Zion is definitely among our favorite national parks in the US. Why? Because it’s home to some of the most unique and thrilling hikes we’ve ever done. Yes, the striking canyons and cliffs are also great for sightseeing and photography, but if we’re being totally honest, this is a place you go primarily to hike fun and adventurous trails. We’ve spent 6 full days exploring Zion top to bottom from dawn to dusk, seeing and doing pretty much everything in the park.
In this comprehensive Zion National Park travel guide we help you plan your first trip to Utah’s famous red rock hiking destination, based on our own experiences. We’ve written lots of guides about Zion, so click the orange links in this guide if you want to learn more. Oh, and if you’re a serious planner like us, be sure to check out our popular Zion Guidebook which goes into far greater detail with bonus itineraries, maps and more.
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Park Information
Here’s a general overview of Zion National Park to get you started:
- State: Utah
- Established: November 19th, 1919
- Size: 148,733 acres
- Annual visitors: 4.5-5 million
- Lodging: One lodge and lots of nearby towns
- Campgrounds: Watchman and South
- Things to do: Hiking, photography, canyoneering
- Major trails: Angels Landing and The Narrows
- Open: Year round
- Permit: No to enter, but yes for some hikes
You’ll pay $35 for a 7-day permit to enter Zion National Park. This fee is for your vehicle and all passengers, so you’d pay the same for 2 people as you would for a full family of 5 (here’s more on fees). The only way to get free entry to Zion is if you have an in-date America The Beautiful Pass, also known as the Interagency Pass.
Regions
Okay, let’s take a quick look at the 5 different regions of Zion so you understand the layout of the park:
- Zion Main Canyon
- East Rim
- Zion Visitor Center
- Kolob Terrace
- Kolob Canyon
1. Zion Main Canyon
Zion’s Main Canyon is by far the busiest region in the national park. It’s where you’ll find Angels Landing and The Narrows, as well as Zion Lodge and at least 90% of visitors to the park. If you’re planning a first visit to Zion, you should prioritize exploring the Main Canyon.
2. East Rim
East Rim can be reached by driving through the Zion-Mt Carmel Tunnel after gaining elevation from the Main Canyon. You’ll find the family friendly Zion Canyon Overlook Trail and one or two off the beaten path hikes on the East Rim.
3. Zion Visitor Center
Zion’s main visitor center is located in Springdale, which is where the vast majority of lodging near Zion can be found. At the visitor center you can learn about the park and take shuttles into the Main Canyon. This is also where you can pick up hikes like The Watchman Trail and Pa’rus Trail.
4. Kolob Terrace
Kolob Terrace is a much quieter region of Zion. It’s where you’ll find lesser known trails and wilderness hikes if you’re interested in backpacking. The main reason you would visit Kolob Terrace is to day hike The Subway bottom up from Left Fork Trailhead.
5. Kolob Canyons
Kolob Canyons is where you hike in Zion if you want to escape the crowds. The 4 hikes in Kolob Canyons are Timber Creek Overlook, Taylor Creek Trail, La Verkin Creek and a hidden trail you won’t find on any map. The hikes aren’t as scenic as the Main Canyon but at least you’ll be able to move!
Top Experiences
For us, a trip to Zion means lacing up our boots and pounding the trails. It’s the main reason almost 5 million people visit each year, and it’s the reason we couldn’t wait to go back for a second round of adventure ourselves. There are some other things you can do if hiking isn’t your cup of tea, but not a great deal if truth be told.
Here’s what we would prioritize above all else:
- Hike the adventure trails
- Hike the less adventurous trails
- Hike the nice and easy trails
- Watch a striking sunrise
- Watch a serene sunset
- Drive to Kolob Canyons
And here are the things we’d do with more time:
Look, we’re not saying you can’t enjoy a trip to Zion if you don’t hike. But hiking isn’t just the “best” thing to do in the park, it kind of “is” the park. And we do think there’s a common misconception that Zion only has extreme or difficult trails. Sure, it has those and they’re amazing, but it’s also home to a bunch of easy and scenic hikes that are worth the trip alone.
Hiking Trails
Okay, so far we’ve done nothing but build up the hiking trails in Zion. But trust us, it’s for good reason. There’s nowhere else in the US national park network (that we know of!) where you can climb a razor thin trail with sheer drops in the morning and wade through a narrow river slot canyon in the afternoon.
When we look back on our favorite hiking memories from all the places we’ve visited in the US, Zion comes up every time. We’ve done Angels Landing twice (the second time for sunrise), The Narrows, The Subway, Canyon Overlook for sunset twice and almost every single other hike in the park. And yet we still can’t wait to go back for another visit.
Here are the hikes we would prioritize:
And here are the hikes we’d do with more time:
- The Watchman Trail
- Pa’rus Trail
- Taylor Creek Trail
- Timber Creek Overlook Trail
- Observation Point Trail
Those 10 trails are a great place to start for a first visit to Zion. Our three favorites are The Narrows, Angels Landing and The Subway, in that order. There are more hikes in the park but they’re not as impressive or adventurous, and we wouldn’t bother with them until our third or forth visit so we won’t overwhelm you with more trail names here!
