Established: 1909
Season
The National Park is open throughout the year with a wide variety of site-seeing, hiking, and climbing opportunities. For most of the year access into the main canyon is by free shuttle bus. In winter, generally from December to March, there are not shuttle buses and private vehicles are allowed in the main canyon. Other roads in the park are always open to private vehicles, year-round. Campgrounds are open year-round, as is the Zion Lodge, providing accommodations within the park. Between May and October temperatures frequently rise above 99°F/37°C, and there are often short, violent thunderstorms during the afternoon in July and August. The best times for a visit to the National Park, therefore, are spring and autumn.
Situation and topography
Zion National Park takes in the imposing canyons of the often tumultuous Virgin River, a tributary of the Colorado River, and its tributaries, which in the course of millions of years have carved their way through the horizontally bedded sandstones, limestones and slates of the Markagunt plateau, an offshoot of the Colorado Plateau, creating a magnificent landscape of sheer-walled gorges up to 3000ft/900m deep, mesas (isolated tablelands), rock domes and battlements, in a play of colors ranging from whitish-gray by way of orange and red to deep purple.
The predominant coloring of the park is red, in many shades and tones: even the roads are rust-red. A number of Indian cultures (Basketmaker, Anasazi, Paiute) have left their traces in Zion Canyon. When the Mormons came here in 1858 they gave the valley and its most striking features the names they now bear, many of them Biblical.
Flora and fauna
Cottonwood trees, juniper trees, piñon pine, ponderosa pine, golden aquilegias and maidenhair ferns are only a few of the many species of plants to be found in the National Park. The commonest animals are mule deer, and bighorn sheep are occasionally seen. Small bats flit about in the twilight. Frequent visitors to campgrounds and picnic sites are the comical ground squirrels.
Things to See
The short Canyon Overlook Trail (1.25mi/2km) offers a magnificent prospect of Pine Creek Canyon and the Towers of the Virgin on the west rim of Zion Canyon.
The strenuous 10m/16km East Rim Trail in Zion National Park climbs 2,148ft/655m to a viewpoint of Zion Canyon. This scenic trail is one of the best in the park.
The Emerald Pools Trail (2mi/3.2km) leads to the Emerald Pools, which are fed by waterfalls.
Visitors may choose to hike to any or all of the three pools in this area. These trails vary in length from 1 mile round-trip to 3.5 miles round trip. This area features stunning scenery and is popular with children.
The Great White Throne is located beyond the Zion Lodge in Zion National Park. This towering monolith rises 2,400ft/732m and changes from white at the top to red near the bottom.
The Hidden Canyon Trail at Zion National Park climbs 850ft/260m over a distance of 2mi/3.2km and leads to a narrow side canyon.
Tips: People with a fear of heights should avoid this trail.
Typical Visit: 3 hours
In this part of the park is the strenuous Kolob Arch Trail (14mi/23km), which leads to a free-standing rock arch 310ft/95m high. An overnight halt is possible on this route, but many people do it as a day hike.
The Kolob Arch is one of the largest natural spans in the world. Waterfalls can be seen along the trail during and after rainstorms.
In the northwest section of the park, are the Kolob Finger Canyons. This section of Zion National Park is less visited, but still incredibly scenic. Located here are a visitor center, a picnic area, a 5-mile paved scenic drive, and 3 hiking trails of various lengths.
The sandstone Kolob Canyons get their name from the Mormon scriptures in which "Kolob" is "the star nearest the throne of God".
From Interstate-15 the Kolob Canyons Road runs past the Visitor Center in the northwest of the park. The road and visitor center are open all year round, unless closed briefly by snow storms.
The visitor center is near the site where the first white men known to visit the area passed on October 13, 1776.
The Pa'rus Trail is a 2mi/3.2km paved route in lower Zion Canyon that follows the Virgin River from the Watchman campground to the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. No cars are allowed on the path. Pa'rus is a Paiute word meaning "bubbling water".
Disability Access: Full facilities for persons with disabilities.
