How to Enjoy Zion National Park
Be aware of upfront fees when visiting Zion National Park., Get information about sights and activities at Zion National Park., Decide what you most want to see and do at the park., Decide the best time for you to visit., Make any necessary...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Be aware of upfront fees when visiting Zion National Park.
Each person or group who enters Zion National Park has to purchase a recreational use pass; rates vary according to the type of vehicle you travel through the park in.
Passes are good for a week, although annual and lifetime senior passes (age 62 and over) are also available.
If you can time your visit to the third week in September, you can enter the park for free, as fees are waived then in recognition of Public Lands Day; there may be other days from year to year when Zion's pass fees are waived.
Other charges, as described below, are not exempted when the pass fees are waived, however.
You'll also need a backcountry permit to camp overnight and to hike through certain areas of the park, such as Kolob Creek, the Left Fork of North Creek and any canyon requiring special equipment to navigate.
If your vehicle is wider than 7 feet, 10 inches (2.4 meters) and taller than 11 feet, 4 inches (3.5 meters), you'll have to pay a $15 fee for an escort to guide your vehicle through the Zion-Mt.
Carmel tunnel.
This fee gets you 2 trips through the tunnel within a 7-day period. (You can avoid this fee by entering and exiting via the park's south entrance near Springdale.) Pass and use fees are part of the Federal Recreation Lands Enhancement Act.
Zion keeps 80 percent of the fees it collects to maintain and update its facilities, while the other 20 percent goes to an account covering parks that don't charge fees. -
Step 2: Get information about sights and activities at Zion National Park.
The U.S.
National Park Service Web site has pages devoted to each of its national parks, including Zion.
The Zion National Park home page is http://www.nps.gov/zion/index.htm; you can obtain PDF brochures about various facets of the park at http://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/brochures.htm. , Zion National Park offers a number of natural wonders, a selection of wildlife and trails of varying length to view it all.
Zion's main canyon, Zion Canyon (or Zion Narrows), is a slot canyon with 3000-foot-tall (914-meter-tall) walls carved by the Virgin River.
You can drive or take a shuttle from the Zion Canyon Visitor Center or hike the 16-mile-long (25.6-kilometer-long) Zion Narrows Trail.
Adjacent to this canyon is Orderville Canyon, with a prominent series of waterfalls.
Experienced climbers can climb their way into Orderville from the top or tackle the 2,000-foot (609-meter) cliff walls found elsewhere in the park.
Other trails besides Zion Narrows Trail include Angels Landing, Weeping Rock Trail and Riverside Walk.
The Pa'rus Trail is a paved trail designed for both bicyclists and visitors who wish to walk with their pets; it passes near Zion Canyon.
Guide horseback trips are also available between the months of March and October.
Zion National Park is home to a variety of wildlife, including 207 bird species and a number of wildflowers.
Park rangers lead shuttle tours and guided hikes and give talks at Watchman Campground and Zion Lodge about the natural and human history of the park. , Zion National Park is open year-round, although some parts of the park, such as the Backcountry Desk and the Human History Museum are closed for part of the year.
The Zion Canyon and Kolob Canyon Visitor Centers are closed Christmas Day, and the Zion Canyon Shuttle operates only from late March through late October.
You can view a schedule of events at http://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/events.htm. , While not required, reservations are recommended if you wish to stay at Zion Lodge, take a guided tour on horseback or obtain a backcountry permit. , Most people visit Zion National Park by car, motorcycle or recreational vehicle, taking either Interstate 15 to reach the west entrance or U.S.
Highway 89 to approach from the east.
Either connects with State Highway 9, which traverses the park as the Zion-Mt.
Carmel Highway.
If you choose to fly in, you'll need to land at either the airport in St.
George, 46 miles (74 kilometers) away or Las Vegas International Airport, 150 miles (240 kilometers) away and rent a vehicle. , Zion National Park offers a wide range of weather conditions.
Spring offers a number of stormy, wet days, while summer temperatures can reach 95 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit (35 to 43 degrees Celsius) during the day.
Fall and winter are fairly mild, with light snow in the lower elevations and heavier snow in the upper elevations.
Winter temperatures may get as low as 60 degrees (16 degrees Celsius), requiring you to pack a variety of clothes and dress in layers. -
Step 3: Decide what you most want to see and do at the park.