The Narrows
The Narrows is our favorite hike in Zion. Wading through ankle, shin, knee and even waist deep water inside a narrow slot canyon with towering cliffs to either side is a truly unique experience, and it’s the first place we’ll go the next time we visit.
There are two versions of The Narrows: top down and bottom up. The top down route is an overnight hike with some light canyoneering and requires this permit. The bottom up route is a day hike beginning in the main canyon and it does not require a permit, so the overwhelming majority of visitors opt for this version.
From the Temple of Sinawava, the hike begins on Riverside Walk before entering the Virgin River. From there, it’s all rocks, water and slot canyons. The furthest point into The Narrows allowed on the bottom up day hike is called Big Springs, which is a series of three small waterfalls, but it takes a lot of effort to reach that point.
We hiked the full bottom up Narrows day hike to Big Springs and back in October 2019 and it took us 8 hours total. And of that 8 hours, we spent at least 4 hours completely alone inside the slot canyon which was equal parts awesome and eerie! But the best thing about hiking the Narrows is that you just go as far as you feel comfortable before turning around, whether that’s just for 30 minutes, 2 hours or the full way to Big Springs.
That said, no matter how far you plan to hike into the canyon, you won’t get far without a sturdy wooden pole, so get one from a place like Zion Outfitter before you go to the trailhead. You might also need to pay to hire waterproof pants, socks and shoes if you visit outside of summer. We each got the dry pants package in October and it was well worth paying for.
Need help planning your trip to Zion?
Our popular Zion travel guidebook helps you with planning every aspect of your visit, including the unmissable hikes, where to eat and stay, itinerary ideas and map!
View Zion Guidebook
Angels Landing
Okay, let’s move onto the scariest day hike we’ve ever done, Angels Landing. This trail is not for the feint of heart and it’s especially not for the hiker with even the most remote fear of heights. Part of us thinks it’s an incredible hike and the other part of us can’t quite believe it’s open to the general public!
We first climbed up the shark-fin shaped Angels Landing Trail on a hot and sunny day in October 2019. It was before permits were required and as we approached the start of the climb we were already in a hiker-jam. By the time we got to the scary section with metal chains, it was bottlenecking so badly that people were breaking down with fear.
We were determined to do it again under more relaxing circumstances. So, during our second trip to Zion in December 2021 we set off up the West Rim Trail to Scout Lookout in total darkness, then climbed the whole way to Angels Landing by ourselves and summited for sunrise. And that was an amazing experience.
Unsurprisingly, this permit is now required to hike Angels Landing and you have to choose one of the following time slots when you buy the permit:
- Before 9:00am
- 9:00am-12:00pm
- After 12:00pm
Sunrises And Sunsets
Are you more interested in capturing stunning photos of Zion than hiking its legendary trails? Well, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that you can simply walk through any region of the park and take great photos. But the most amazing viewpoints and photo spots? Yep, you guessed it, the bad news is that most are at the end of hiking trails.
Photo spots that don’t require a hike:
- Canyon Junction Bridge
- Pa’rus Trail
- Anywhere in the main canyon
- West side of Zion-Mt Carmel Tunnel
- Top of Kolob Canyon Road
And photo spots that do require a hike:
- Angels Landing summit
- Observation Point
- Canyon Overlook
- The Watchman
- Timber Creek Overlook
- Emerald Pools
Now, because a lot of the top photo spots are at the end of hiking trails it means getting out for sunrises and sunsets is more challenging than usual. We’ve done a lot of Zion hiking in the dark with headlamps and smartphone torches!
We love Canyon Junction Bridge for sunset and that’s easy to get to. Plus, it joins straight onto Pa’rus Trail which is great at both dawn and dusk, and anyone can get there. But our favorite spots are The Watchman for sunrise, Angels Landing for sunrise and Canyon Overlook for sunset. The easiest to get to is Canyon Overlook and it’s really awesome, so prioritize it.
Itinerary
Zion can be a tough place to plan an efficient itinerary if you want to hike the popular trails like Angels Landing, The Narrows and The Subway. Why? Because they require permits and eat up a ton of time. But if you don’t plan to hike those trails, we honestly think you can see the highlights in a day or two.
We’ve spent 6 full days exploring the park and we filled every day with trails. And from experience, we’d say three days is the perfect amount of time to spend on a first visit to the park if you intend on hiking all the major trails. If we weren’t going to hike them, we’d only go for 2 days because it’s a super crowded place and hotels cost a small fortune.
Here’s how we would do three days in Zion if it were our first visit:
Day 1 – Spend most of the day hiking The Narrows, then go to Canyon Overlook for sunset.
Day 2 – Hike Angels Landing as early as possible, then hike Emerald Pools Trail before driving to Kolob Canyons to hike Taylor Creek Trail and Timber Creek Overlook Trail for sunset.
Day 3 – Spend most of the day hiking The Subway, then finish with a gentle walk along Pa’rus Trail to Canyon Junction Bridge for sunset.
