

Tour: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7

Zion National Park - When someone has the time they often return to the grandest of all the Utah national parks, Zion National Park. Millions will visit this incredible corner of the US and return again and again because of it's enormous vertical scale and stone patterns that define Zion. Zion National Park is a cornucopia of nature that defies explanation. The vertical desert consists of 147,000 acres, and the wide range of elevations starting at 3700' and soaring to 8726' above sea level. This ancient sand-dune-turned-to-stone is located in the Southwest heat, but cooler forests are abundant and water fills the most interesting nooks and crannies. If looking for cloudy skies and rain, understand it's rarely found on the floor of Zion Canyon. The temperature in Zion Canyon can reach 100 F, but cooler temperatures are a jaunt away on the east side of the park. Zion is a year round park, displaying its snow capped peaks for the world each winter. There is so much to see and do year-round in Zion National Park.

Zion Hiking Guide

Grand Staircase - For those who want to get away from the crowds, the 1.9 million-acre Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument has treasures to explore. Hike the majestic slot canyons and check out the hoodoos, pillars and balancing rocks. Explore the backways and fill your trip with adventure. The Glendale Bench Road backway to the Grand Staircase Escalante is located 6 miles from Mt. Carmel Jct. at the intersection of highways 9 & 89.

Bryce Canyon - The top riser of the Grand Staircase and the edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau is a Southwest show stopper. Located only 60 miles from Mt. Carmel Jct. on the east side of Zion National Park.

Grand Canyon North Rim - Those that vacation in Utah often include a trip to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon on the itinerary. The North Rim pales to the South Rim only in commercialism. The North Rim is spectacular and is located only 95 miles from the junction of highways 9 & 89.

Cedar Breaks - It would be a shame to visit Southern Utah and miss this audacious show of hoodoos, pillars and fins at Cedar Breaks. The coral colored amphitheater whispers it's abundant beauty to its visitors. This park is a little off the beaten track, but it is worth the 45 mile drive from the junction of highways 9 & 89. The drive through Dixie National Forest is an adventure in itself.

Golfers - Play on the lush Thunderbird Golf Course on the east side of Zion National Park, where the scenery is outstanding and the green fees are only ten bucks!

Coral Pink Sand Dunes - For those who like to play on off-road vehicles, the Coral Pink Sand Dunes is an ATV users paradise. The Coral Pink Sand Dunes turn-off is located 3 miles from, Mt. Carmel Junction, and then it is another 9 miles to the park. Even those without ATVs come out to enjoy the park daily.

Suggested Trails for Adventure Seekers!

For list of best hikes for the average visitor, please see day 1 of the spectacular Canyon Country adventure.

Zion Narrows - This trail ranks #5 in National Geographic Adventure Magazine: America's Best 100 Adventures! The Zion Narrows Trail leaves little choice but to get wet in the waters of the Virgin River. The trail leads into the deepest reaches of Zion Canyon where the walls are only 24' apart and measure more than 1000' high! The trail begins with an easy paved walk and ends in a gorgeous slot canyon. The trail involves wading through the river that carved Zion Canyon. Plan to wade up stream for about 3 miles and then return the same way you came in. The narrowest section of the Zion Narrows Trail is only 2 hours up the canyon. The complete Zion Narrows Trail from Chamberlains Ranch to the Temple of Sinawava can be done as a rushed one day hike or a relaxed two day backpack. To begin the hike at Chamberlains Ranch use two vehicles, one at the trailhead and one at the trailend.

Orderville Canyon - Orderville Canyon is a tributary creek found two hours upstream from the Temple of Sinawava. Enter through the Riverside Walk Trail and hike to Orderville Canyon until stopped by obstacles. Do not jump down off obstacles in the slot canyons. This is one of the main reasons hikers are injured in Zion.

Hidden Canyon - This very steep hike begins at the same trailhead as the Weeping Rock hike. Hidden Canyon is a 2 mile, moderate (but very steep!) hike. After leaving the shared Observation Point trail, the narrow path toward Hidden Canyon hugs the cliff-side in many places, but there are chains secured to the cliff for hand holds. The ascent is 850.' On the return trip, the view from mid hike down into Big Bend is breath taking. Allow three hours to reach the canyon mouth and return. A path that requires a little climbing does continue for another half-mile past the trail end. One of the rare free standing arches in Zion is at the canyon section of this hike. It is missed by most, so keep your eyes open if looking for it.

Our "Canyon Country" trip
is a vacation grand slam!

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Zion National Park

Zion National Park - UTAH!

The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life. -- Robert Louis Stevenson   Photo: Pine Creek Waterfall © Photography by Tanya

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