East Zion Lodge
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Southwest Parks
Zion National Park
Bryce Canyon
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Cedar Breaks
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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

Zion Canyon Geology

Carving Zion Canyon

After leaving the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel there is a rapid drop to the bottom of the canyon floor leading to the area of kayenta formations and towering Navajo sandstone. This carved out area, at the bottom of the switchbacks, is lower Zion Canyon.

Lower Zion Canyon Geology

The Beehives (6904'), located at the south side of the tunnel, exhibit a show of white turrets carved into the very top of the Navajo sandstone. The monoliths turn from hoodoos and slickrock to towering vertical cliffs in this section of Zion National Park. Seen in the distance and located directly behind the Zion Human History Museum are the West Temple at 7810', the Sundial at 7590', and the Altar of Sacrifice at 7505'.

When traveling down the six switchbacks, look for the Great Arch. This indentation in the mountain side was formed by jointing, creating this unique arched structure. It is estimated that about thirteen million years ago the southern Colorado Plateau rose up and broke into distinct table lands. Through vast changes in time, the acres of land that are now Zion were carved and molded by harsh storms blasting away at the sandstone. The Great Arch is a blind arch and there are other smaller blind arches found throughout the park.

A natural arch is created by natural geological forces causing rock to fall away, leaving the arch structure standing. When sandstone falls, it explodes or vaporizes leaving little trace of its existence. A natural bridge, on the other hand, is caused by water that erodes rock, creating the formation. Kolob Arch in Zion National Park is probably the world's longest natural arch measuring 294'. Until recent recalculations (2005), this arch came in second after Landscape Arch. There are a few other natural arches in Zion including two along the Bridge Mountain Trail. Bridge Mountain Arch (Crawford Arch) can be seen from a distance from the Pa'rus Trail. Other natural arches include Two Pines Arch, Hidden Canyon Arch , Jug Handle Arch, Checkerboard Arch, Hidden Arch and Pico Rosado Arch . There are also some arches in the slot canyons including: The Subway, Fat Man's Misery, Spry Canyon, Pine Creek Canyon, Englestead Hollow, Imlay Canyon, Heaps Canyon and Eye of the Needle.  Remote areas include arches such as Hammerhead Arch and Elephant Arch.

The Virgin River carved Zion Canyon

The Virgin River flows through much of the park, but at one time the north fork of the Virgin River carved the canyon you see today. The Virgin River is a free flowing river and one of the last of its kind in the country. The river still continues to cut and transport debris, slowly enlarging Zion Canyon. The Virgin river seems mild, but it is capable of transporting tons of debris down its stream to Lake Mead in Nevada. Ninety percent of the carving of Zion Canyon is done by floods. The force of the flash flood in 1966 was 9000 cubic ft. per second.

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Zion National Park

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Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains... Hit a tripwire of smell and memories explode all at once. A complex vision leaps out of the undergrowth. -- Diane Ackerman Photo: Pine Creek Waterfall © Photography by Tanya

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