We know it’s hiking heavy and you might be thinking well what if I don’t want to hike? Well, here’s our guide on five different ways you can spend one day in Zion which includes ideas for non-hikers, photographers and escaping the crowds.
Where To Stay
One of our favorite things about visiting Zion is having the town of Springdale, Utah right on the doorstep. Some national parks have surprisingly tacky resort towns but Springdale is not one of them. It’s a cool place with a chilled outdoorsy vibe, great restaurants and a bunch of excellent lodging options.
There are other places you can stay near Zion and we recommend checking them all out, but Springdale is definitely our top recommendation. So far we’ve stayed at hotels in Springdale, Virgin, La Verkin and Hurricane which is basically everywhere near the park!
Why stay anywhere else other than Springdale? Well, hotels aren’t cheap in the cool resort town closest to Zion. Virgin has a collection of quirky boutique glamping style accommodations, and both La Verkin and Hurricane offer by far the cheapest hotel options near the park. Head over to our sister site Best Hotels Anywhere to see more hotels in towns near Zion.
Here are the top rated hotels in Springdale:
- Cable Mountain Lodge
- Flanigan’s Inn
- Red Rock Inn
- Holiday Inn Express
- Driftwood Lodge
- Watchman Villas
What about park run lodges? Well, there’s only one and it’s aptly named Zion Lodge. We stayed in a cabin and it wasn’t the best if we’re being honest. It was expensive and the cabin was rudimentary, plus we had loud connecting neighbors and there was no sound proofing at all. Also, breakfast was included but we had to pay extra for coffee, which we found disappointing.
Look, we don’t want to put you off and maybe we just got unlucky. It does have a great location inside the main canyon and it’s cool to say we stayed there. But if we stayed there again we’d definitely book the hotel room instead of the cabin.
Here’s how to book the lodge:
The only other way you can stay inside the park is by camping. Zion’s two major campgrounds are called Watchman and South, and they’re both located near Springdale.
South campground has 117 reservation only sites but it closes in winter, whereas Watchman campground has 176 reservation only sites and stays open all year. We recommend booking as far in advance as possible because it’s such a popular place to visit.
More information:
Airports
If you’ll be flying into the American Southwest, there are 4 airports near Zion National Park you can choose between:
- St George Regional Airport (SGU)
- Las Vegas International Airport (LAS)
- Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
- Phoenix International Airport (PHX)
St George is closest but it’s a small regional hub with flights originating in Denver, Dallas/Fort Worth, Phoenix and Salt Lake City, so it’s not ideal if you live anywhere but those three areas.
Las Vegas is the most commonly used airport for visiting Zion because it’s the closest major international airport to the park and it’s served by low-cost airlines domestically, which makes it a great choice for all visitors. It’s also close to Death Valley and Valley of Fire, plus you’d get to spend time in Las Vegas!
Salt Lake City is the perfect central place to start a long road trip to Yellowstone, Grand Teton and maybe even Glacier before looping back down to see the five Utah national parks including Zion.
And finally, you might be wondering why we’re including Phoenix? Yes, we know it’s a long way from Zion, but it works best if you want to do a route including Sedona Arizona and the Grand Canyon on the way.
Road Trips
Zion’s a great place to visit as a standalone place, especially because it’s so easy to reach from Las Vegas airport which means it can be done in a long weekend. But many people choose to tie in at least one or two other spots into a mini-southwest US road trip route because, well, why not?!
The most common is a combined trip to Zion and Bryce Canyon which can be done in 2-4 days depending on how many adventure hikes you plan to do in Zion. It’s always the biggest factor when Zion’s involved. But there’s also a ton of other great options like Arches and Canyonlands, the Grand Canyon, Capitol Reef and Kanab.
We love this whole region around southern Utah, northern Arizona and Las Vegas. There’s so much to see and do, and it’s all perfect for lovers of the great outdoors. So before you plan your trip to Zion, consider if you want to visit any other places and make a road trip of it.
Tours
Most tours are booked as day trips to Zion from places like Las Vegas, but there are still a handful of highly rated tour options you can book if you’re looking for something a bit different.
Here are the tours we’d consider booking:
If it’s your first visit to the park you should probably stick to hikes in the main canyon, but these adventurous tours mostly on the east side of the park do look pretty cool.
Best Time To Visit
We’ve been to the park in October and December, and based on our experiences so far we think the best time to visit Zion is between November and March.
Why? Because despite the colder temperatures, we preferred Zion in winter when there were fewer people around, nearby hotels had more availability and cheaper prices, trails were quieter and restaurants in Springdale were much easier to get into at dinner time.
The shoulder season months of April, May, September and October would be our next preference because they have ideal temperatures for hiking, hotel prices aren’t ridiculous and crowding issues aren’t quite at their worst.
Finally, summer is the last time we’d plan a trip to Zion because it’s hot, overcrowded and hotels heavily inflate their prices. Plus, winning hiking permits is way harder because of the higher demand. We know families might not have any other choice, but we’d avoid summer if we didn’t have kids or schools to consider.
Our Zion Photos
We hope our Zion National Park travel guide helps with planning your vacation to Utah!
Happy Travels,
Mark and Kristen
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