Of Utah’s five national parks, Zion stands out for its geological wonders, a place where water and sand meet to form arguably the most dramatic landscape in the country
Amid all the natural wonders of Southern Utah, one park shines avove all others. It’s a national treasure created by water, rock, and time: Zion National Park.
Protected within the park’s 232 square miles is a spectacular cliff-and-canyons landscape and wilderness full of the unexpected. Sheer cliffs, massive buttresses, deep alcoves, and narrow canyons set this place apart from all others.
Hop on boardnature’s highwaysas we travel through Mukuntuweap National Monument. Never heard of it? You probably know it as Zion National Park. Established in 1919, Zion ranks third of the most-visited national parks and has some stunning camping areas. This may be your first visit but others have camped, hunted, and lived there for more than 8,000 years. Let’s take a look as to why Puebloans, Paiute and Ute Indians, Franciscan missionaries, and Mormons saw the canyon as a sanctuary.
Getting there
If you are coming off I-15, take the Toquerville/La Verkin exit 27 onto Utah State Route 17 for 6 miles to La Verkin. At La Verkin turn onto State Route 9 for 26 miles to Springdale. That will bring you to theZion Canyon Visitor Center.
If you are coming in from the east via U.S. Highway 89, turn onto State Route 9 at Mount Carmel Junction. This is the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway and Tunnel completed in 1930.
Beware: The tunnel has restrictions on height and width. Once through the tunnel you will find several tightly winding switchbacks along the canyon’s rim.
Tunnel escort
Most buses, RVs, trailers, and dual-wheeled trucks require an escort to travel through theZion-Mount Carmel Tunnel. There is a $15 fee per vehicle in addition to the national park entrance fee. Visitors should pay this fee at the park’s east entrance before proceeding to the tunnel. Required for all vehicles and trailers 7 feet 10 inches in width and/or 11 feet 4 inches in height or larger. The fee is valid for two trips through the tunnel for the same vehicle within a 7-day period.
Note: Starting in mid-2026, Zion National Park will no longer allow oversized vehicles to travel the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway, the scenic byway that bisects southern Utah’s top tourist draw. Instead, drivers of all vehicles heavier than 50,000 pounds, longer than 35 feet 9 inches, taller than 11 feet 4 inches, or wider than 7 feet 10 inches will be rerouted to roads around the park.
Camping in Zion National Park
The only two campgrounds offering RV sites are just outside of Springdale. These are Watchman Campground and South Campground. Watchman has 92 RV sites with only nine 50-amp; the rest are 30/20/15 amp. No other hookups are available. South Campground has 99 sites with NO hookups; generators OK with limited hours. All sites must be booked throughrecreation.govwell in advance.
Your best bet is to stay outside of the park. If you are coming in from the south side,Zion Canyon Campgroundsits just outside the entrance in Springdale. Just down State Route 9 in Virgin you will findZion River Resort. Both of these come with good reviews. Remember, this is the popular side of Zion so it comes with lots of visitors and higher prices.
Be patient, as Springdale sports bumper-to-bumper traffic and few parking spots. It offers plenty of eats from fine dining to cheap eats. Get ready to wait a while as most fill up quickly. For breakfast, Oscar’s Café comes recommended. For dinner, there is a plethora of choices but do not pass up theBit & Spur Restaurant especially the Chile Verde Pot Pie.
On the east side, a couple of parks are worth considering.East Zion RV Parkin Mount Carmel is right on SR-9 with close access to Zion. Just up the road on US-89 isMount Carmel Motel and RV Park. Being on the east side means both are reasonably priced. However, spaces are tight. Additionally, you have to drive the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway to get to and from Zion.
You are there, now what?
Visitor’s Centers
There are two visitor’s centers: Zion Canyon Visitor Center just inside the South Entrance of the park near Springdale and Kolob Canyon Visitor Center at the West Entrance of the park.
Zion Canyon Visitor Center
If staying in Springdale, you definitely should take theZion Canyon Shuttleto the Visitor Center. If you plan on driving in the parking lot fills up early, by 10 a.m. Keep in mind that in 2022, Zion hosted 4.7 million visitors. Peak times find theZion Canyon Scenic Drive accessible only by shuttle. It stops in nine different locations, six up-canyon and another three down-canyon.
Kolob Canyons Visitor Center
Located at the far northwestern corner of Zion it takes about an hour’s drive from Zion Canyon Visitor Center. The five-mile drive up Kolob Canyons Road gives panoramic views along with all-out points at trailheads. If you are on the east side, take U.S. Highway 89 to Utah Route 14 at Long Valley Junction for a 41-mile drive through the Dixie National Forest. If you have time, travel up Utah Route 148 (Patchwork Parkway) to Cedar Breaks National Monument.
Hiking trails
Most visitors come to Zion for the hiking.Trailsabound ranging from the easy Riverside Walk (2.2 miles, paved) at Temple of Sinawava to Canyon Overlook (1 mile, scenic) to The Narrows (16 miles, strenuous). You can stay on the relatively flat paved trail of Pa’rus (3.5 miles) following the Virgin River. For the adventurous, the infamous Angels Landing (5.4 miles) brings you along a narrow Ridgeline with 500-foot drop-offs on either side.
Always check in at the Visitors Center for trail conditions. Angels Landing requires apermitavailable by lottery and only online.
Flora and fauna
Any source of water in a desert draws attention from plants to wildlife. Of course, the Virgin River hosts a myriad of riparian plant life like cottonwood trees, cattails, and willows. However, the true uniqueness of Zion’s flora lies in the hanging baskets. One can find a complex garden along the rock walls thanks to seeps and springs found in the Navajo Sandstone.
Most Zion wildlife smartly keeps its distance from humans. Likewise, you will not come across much wildlife as many are nocturnal. Nightfall brings out the mountain lion, porcupine, skunk, raccoon, ringtail cats, and bats. Look for their tracks and scat near the water’s edge.
During the day you may see a desert bighorn sheep or mule deer. More likely, you will run across rock squirrels and chipmunks. And, do not overlook the Plateau Lizard or the Western Whiptail Lizard, both common along the trail.
Wait. What?!The Zion snail (Phyla zionis), found only in the hanging gardens of Zion is the smallest snail in the world, the size of a pinhead.
Lose reception, connect to the Galaxy
National parks are some of the few places left in the country to see dark skies and many are working to protect this endangered resource. Visitors are encouraged to take advantage of dark skies while in the park—on any clear night look skyward to see views that rival the daytime scenery that Zion is known for.
This is our second national park along the Escalante Staircase. Next up our travels head to Bryce Canyon.
Until then, Happy Travels, and if you find yourself in Zion National Park, happy camping.
Want more travel ideas for this area?
- The Complete Guide to Zion National Park
- The Ultimate Guide to Zion National Park
- The Best of Zion
- Roam Free in Greater Zion: Quail Creek State Park
- Rock of Ages: Zion National Park
- Red Sand Meets Blue Waters at Sand Hollow State Park
Worth Pondering…
It is a place where a family can rest at streamside after a pleasant morning hike.
It is a vast labyrinth of narrow canyons where one can become hopelessly lost, shrinking to invisibility beneath dark, towering walls of stone.
One may feel triumph and exhilaration, or awesome smallness atop Angels Landing; thirst and fatigue, or a rewarding weariness, on the return trek from the backcountry.
Perhaps one’s view of Zion is in the eyes of the beholder.
—Wayne L. Hamilton,The Sculpturing of Zion
