We covered Zion National Park several years ago. This is a new post with enhanced content and updated information.
Zion National Park is approximately:
308 miles from Salt Lake City, Utah — 427 miles from Los Angeles, California — 377 miles from Phoenix, Arizona — 159 miles from Las Vegas, Nevada
The closest city with a major airport is obvious. So, pack your bag, stash some cash in your pocket, and get ready for a ride because our first stop is Las Vegas!
Las Vegas
For first time visitors to Las Vegas, we recommend checking out the hotels/casinos on the Strip (officially Las Vegas Avenue). Each hotel has something different to see and do, and each one is worthy of a visit. Less expensive accommodations can be
found off the Strip as well as downtown, and there are many RV campgrounds in and around the city.
Restaurant recommendations are difficult because we’ve never had a bad meal in Las Vegas. However, we think Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House at the MGM Grand and the buffet at the Wynn Las Vegas are definitely worth mentioning. As far as attractions go, there are too many to list here, but here’s a great link for things to do in Las Vegas.
Now, on to Zion National Park…
Getting There
⇒Take I-15 North toward Mesquite, Nevada and the Arizona state line.
Bonus stop: Valley of Fire State Park. Exit I-15 at Crystal, Nevada then take the Valley of Fire Highway to the park’s entrance. The park road is a Nevada Scenic Byway, and the park features hiking trails, spectacular red rock formations, and petroglyphs. RV and tent camping are available. Drive time between Las Vegas and Valley of Fire State Park: 47 minutes.
⇒Continue on I-15 to St. George, Utah. Drive time between Las Vegas, Nevada and St. George, Utah: 2 hours.
Numerous hotel, dining, and camping options are available in St. George, Hurricane, and Springdale, Utah. Drive times to the park:
- From St. George: 1 hour
- From Hurricane: 32 minutes
- From Springdale: 3 minutes. The park provides free shuttles around the town of Springdale and to the park for visitors who wish to use them.
Travel tip: the closer the hotel is to the park, the higher the rates.
⇒From I-15, take Highway 9 east toward Springdale, Utah and Zion National Park.
Destination: Zion National Park
Ahh…Zion! From finding peaceful solitude, to hiking, climbing, canyoneering, backpacking, or simply enjoying the beautiful scenery, Zion has an adventure for every visitor. It is also one of five national parks in Utah. So, depending on how much time you have, a visit to Zion could lead to visits to Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Arches National Parks.
- Website link: Zion National Park.
- Accommodation in the park: Zion Lodge.
- Restaurant and seasonal cafe at Zion Lodge.
- Three campgrounds in the park.
- Free shuttle. (Mandatory in Zion Canyon from spring through fall.)
- When to go? Anytime. We like September.
- Advance permits by lottery are required for hiking to Angels Landing. Check website for details.
Zion Canyon
We highly recommend getting to the park early in the morning. Parking can be difficult during peak tourist seasons and the parking lots fill quickly. Overflow parking is available in Springdale, and the Springdale shuttle runs to and from the park. Hop-on hop-off shuttles inside the park run the length of Zion Canyon with nine different stops. We never waited longer than ten minutes for a shuttle in the park, however, we waited in line for almost an hour to get on one of the first shuttles of the day. Did we let that bother us? Absolutely not! The park was definitely worth the wait.
Travel tip: carry a backpack with everything you will need for a full day in the park, including lunch, snacks, and plenty of water. Now get ready to say “Wow” about a million times!
Riverside Walk
From the visitor center, take the shuttle all the way up the canyon to the Temple of Sinawava shuttle stop. This is where the Riverside Walk trail begins. The paved trail, which follows the Virgin River, is easy, and it is the gateway to the Narrows. The Narrows is a ten to sixteen-mile hike in the river, and it is strenuous, but it is one of the most popular hikes at Zion. Check with the visitor center regarding river conditions before attempting the Narrows. After Riverside Walk, work your way back down the canyon by hiking other trails (check out Weeping Rock Trail) or by taking the shuttle to another stop.
The Grotto Trail to Zion Lodge
This is an easy, one mile hike, and the scenery is so much more spectacular from a trail than from a vehicle. The shuttle stop at The Grotto is also the trailhead for Angels Landing, which is another one of the most popular trails at Zion. Angels Landing trail is long, strenuous, and not for everyone, but we hear the views are incredible. Advance permits are required for Angels Landing.
Lower Emerald Pool Trail
From the Grotto trail, take the Lower Emerald Pool trail. This trail is just a little over a mile long, and it’s easy, though there are some inclines along the way.
Kayenta Trail
Return to the Grotto shuttle stop via the Kayenta trail (moderate, 1.5 miles) for great views of the Virgin River and Zion Canyon.
Kolob Canyons
Drive time between the park’s Springdale/South Entrance to Kolob Canyons: 47 minutes via Hurricane, Utah and I-15.
This underrated section of the park, which is much less crowded than Zion Canyon, features:
- Visitor Center with restrooms and a water filling station.
- Breathtaking scenery in a designated wilderness.
- 20 miles of hiking trails for all levels of hikers.
- Kolob Fingers Road Scenic Byway – scenic drive. The road is five miles long with viewpoints and trailheads.
