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East
Zion Lodge
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Zion National Park
Bryce
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Breaks
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& Favorite SW Sites
Zion
Hiking Forum
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
Plan your Zion National Park Vacation with our Utah Maps and
Information
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!
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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
Kane County SAR Vice-Commander and training officer enjoying Water Canyon in his free time.
Photos of Dean Kurtz
hiking and Canyoneering
Red Cave Lower Slot Pictures
Canaan Mountain Pictures
South Fork Indian Canyon Pictographs
Coyote Butte - The Wave Pictures
Jug Handle Arch - Zion Pictures
To talk with Dean you can find him at his favorite on-line hangouts:
Zion National Park Hiking Forum
Grand Canyon HIking Forum
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Dean Kurtz
Dean lives in Kanab, one of the larger cities in Kane County, where he volunteers to help the community by fighting fires, searching for stranded hikers and teaching search and rescue to other Kane County volunteers. In Dean's free time he hikes, canyoneers and explores the vast lands of Kane County and the nearby parks.
Utah certified EMT-Intermediate
Utah certified EMT Instructor
Certified Instructor, American Heart Association
Certified Instructor, National Safety Council
Certified High Angle Rope Rescue
Certified Vehicle Extrication and Rescue
Kane County SAR Vice-Commander
Kane County SAR Training Officer
Volunteer Fireman
ACA Canyon Leader Qualified
Lead instructor for the ACA's Wilderness and Canyon First Aid and First Responder programs.
SAR: Search and Rescue
EMT: Emergency Medical Technician
A story by Dean:
Three boys had gone to play in Red Hollow, in January, in short sleeves and jeans. When it started to get late two of the boys came home, but the another boy wanted to stay. Obviously, once it got dark and nobody had seen him for hours, the family got nervous and we were called. This call was pretty scary. We searched most of the night in 30 degree temperatures, knowing that he didn't have a coat or any other means to stay warm. I was in the bottom of one of the forks of Red Hollow with two others when he was located in a very steep drainage near the top of the hollow at about 3:00 a.m.
He had tried to climb out when it was still light, but he couldn't make it all the way to the top, once it got dark he continued to travel along the ledges. Eventually he lost his footing on an edge and took a 50' fall onto a very steep, unstable slope. Myself and the two others happened to be about 200' directly below him.
We made the climb to him where we evaluated his condition. He had hit the back of his head on a rock when he fell, which had caused a good deal of bleeding that had since clotted on its own. He also complained of pain in his leg and ankle. My assessment led me to believe that he was also severely dehydrated and hypothermic. We wrapped him in two of our coats, put a helmet on him and began the VERY long and tedious task of bringing him down the slopes and cliff bands that we had just climbed. I carried him myself most of the way down, using my back and pack to shield him from the rocks that were constantly coming loose. I got hit more times by falling rocks in two hours that night than in the rest of my life combined.
I continued to evaluate the boy as we brought him down, asking him simple questions and trying to keep him talking. Over the two hours that I was with
him his responses became increasingly inappropriate and mumbled, and I became very nervous about his condition. We got him to the bottom of the hollow and
waiting vehicles at about 5:00 a.m. The boy went to the hospital and indeed had a broken leg, a concussion, hypothermia and was very dehydrated.
I'm very proud of that particular rescue. I've been on hundreds of combined searches, fires, and ambulance calls, and I've participated in many calls that are considered saves by our services. This call, though, is the only one where I feel like every move that I made had a direct impact on that child surviving. I fully believe that had we not got to him when we did that he would not have survived to daylight.
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