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.
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.
Bighorn
Sheep are not a common site in Zion, but when
seen they are usually on the slickrock on the east side of Zions National Park
along the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway (SR 9).
Road Trippin' to Zion Country
Road
Tripping in Southern Utah and Northern Arizona was ranked as a top adventure
by National Geographic Adventure Magazine: "America's 100 best Adventures!"
Zion's Bike Trails
Bikes are allowed on established roads in the park but not on most of the
trails. The one exception is the paved Pa'rus
Trail. This trail runs along the Virgin River and connects with the campgrounds.
This is a great place for the family to
get out and bike inside Zion. Although biking through Zion Canyon is safer now
the majority of cars do not travel the road, there is still danger from wide
turns by the shuttle. Bike groups often ride on the main highway through
the park to Mount Carmel Junction. The escort will often ask locals driving a
truck if bikers can hitch a ride through the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel.
Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel
In nineteen-thirty, the construction of the Zion-Mt. Carmel Hwy (highway
9) opened the magnificence of Zion National Park to those on the other side of
the park. Located on the east side of the tunnel is
the short Canyon
Overlook Trail. The impressive trail offers a magnificent view of lower Zion
Canyon from a view point high above the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel. There are some
technical slot
canyons that begin in this area as well.
Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway
Highway 9 through Zion National Park is always open, so driving the incredible
Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway is possible year-round, 24 hours a day. Begin at the
south entrance of the park and continue to the resort area of Mount
Carmel Junction on the east side of Zion.
Oversized
vehicles
Zion's Air Quality
Zion National Park prides itself on the quality of its air. One indicator
of clean air is the presence of large numbers of lichens growing throughout an
area. Lichens are sensitive to oxides of nitrogen and sulfur and cannot thrive
where these harmful substances are present in large amounts. Lichens are a combination
of algal cells and fungal filaments living together in a symbiotic relationship.
When hiking the trails in
Zion notice the abundant evidence of the symbiotic plant. Finding lichens in
a city would be unlikely and even many of the US national parks are plagued with
increasingly poor air quality.
Zions National Park
Often Zion National Park is written incorrectly as: Zions National Park.
The correct way to say it is Zion
National Park.Zion
Canyon is one section of the park. Zions Bank is popular in Utah and is where
many pick up the Zions term.
