Red-rock canyons you walk right up the middle of.
Photo: Bill Golladay · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Most canyons you look down into. Zion you look up out of. The road follows the Virgin River straight up the floor of Zion Canyon, 2,000-foot sandstone walls leaning in on both sides, glowing every shade of red and cream as the light moves. It's intimate in a way the bigger canyons aren't.
The famous hikes earn their fame: Angels Landing's chain-assisted spine (permit required now) and The Narrows, where the trail simply becomes the river and you wade upstream between walls close enough to touch. But even from the shuttle, windows down, Zion is one of the most beautiful drives in the country.
Zion is the national park you mostly cannot drive. For three-quarters of the year the main canyon road is closed to private cars and a free shuttle runs it instead, which sounds like a loss and isn't — you get to look up instead of at the road. The driving that's left is some of the best in Utah, and one piece of it changed in 2026 in a way that matters enormously if your vehicle is big.
The road that crosses the park, switchbacking up from the canyon floor and through a mile-long 1930 tunnel to the slickrock country on the east side. It is the connection between Zion and Bryce, Kanab and Page — and since June 2026 it is closed between Canyon Junction and the East Entrance to anything over 35 ft 9 in long, 7 ft 10 wide, 11 ft 4 high or 50,000 lb. Towing, the limit is 50 ft overall with the trailer no more than 26 ft. Measure with the mirrors, the bike rack and the air conditioner included, because the rangers do. The old escort through the tunnel is gone; over the limit now means turn around.
Nearly everyone comes off the interstate at La Verkin or Hurricane and follows UT-9 up through Springdale to the south entrance — 47 miles and about an hour from St. George. Since the tunnel rules changed it is also the only approach for anything oversize, in and back out the same way.
A separate entrance straight off I-15 at exit 40, forty miles north of the main park and sharing its pass. Five miles of paved road into finger canyons the color of raw beef, and on a spring weekend when Springdale is gridlocked you may have it nearly to yourself.
Closed to private vehicles whenever shuttles run; cars usually allowed from about 3 January into early March, and for the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas
The floor of the main canyon, nine miles of it. Shuttles run daily from about March through late November and again over the holidays. In 2026 the long summer schedule ran 17 May to 12 September, first bus out of the visitor center at 7am and last one down from the Temple of Sinawava at 8:15pm; hours shorten 13 September to 24 October, shorten again to 28 November, stop entirely 29 November to 25 December, then run 26 December to 2 January. It is free and needs no reservation. Drive it yourself and you are visiting in deep winter — which is a genuinely good idea, with snow on the red walls and nobody there.
TipThe shuttle is the fastest way up-canyon in season, not a consolation prize. Riding it also means you can look straight up, which is the entire point of this canyon.
Six switchbacks, a mile of tunnel, and then a completely different park on the far side — cross-bedded white and orange slickrock instead of sheer walls. Drivable in any car within the size limits, and the best half hour of road in the park.
TipThe tunnel is unlit apart from a few galleries cut through to the cliff face, and you cannot stop inside it. Park at the small lot just east of the tunnel for the Canyon Overlook trailhead rather than trying to pull over in the dark.
Closes with snow from fall to spring, the gate going down at Maloney Hill near the Hop Valley Trailhead
A back road that leaves UT-9 at Virgin and climbs onto the plateau above the canyons, past Kolob Reservoir. Paved most of the way, empty nearly all of it, and it puts you on top of the country everyone else is looking up at.
A heart-in-throat scramble up a narrow sandstone fin, the last half-mile clinging to bolted chains with 1,000-foot drops on both sides. It's 5.4 miles round trip and 1,488 feet of climbing from the Grotto, and most hikers take about four hours. The park's signature thrill.
Insider tipA permit is required to pass Scout Lookout onto the chains (since 2022) — win one through the seasonal or day-before lottery on Recreation.gov. Go at first light or near dusk; midday brings sun, crowds, and traffic jams on the chains.
Plan a trip to this spot →Instead of a trail, you wade and swim up the Virgin River itself, the canyon pinching to 20–30 feet wide beneath 1,000-foot walls. Cool, otherworldly, and unlike any other hike in the park.
