Zion National Park

Zions National Park

Zions National Park is located in the southwestern part of Utah. The three closest cities are Springdale to the south, Ordervilleto the east, and Cedar City near Kolob Canyons entrance.

The geography in Zions National Park includes mountains, canyons, buttes, mesas, monoliths, rivers, slot canyons, and natural arches. It has something to offer to everyone. There are many species of animals, birds, reptiles, and more.

Originally settled by Native Americans who moved on, the Mormons then settled there. In 1909, President William Howard Taft in order to protect it named it Mukuntuweap National Monument. Then in 1918, the newly created National Park Service director Horace Albright,wrote a proposal that the park be enlarged and the name changed to Zion National Monument. On November 19, 1919, Congress re-allocated the monument as Zion National Park, and the act was signed by President Woodrow Wilson.

The purpose of the park is and has always been to protect the beauty of the land and species for future generations.

Climate at Zions National Park

Zions National Park has a mild climate. Year round average high temperatures range from 52 degrees F in December to 100 degrees F in July. The average low temperatures range from 29 degrees F in December to 69 degrees F in July.

Spring weather can be a bit unpredictable with stormy rainy days and occasionally sunny warm weather mixed in. Flowers bloom during spring season from April through June and the peak being in May. Fall days are usually clear and mild with autumn foliage peaking in October. Winter brings fairly mild weather to Zions with a mostly rain and mix of light snow. Clear days in winterwill often reach 60 degrees F with night temperatures being 20 to 40 degrees F.

With such a nice climate you are sure to be able to do many activities in the park. Some of those activities include the following:

Backpacking
Climbing
Hiking
Birding

Horseback riding
Canyoneering – which is learning about the canyons of Zions National Park
Bicycling
Star gazing

Hiking includes several trails that range from easy to moderate. These trails range from a half hour to two hours round trip to complete. There are two strenuous trails that range between four hours and eight hours round trip to complete. You can find the times and miles in the park newspaper.

Fees for the park

All users of the park are required to pay a fee when entering the park. There are different types of passes. The different passes include:

Private Vehicle: $35. Valid for 7 days 15 passengers or fewer are private
Motorcycle: $30. Valid for 7 days
Per Person: $20. Valid for 7 days
Non-Commercial Organized Groups: Valid for 7 days$35.00 Non-commercial vehicles with a vehicle capacity of 15 or less.$20.00 per person Non-commercial vehicles with a capacity of 16 or greater. These fees will not exceed commercial groups of the same size vehicles.
Youth 15 and under are free. Pass and photo id is required.

Other passes that are available include:

Annual Passes -Interagency Annual Pass – $80.00. Admission to all Federal fee areas for one year from date of purchase.
Zion Annual Pass – $70.00. Admission to Zion National Park for one year from date of purchase.
Military Annual Pass – Free. Active duty military admission to all federal fee areas for one year.
Senior Annual Pass – $20.00. Admission to all federal fee areas for one year from date of purchase.
Lifetime PassesLifetime Senior Pass – $80.00. Admission to all federal fee areas for life, U.S. citizens 62 years or older.Lifetime Access Pass – Free. Admission to all federal fee areas for life, permanently disabled U.S. Citizens
Appreciation PassesFree Access for Veterans and Gold Star Families – Beginning on Veterans Day—November 11, 2020—veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces and Gold Star families will have free access to national parks and other federal lands managed by the Department of the Interior.
Volunteer Pass – Free. Admission to all federal fee areas for one year from issue date. Volunteers with over 250 hours of service are eligible.
Commercial Tours$35.00+: 1-6 Passengers $35.00 + $20.00 per passenger not to exceed $70.00: 7-15 Passengers$80.00: 16-25 Passengers$190.00: 26+ Passengers A commercial tour is defined as consisting of one or more persons traveling on an itinerary that has been packaged, priced, or sold for leisure or recreational purposes by an organization that realizes financial gain through the provision of the service.

Remember all fees help the park.

Campgrounds

Zions National Park has three campgrounds.

Watchman Campground is located in Zions National Park and open all year round located near Springdale on the south end. Reservations required
South Campground is closed in winter located near Springdale on the south end.
The Lava Point Campground is about a 1-hour drive from Zion Canyon on the Kolob Terrace Road and is closed in winter.

There are also several campgrounds that are just a short drive from the park and those include:

Zion Canyon Visitors Bureau
East Zion Tourism Council
St. George Area Visitor Bureau
BLM, St. George Field Office
Kane County, Utah (including Kanab)

Hours of operation

The hours of operation for the park are:

2022 Facilities Hours
Updated January 2, 2022

Zion Canyon Visitor Center (Outside Information Desk) 8 am – 5 pm

Park Store 8 am – 5 pm

Zion Canyon Wilderness DeskAllow for at least 20 minutes to obtain a permit.
8 am – 10 am & 3 pm – 4:30 pm

Zion Human History Museum Closed

Zion Nature Center Closed

Kolob Canyons Visitor Center
(Outside Information Desk) 8 am – 5 pm