Zion National Park [Guide, Maps, Itineraries & More] (2024)

FAQs

How many days are enough for Zion National Park? ›

Ideally, you need two to three days to really explore Zion National Park. This will give you enough time to hike one of the longer trails such as Angels Landing or the Narrows and enjoy all the major viewpoints.

The two major scenic drives in the park: Zion Canyon and Zion-Mount Carmel Highway, both offer amazing views of the beautiful and characteristic rock formations you come to Zion for in the first place.

A guided tour of Zion National Park is the best way to make the most of your time. You'll not only get to hit the highlights of Zion, but you'll learn all about the park's history, geology, and ecology from your knowledgeable guide who's experienced almost every inch of the park.

Top Attractions in Zion National Park

Angel's Landing is one of Zion's most spectular scenic outlooks; it can be reached only by a very demanding hike on the West Rim Trail.

Zion National Park is a pleasure to experience and a wonder to behold at all times of the year, but there are a few days that entail especially high visitation. These include Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and any park-sponsored “free” days. In general, all holidays and weekends are busier than weekdays.

Both of these Parks offer great outdoor activities for all ages. For canyoneering and rappelling, Zion beats Bryce. You'll find world-class hiking in either Park, but in Zion you can find yourself hiking through streams or on sandstone ledges, like Angels Landing – one of the scariest hikes in the world!

How long is the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive? Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is approximately 7 miles long. The up-canyon shuttle routes takes about 45 minutes to reach the last stop, Temple of Sinawava. The entire round-trip ride takes about an hour and a half.

The South Entrance is by far the most popular entrance of Zion National Park, and as such, sees the most crowds. Location: The South Entrance is located nearly 4 hours away from Salt Lake City in Southern Utah.

The Narrows is one of the most famous hikes in Zion National Park. There are two ways to hike it; the most popular—from the bottom up, starting at the Riverside Walk at the Temple of Sinawava, or from the top down, from Chamberlain Ranch.

Since the Zion shuttle only runs during the high season (March through November), private vehicles are allowed up the Scenic Drive the rest of the year when the shuttles are not operating...which means visitors can drive themselves to upper Zion Canyon.

Do I need a reservation to enter Zion National Park? ›

You do not need a permit or reservation to enter the park. You do need to pay the park fee.

Spring, Summer, Fall Visitors

All visitors are required to use the shuttle to travel around the park, including along the six-mile Zion Canyon Scenic drive.

Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is one of four main roads in Zion National Park. Along this road, visitors can access famous park landmarks, including Zion Lodge, Angel's Landing, the Court of the Patriarchs and Weeping Rock, to name a few.

Springdale. As the gateway to Zion National Park and nestled along the North Fork of the Virgin River, Springdale is an ideal place to get outfitted for adventure in Zion and numerous other parks, monuments, and recreation areas of the western Colorado Plateau and the desert southwest.

Canyon Junction Bridge is one of Zion's most popular locations for photographers. Dozens of photographers in this relatively small area are common at sunset. Fortunately, you can also get excellent shots at sunrise and at night with much less company.

Visiting Zion in The Summer (May-September)

In my opinion, summer is when Zion is at her most beautiful. Everything is so green and lush in the canyon and if you like water, well this is the best time to visit Zion National Park and play in the Virgin River.

And I can answer: Yes, two days is long enough for a trip to Zion to see the highlights but if you can stay longer by all means do. I'm sure we could have spent a week in this majestic place and still felt like it wasn't enough.

Getting from Zion to Bryce Canyon. Connecting two of the Southwest's most iconic national parks, the drive from Zion to Bryce Canyon, spanning about 84 miles, typically takes around 1:50 hours.

Because Zion is a relatively small national park, it's easy to stay close to the park without actually being in the park. I recommend staying outside of Zion if you want nicer amenities, more variety in pricing, or more dining and activity options.