Insider tipNo permit needed to walk upstream from the Temple of Sinawava, but the park closes the Narrows whenever the Virgin River runs over 150 cubic feet per second or the weather service posts a flash-flood warning — check both before you drive out. Rent neoprene socks and a sturdy stick from Springdale outfitters, and don't drink the river or dunk your head; toxic cyanobacteria turn up in Zion's water.
Plan a trip to this spot →An easygoing network of trails to tiered waterfalls, hanging gardens, and shaded pools tucked into the canyon wall. The Lower Pool's misty overhang is the family favorite and the stroller-friendly part.
Insider tipHit it early before the shuttle crowds, or save it for late afternoon when the west-facing alcoves catch warm light. The falls run strongest in spring snowmelt; by late summer they can thin to a trickle.
Plan a trip to this spot →The view that looks DOWN on Angels Landing — a sweeping panorama from 6,500 feet taking in the whole of Zion Canyon. Higher, broader, and arguably better than its famous neighbor below.
Insider tipThe old climb from the canyon floor is gone — the East Rim Trail up from Weeping Rock has been closed by rockfall for years, with no reopening date. The way in now is the East Mesa Trailhead outside the park's east side: a relatively flat 7 miles round trip through ponderosa forest to the same overlook, no permit and no shuttle. The dirt access road wants high clearance when wet.
Plan a trip to this spot →The Great White Throne is Zion's postcard monolith — a 2,400-foot block of Navajo Sandstone glowing white-to-rose at sunset. Out east, Checkerboard Mesa shows off bizarre cross-hatched fractures etched into the rock.
Insider tipShoot the Throne in evening light from the Big Bend shuttle stop. The east-side views and Checkerboard Mesa are reached by private car on the Zion–Mt. Carmel Highway — no shuttle — so they're an easy add-on when the canyon line is long.
Plan a trip to this spot →Zion's quiet half — a separate northwest section off I-15 with its own entrance, where a five-mile scenic drive winds beneath crimson finger canyons. Crowds thin out dramatically here.
Insider tipReached from I-15 Exit 40 — 40 miles and about an hour from Zion Canyon, 17 miles south of Cedar City, and with no shuttle, so you drive it on your own schedule. Late-afternoon light sets the Finger Canyons ablaze — a perfect escape on a busy holiday weekend.
Plan a trip to this spot →High-desert canyon floor: hot summers (July highs near 100°F), monsoon storms July–September that fuel flash floods in the Narrows, mild winters, and ideal weather in spring and fall.
Three ways in, not interchangeable. Zion Canyon is reached only through the south entrance at Springdale — and for most of the year you explore it by mandatory shuttle, not your own car. The east entrance is a scenic drive-through with a tunnel that limits big rigs; Kolob Canyons is a separate, quieter section off the interstate.
The main gate and the only way to Zion Canyon. From about early March to late November, and again over the New Year holiday, the Scenic Drive is closed to private cars and served by the mandatory shuttle — park in Springdale or at the visitor center and ride in. The classic canyon, the Narrows, Angels Landing, Emerald Pools.
The dramatic eastern approach past slickrock domes and Checkerboard Mesa, through the historic 1.1-mile tunnel. Measure your rig before you commit: since June 2026 there is no escort permit and no exception, and anything over the posted size and weight limits gets turned around at the gate. Roughly, if your rig is longer than 36 feet or taller than 11 ft 4, measure carefully. Oversize vehicles can still visit Zion — they just come in from the south instead and stop at Canyon Junction.
A separate, far quieter corner off the interstate with its own entrance — the 5-mile overlook drive and trails like Taylor Creek and Kolob Arch. No shuttle; drive your own car.
Sleep mid-canyon at the only in-park lodge, walk in from Springdale's gateway strip, or camp by the visitor center.
Zion Lodge is the only lodging inside the park — historic, mid-canyon, right on the shuttle line (Stop 5), so you wake among the cliffs and hit the trails before the day crowds. Motel rooms, cabins with gas fireplaces, suites, plus a restaurant and café.
Booking tipRooms sell out months ahead — often 6–12 months for spring/fall and holidays. It's run by the park concessioner, not a chain, so reserve through the lodge directly.
