Getting There & Around

Getting There & Around

In southwestern Utah, not far from the Nevada border, Zion National Park is closer to Las Vegas (158 mi) than to Salt Lake City (310 mi). The nearest commercial airport is 46 mi away in St. George, Utah. Off Route 9, the park is 21 mi east of Interstate 15 and 24 mi west of U.S. 89.

November through March, private vehicles are allowed on Zion's main park road, Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. From April through October, however, it is closed to private vehicles. During this time, the park's easy-to-use shuttle system ferries people into the canyon from the Zion Canyon Visitor Center, where the parking lot is typically full, 10 to 3 daily, May through September. To avoid parking hassles, leave your car in the nearby town of Springdale and ride the town shuttle to the park entrance where you can connect with the park shuttle. Town shuttle stops are at Majestic View, Driftwood Motel, Quality Inn, Bit & Spur Restaurant, Zion Park Inn, Bumbleberry Inn, Pizza and Noodle Company, Zion Canyon Clothing, Flanigan's Inn, and Zion Giant Screen Theater. The shuttles are free, but you must pay the park entrance fee.

If you enter or exit Zion via the east entrance you will have the privilege of driving a gorgeous, twisting 24-mi stretch of the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway (Route 9). Two tunnels, including the highway's famous 1 1/10-mi tunnel, lie between the east park entrance and Zion Canyon. The tunnels are so narrow that vehicles more than 7 feet, 10 inches wide or 11 feet, 4 inches high require traffic control while passing through. Rangers, who are stationed at the tunnels 8 AM to 8 PM daily, April through October, stop oncoming traffic so you can drive down the middle of the tunnels. Large vehicles must pay an escort fee of $15 at either park entrance. West of the tunnels the highway meets Zion Canyon Scenic Drive at Canyon Junction, about 1 mi north of the Zion Canyon Visitor Center.