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Step 4: Decide the best time for you to visit.
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Step 5: Make any necessary reservations.
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Step 6: Choose the means of travel that works best for you.
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Step 7: Pack and dress right for the trip.
Detailed Guide
Each person or group who enters Zion National Park has to purchase a recreational use pass; rates vary according to the type of vehicle you travel through the park in.
Passes are good for a week, although annual and lifetime senior passes (age 62 and over) are also available.
If you can time your visit to the third week in September, you can enter the park for free, as fees are waived then in recognition of Public Lands Day; there may be other days from year to year when Zion's pass fees are waived.
Other charges, as described below, are not exempted when the pass fees are waived, however.
You'll also need a backcountry permit to camp overnight and to hike through certain areas of the park, such as Kolob Creek, the Left Fork of North Creek and any canyon requiring special equipment to navigate.
If your vehicle is wider than 7 feet, 10 inches (2.4 meters) and taller than 11 feet, 4 inches (3.5 meters), you'll have to pay a $15 fee for an escort to guide your vehicle through the Zion-Mt.
Carmel tunnel.
This fee gets you 2 trips through the tunnel within a 7-day period. (You can avoid this fee by entering and exiting via the park's south entrance near Springdale.) Pass and use fees are part of the Federal Recreation Lands Enhancement Act.
Zion keeps 80 percent of the fees it collects to maintain and update its facilities, while the other 20 percent goes to an account covering parks that don't charge fees.
The U.S.
National Park Service Web site has pages devoted to each of its national parks, including Zion.
The Zion National Park home page is http://www.nps.gov/zion/index.htm; you can obtain PDF brochures about various facets of the park at http://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/brochures.htm. , Zion National Park offers a number of natural wonders, a selection of wildlife and trails of varying length to view it all.
Zion's main canyon, Zion Canyon (or Zion Narrows), is a slot canyon with 3000-foot-tall (914-meter-tall) walls carved by the Virgin River.
You can drive or take a shuttle from the Zion Canyon Visitor Center or hike the 16-mile-long (25.6-kilometer-long) Zion Narrows Trail.
Adjacent to this canyon is Orderville Canyon, with a prominent series of waterfalls.
Experienced climbers can climb their way into Orderville from the top or tackle the 2,000-foot (609-meter) cliff walls found elsewhere in the park.
Other trails besides Zion Narrows Trail include Angels Landing, Weeping Rock Trail and Riverside Walk.
The Pa'rus Trail is a paved trail designed for both bicyclists and visitors who wish to walk with their pets; it passes near Zion Canyon.
Guide horseback trips are also available between the months of March and October.
Zion National Park is home to a variety of wildlife, including 207 bird species and a number of wildflowers.
Park rangers lead shuttle tours and guided hikes and give talks at Watchman Campground and Zion Lodge about the natural and human history of the park. , Zion National Park is open year-round, although some parts of the park, such as the Backcountry Desk and the Human History Museum are closed for part of the year.
The Zion Canyon and Kolob Canyon Visitor Centers are closed Christmas Day, and the Zion Canyon Shuttle operates only from late March through late October.
You can view a schedule of events at http://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/events.htm. , While not required, reservations are recommended if you wish to stay at Zion Lodge, take a guided tour on horseback or obtain a backcountry permit. , Most people visit Zion National Park by car, motorcycle or recreational vehicle, taking either Interstate 15 to reach the west entrance or U.S.
Highway 89 to approach from the east.
Either connects with State Highway 9, which traverses the park as the Zion-Mt.
Carmel Highway.
If you choose to fly in, you'll need to land at either the airport in St.
George, 46 miles (74 kilometers) away or Las Vegas International Airport, 150 miles (240 kilometers) away and rent a vehicle. , Zion National Park offers a wide range of weather conditions.
Spring offers a number of stormy, wet days, while summer temperatures can reach 95 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit (35 to 43 degrees Celsius) during the day.
Fall and winter are fairly mild, with light snow in the lower elevations and heavier snow in the upper elevations.
Winter temperatures may get as low as 60 degrees (16 degrees Celsius), requiring you to pack a variety of clothes and dress in layers.
About the Author
John Powell
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