The walkable gateway town hugging the south entrance, packed with hotels, restaurants, and gear shops — from canyon-view stays like Cliffrose and Cable Mountain Lodge to easygoing favorites like Flanigan's Inn, plus dozens of smaller motels.
Booking tipSpringdale's free town shuttle runs to a pedestrian gateway beside the visitor center, where you walk in and pick up the park shuttle — so you can leave the car parked all day. Staying here means zero driving and the shortest walk to the canyon.
Watchman Campground sits just inside the south entrance, open year-round and reservation-only on Recreation.gov, a short walk from the visitor center. Its neighbor South Campground is closed for rehabilitation work with no reopening date, so don't plan on it. Lava Point, up on the Kolob Terrace, has a handful of primitive sites spring through fall. For more rooms or lower rates, base in Hurricane or La Verkin (~25–35 min) or St. George (~1 hr).
Booking tipWatchman books fast — sites release on a rolling window, so set a reminder and grab one the moment your dates open. Farther bases trade a daily drive for availability and price.
Do I really have to ride a shuttle?
For most of the year — roughly early March through 28 November, plus a short holiday run from 26 December to 2 January — the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is closed to private cars and the only way up-canyon is the free park shuttle. That closure holds all day, before the first bus and after the last. Park in Springdale or at the visitor center, walk to the visitor-center stop, and ride; nine stops run up to the Temple of Sinawava (Narrows trailhead), with a bus every 5–10 minutes and about 45 minutes end to end. No ticket, permit or reservation for the shuttle, and none to enter the park. In January and February, and for the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the road reopens to your own car.
Do I need a permit to hike Angels Landing?
Yes. Since 2022 a permit is required to hike the final chained section past Scout Lookout, and it's in effect for 2026. Permits come by lottery on Recreation.gov, two ways. The seasonal lottery covers a three-month block at a time and opens months ahead — the December-through-February window opens 1 October. The day-before lottery opens at 12:01 a.m. and closes at 3 p.m. Mountain the day before you want to hike, with results by 4 p.m. Either way it's $6 to apply, covering up to six people, plus $3 per person if you're drawn. Print or download the confirmation email — there's no reliable phone signal at the checkpoint. You can still hike the West Rim Trail up to Scout Lookout without a permit; only the exposed spine requires one.
What does it cost, and is there timed entry?
$35 per private vehicle for a 7-day pass ($30 motorcycle, $20 per person on foot or bike). A Zion annual pass is $70 and the $80 America the Beautiful pass is accepted. There's no timed-entry reservation to enter the park, and none to ride the shuttle. One 2026 change: non-U.S. residents aged 16 and over pay a $100 surcharge on top of the entrance fee — the $250 America the Beautiful nonresident annual pass waives it, and covers up to three more adults in the same party. U.S. residents pay the standard fees. Everyone pays, even if you're only driving through on Highway 9.
When's the best time, and what about heat and flash floods?
Spring (April–May) and fall (September–October) are the sweet spots — comfortable temps and full shuttle service. Summer brings the biggest crowds and canyon-floor highs near or above 100°F, so start early and carry lots of water. Summer is also monsoon season (July–September), when storms can trigger deadly flash floods in slot canyons — always check the day's flash-flood rating and never enter the Narrows when flooding is forecast.
How do I get there — which airport?
Springdale sits at the south entrance. The closest airport is St. George Regional (SGU), about an hour's drive, with limited service. The main gateway for most visitors is Las Vegas (LAS), about 2.5–3 hours away with far more flights and rental cars. Salt Lake City is ~4.5 hours. You'll want a car — there's no transit to the park.
How many days do I need?
You can hit Zion Canyon's highlights in a busy 1–2 days — ride the shuttle, walk the Riverside Walk, do Emerald Pools or the Watchman trail, and (with a permit) Angels Landing. Add a third day for the Narrows or the scenic Zion–Mt. Carmel Highway, and a fourth for quiet Kolob Canyons. Two to three days is the comfortable sweet spot.
Pick your vehicle, line up the stops on the way in and out, and carry the whole route in your pocket.