- Kolob Terrace Road – another scenic road that begins in Virgin, Utah and runs for 21 miles in and out of the park. There are no services along this road.
Adventurous hikers may want to venture into Kolob Canyons’ backcountry to view Kolob Arch. The arch, which pans 287 feet, is one of the longest natural arches in the world. The 14-mile roundtrip hike is rated strenuous. Check with the visitor center for recommendations on other hikes in Kolob Canyons.
Obviously, we have barely scratched Zion’s surface. There are many additional hikes, short trails, a museum, ranger led programs, and much more available in the park. Zion is a place where you can find your own level of adventure. We hope you have a fantastic trip! Leave us a comment below and let us know what made you fall in love with Zion. We would love to hear from you. Until the next trip…
Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road.
Mike and Kellye
As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.
©2022
No filters, indeed! I haven’t been to Zion yet, but the places I’ve been of its ilk are absolutely all real. Your travels pics make me smile.
Enjoy your photos and info, so thorough and thoughtful!
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much! We truly enjoy sharing our road trips.
Thanks so much, Ray! I love knowing we made someone smile.
You have provided a wonderfully enticing review of Zion NP along with interesting sites and activities nearby. I’d love to visit someday although my hiking abilities aren’t what they used to be. Many of the great national parks of the west are a glaring hole in my travel resume.
Thanks so much, John! Our hiking abilities aren’t as up to par as we would like, but there are usually some easier ones. I hope you get to visit some of the western parks someday. They are worth the trip!
I’ll try to make it out west in the not distant future. 😊
Nice post! Zion is one of my favorite national parks. I chose not to hike Angel’s Landing and after seeing a drone video of it I was so glad I didn’t! I would have been terrified with the sheer drops on either side!
Absolutely. We are hikers, not climbers. Angels Landing would scare me to death! Thank you for checking out the post, Donna!
This place is just WOW! Thank you for sharing all this information!
Thank you! We appreciate you guys.
Amazing photos. Thanks for taking us along on your trip! 😊🙋♂️
Thanks so much Ashley! We’re always glad to have you.
I’m admittedly a bit embarrassed that I’d never heard of this park Kellye. I have long dreamt of a visit to Las Vegas and now, if we ever get there, I’ll surely be extending our stay to take in some of these wondrous trails. Such lovely rock colours and beautifully located waterfalls. I also love those kind of narrow passes, I’ve done a fair few of those over the years in various countries. Though I would hardly describe myself as a thrill-seeker, I do feel tempted by the prospect of Angel’s Landing. A very thorough overview.
Thank you so much, Leighton! I really hope you get to go to Vegas (talk about sightseeing!) and Zion (stunning scenery!) one day. They’re both well worth the trip.
Roy and I enjoyed your pictures as a lovely reminder of an amazing place we spent time in 4 years ago. Lots of information too. Thank you!
Thank you for stopping by and for taking the time to comment!
How do I love Zion, let me count the ways! Great pictures of this amazing park! I’ve been feeling homesick for Utah lately and missing those mountains terribly. Your post was just what I needed to help get me through till I can go home again 🙂
Thank you, Meg! I hope you get to go home soon. Utah is my second pick for a place to live – next to our home state of Texas, of course!
Thank you for this post. Zion is on our list – not next year, but possibly 2024. I would be interested in the shorter hikes. Your post motivates me to be sure and get there!
It’s our pleasure, Betty! The hikes we listed are shorter and easy. Thanks for stopping by!!
Great overview of Zion! It really does have something for everyone. I’d love to go back one day and bring Jon, hopefully hike the Narrows too.
Thanks, Lyssy! I hope you can go back. It sure is a great park.
Zion is absolutely beautiful place with great hiking trails and wilderness areas. Glad to see the park from your view. Great pics. I have been to Zion and everything it was different with different seasons. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you, Vignesh! We always appreciate your comments.
Great scenery love it, only got as far as Vegas and a couple of days was enough can’t believe that Nevada alone is bigger than the UK. I think
Never heard of this park before! Looks and sounds as stunning as some of the more famous ones. A lot more appealing than Las Vegas…neither of us find the thought of visiting Las Vegas of interest. But Zion….definitely!
This is one of our stops when we take a trip to the Grand Canyon. Thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures.
It’s our pleasure, Diane!
You are like our very own personal tour guides!! I really enjoy these in-depth looks and the places that you visit. The pictures are really beautiful and are a wonderful touch. Great read!
Thanks so much! We love sharing our travels.
Thank you for this great overview and photos of Las Vegas and Zion. Zion was our favorite of the Utah National Parks.
Ours too, Beth! Thank you for stopping by:)
Zion is the best! We loved it. Thanks for bringing back fond memories of our visit!!
The red rock is just a landscape we don’t see over here, it looks incredible.
I so want to visit Zion! My husband went a couple of years ago with my daughter and some of her college friends. They all loved it and sent me gorgeous photos! Thanks for all of the information!
Our pleasure! Thank you for stopping by.
your photos are the next best thing to being there 🙂
Thank you very much! We love sharing our travels.
One place on my bucket list! It looks beautiful!
Still one of our favourite memories from 2018. Such a beautiful place. Thanks for sharing Kellye. Allan
Zion is on that I would return to over and over again. Thank you, Allan.