Typical Visit: 2 hours
Riverside Walk is a 2mi/3km round trip on a paved trail along the Virgin River in Zion National park. It is a popular footpath in the park.
Typical Visit: 1 hour 30 minutes
The Riverside Walk is an easy hike that follows the Virgin River for 2mi/3km from the Temple of Sinawava to the beginning of The Narrows.
The 3.6mi/5.8km Sand Bench Trail in Zion National Park is moderately strenuous, climbing 500ft/152m to an excellent viewpoint of Zion Canyon.
Taylor Creek is the most popular day hike in the Kolob Canyons section of the Zion National Park. The 5.4mi/8.7km roundtrip path follows the middle fork of Taylor Creek past historic cabins and waterfalls.
This huge natural amphitheater is located at the end of the 6mi/10km Zion Canyon Drive. Two pillars in the center of the Temple are known as The Altar and The Pulpit. A trail leads to the spectacular Zion narrows, a scenic gorge.
The most challenging hike in Zion National Park is the 16mi/25.5km Zion Narrows. The route follows the Virgin River through the narrowest points in the canyon - sometimes as little as 20ft/6m wide with walls up to 2,000ft/610m high. This hike is through the river, walking in the water almost the entire time. Information should be obtained at one of the park's visitor centers before attempting this hike.
Tips: Hikers must follow the river; there is no maintained trail.
The 1mi/1.6km round trip to the Timber Creek Overlook provides is a short hike with excellent views of the Kolob Canyons area at an elevation of 6,369ft/1,941m.
From the south entrance of the National Park at Springdale the park road runs past the Watchman (6546ft/1995m; on right) and the West Temple (7809ft/2380m; on left) and up the deeply indented valley of the Virgin River.
At the end of the Watchman Trail (2mi/3.2km) there are fine views of the lower part of Zion Canyon and into Oak Creek Canyon.
On the Weeping Rock Trail an unusual natural phenomenon can be observed. A nature trail (0.5mi/0.8km) leads to the Weeping Rock, a rock overhang overgrown with plants known as the Hanging Gardens. Water seeping down through the rock encounters an impervious stratum and emerges from the rock above the plants; the rock thus "weeps".
On the West Rim Trail (27mi/43km) a tent should be taken for an overnight halt.
The strenuous hike has an elevation gain of 3,593ft/1,095m.
From the south entrance of the National Park at Springdale the park road runs past the Watchman (6,546ft/1,995m; on right) and the West Temple (7,809ft/2,380m; on left) and up the deeply indented valley of the Virgin River.
The hike through Wildcat Canyon in Zion National Park is a 6mi/9.5km route with majestic views.
The 6mi/10km long Zion Canyon Scenic Drive begins after the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway goes off on the right. On the left are the Sentinel (7,156ft/2,181m) and the Three Patriarchs (6,890ft/2,100m), on the right the Mountain of the Sun (6,723ft/2,049m). Beyond Zion Lodge the road continues up the canyon, passing on the right the Red Arch Mountain (5,929ft/1,807m) and the Great White Throne (6,746ft/2,056m) and on the left Angels Landing (5,791ft/1,765m) and the Organ (5,099ft/1,554m), to end at the Temple of Sinawava (6,014ft/1,833m). Open buses take visitors to the main sights on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive.
Before the entrance gate to the Zion National Park is a visitor's center next to the IMAX Theater.
During high season (start of April to end of October), the 6mi/10km Zion Canyon scenic drive is only accessible via shuttle which is included in the Park's admission fee. The only exception is for visitors with a room reserved at Zion Lodge who are allowed to proceed in their cars or in motor coaches only as far as the lodge.
Campgrounds are located a short distance from the entrance.
Address:
Zion National Park, State Route 9, Springdale, UT 84767-1099, United States
Phone: 1 (435) 772-3256, Fax: 1 (435) 772-3426
Tips: Admission valid for 7 days.
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Towers of the Virgin, Zion National Park.
Angel's Landing, Zion National Park.
The Patriarch rock formation in Zion National Park.
The landscape of Zion National Park.
Aerial view of Zion National Park.
