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Zion National Park
Bryce Canyon
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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 Photo: The Zion Narrows is one of the most incredible hikes in the United States. The hike begins in East Zion and culminates in Zion Canyon. Hikers often wade upstream a mile or two instead of venturing the one to two day trip through the Zion Narrows.

Zion Canyon

Zion Canyon, with 3000' walls, was forged by the North Fork of the Virgin River over millions of years. The Virgin River spans 18 miles inside the park with a gradient of 50-70' per mile. The Virgin River is still moving debris today at a rate of 300 million tons per year and is still actively carving Zion Canyon. The famous Zion Narrows are located at the very end of Zion Canyon. This is a hike where the Virgin River is, literally, the trail. The canyon walls close in tight in this section. In some places it is as narrow as 18' across and 2000' high.

Zion Canyon Hiking Trails

Classic trails in Zion Canyon: Angels Landing, Hidden Canyon, Observation Point, Emerald Pools, Sand Bench Trail, Weeping Rock, Riverside Walk and Zion Narrows.
Complete list to hiking in Zion Canyon

The horse rides in Zion National Park are located at the Sand Bench Trailhead. This is the only trail in the park that commercial horse rides use.

To get to the trails in Zion Canyon, park at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center, the Zion Human History Museum or Canyon Junction and get on the Zion Canyon Shuttle. The shuttle takes the visitor to view points and hiking trails in Zion Canyon. Even if you're not planning to hike any of the Zion Canyon trails, do take the time to ride the Zion Canyon Shuttle and stop and see the eye-candy at each of the stops.

The Zion Canyon Shuttle runs from late March until late October. In the summer, the shuttle schedule is extended to meet the demands of the visitors. Plan on shorter operating hours in the off-season (October through March). The Zion Canyon Shuttle leaves at 5:45 am from the visitor center for the Temple of Sinawava, then it leaves every 10 to 30 minutes throughout the day making a loop from the visitors center to the last stop in Zion Canyon. In the summer, the last ride out of Zion Canyon is at 11 pm from the Temple of Sinawava. The trip is short (6 miles) but it is time consuming due to all the stops and people getting on and off. Take along appropriate provisions for the length of your shuttle trip and planned hikes. A round trip takes a minimum of 90 minutes. In October the shuttle closes down and private vehicles are permitted into Zion Canyon until early April. The shuttle system has allowed Zion to keep a high standard of air quality and there are reports that wildlife sightings are now more common.

Driving the main road in Zion National Park (Highway 9) is allowed year round.
Oversized Vehicles

Zion Narrows

The Zion Narrows takes hikers to the very depths of Zion Canyon. The wider section of Zion Canyon is the six mile Zion Canyon drive, but at its end, past the Temple of Sinawava, hikers can trek for two days into narrow sections with towering sandstone walls on both sides ending in East Zion. Zion Canyon was carved by the Virgin River and not just in small steps but also by raging flash floods. These flash floods still occur today and are a danger to anyone in its path. Make sure to check the flash flood reports and if it starts to rain or cloud up, get out of the narrows. The beauty of the narrows (left fork of the Virgin River) have few comparisons any where on the earth. The popularity of this route has grown, making the Zion Narrows one of the top adventures in the world and the most outstanding hike in the national park system.

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Zion National Park

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Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. --John Muir Photo: Pine Creek Waterfall © Photography by Tanya

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