Zion Park Tripadvisor (2024)

FAQs

How many days in Zion is enough? ›

This stunning park stretches across more than 140,000 acres; there's so much to explore! To get the full experience, we recommend spending at least two days exploring Zion. This includes taking hikes on some of their most popular trails like Angels Landing and The Narrows.

Parking within Zion National Park usually fills up between 8 a.m and 9 a.m. Once the park lots are full, visitors should park in the town of Springdale and ride the town shuttle to the park.

Depending on where and when you board one of Zion's free shuttle buses you may have to wait 30 minutes or more for an available spot. Shuttles run every few minutes but they fill to standing room only for most of the day. Expect a wait at the Visitor Center in the morning with peak wait times from 8:00AM to noon.

You'll get to experience plenty of different things in Zion National Park. We wouldn't really recommend spending more than two days in Bryce Canyon, but you could easily be in Zion for a week. Zion is also more developed than any of the other parks in Utah.

Busy Season

That means weekends much of the year and the most crowded time between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Despite the hot temperatures — and 100-degree days are common — summer draws the biggest crowds.

This scenic byway runs for 54 miles. Travel time is about 1.5 hours. From the west, you get on the byway at the intersection of Hwy 9 and Interstate 15, about 9 miles east of St. George.

You do not need a permit or reservation to visit most areas in Zion Canyon. You do not need a permit or reservation to ride a park shuttle. You do not need a permit or reservation to enter the park. You do need to pay the park fee.

What a pleasant way to tour the Zion Canyon without having to fool with vehicle traffic. I suggest taking the shuttle all the way the initial time and use that first trip to plan what you want to see and what trails you may want to travel. It is wonderful to hop on and off at different locations.

The drive into Zion Canyon (the main part of the park) from I-15 on the park's western side, following Utah 9 or Utah 17, and then Utah 9 to the south entrance at Springdale, is by far the more popular, with two-thirds of park visitors arriving there.

Fantastic Rock Formations

Zion is full of sandstone cliffs, mountains, and natural arches that are nearly impossible to find anywhere else. Some of these rock formations are over 200 million years old! Zion is home to one of the largest natural arches in the world, Kolob Arch.

Is it better to stay inside or outside Zion National Park? ›

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.

Waterfall highlights in Zion National Park typically include the trio of waterfalls at Lower Emerald Pools, the magnificent 300-foot fall at Upper Emerald Pools, and the waterfall at the Temple of Sinawava.

Directions. Zion National Park's main, south entrance and administrative offices are located near Springdale, Utah You may drive yourself on all open park roads except the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. During most of the year, the Scenic Drive is accessed by shuttle bus only. Shuttles are free to ride.

Shuttles take about 45 minutes to drive between the Zion Canyon Visitor Center and the Temple of Sinawava. This means a round trip takes about an hour and a half.

If you're wanting to tackle Angels Landing and the Narrows, you need at least 2 days! But there is much more to Zion than just these two hikes, which is why I recommend a third day to see the rest of the park (and give you a day in between these two insane hikes!).

With 2 days, you'll be able to plan a Zion National Park itinerary that fits in one of the longer hikes in Zion (like Angels Landing), the scenic drive between the East Entrance and Zion – Mt. Carmel tunnel, and some of the shorter hikes in the canyon.

Bryce Canyon is one of those national parks that can be explored in just one full day, but it is best to allocate two days if you can. Having two days means you will be able to catch sunset the day you arrive, sunrise the next morning, and spend a full day hiking some park trails.

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.