Zion National Park Guide
The Ultimate Zion National Park Guide
Before we visited Zion National Park we had no idea what to expect. We didn’t know how the town was laid out, if businesses were far away and how to get around the park efficiently. Hopefully we can help you out with that for your trip!
Springdale
Springdale is directly outside the entrance of Zion, making it super convenient if you need anything. That being said, everything there is super expensive (grocery store food especially). We spent a few hours exploring the town and it is a must do if you’re passing through. Springdale also hosts all of your adventure companies, restaurants, laundromats and outside the park stay options.
The Zion Shuttle System
There are two free shuttle systems, the Zion National Park shuttle system and the Springdale Shuttle System. As of now (5/10/22) you don’t need a reservation to use the shuttle or get into the park. The Springdale shuttle will drop you off as close as Zion Canyon Village, which is only a short walk to the visitor center. You can also grab a Zion Shuttle there but you will need to present your park pass.
Parking at the visitor center fills up fast. We saw people circling for long periods of time both in the Zion parking lots and in Springdale. Springdale had their own parking police that were on the job, so beware if you park in town to do it legally.
Bonus: Biking to get around is surprisingly easy. We rented bikes and ended up riding the Zion Canyon Road a few times, and all over town. We rented from Zion Adventure Center and got some normal road bikes even though they do rent e-bikes.
Best Hikes
* We are fairly good hikers and this list is based on our experience on the trail. I’ll be posting an in depth guide with all of these trails if you’re looking for a lengthy description. These are also the trails that we did, there are plenty more to choose from.
- Angels Landing (5.4 Miles, Difficult)
- Watchman Trail (3.3 Miles, Moderate)
- Riverside Trail and the Narrows (Riverside Trail: 2.2 Miles, Easy-The Narrows: Up to 9.4 Miles, walking in the river, difficult)
- Canyon Overlook Trail (1 Mile, Easy)
- Emerald Pools Trail (3 Miles, Moderate/Easy)
- Kayenta Trail (2 Miles, Moderate/Easy)
- Petroglyph Pools to Slot Canyon (1.1-1.5 Miles, Easy. To slot canyon is more difficult)
- Pa’rus Trail (3.5 Miles, Very Easy)
Absolute Must Do’s
- Drive the Zion – Mount Carmel Tunnel
- Walk or Bike the Pa’rus Trail
- Walk to the Narrows
- Hike to Angels Landing or Scout’s Lookout
- Take a walk between bus stops of the Zion shuttle
- Lookout for wildlife
- Checkout Kolob Canyon
- See a slot canyon on the Petroglyph Pools Hike
- Grab a beer at Zion Canyon Brew Pub
Eat
Coffee:
- Feel Love Coffee
- Perks!
- Deep Creek Coffee Company
Breakfast:
- Spotted Dog Cafe
- Meme’s Cafe
- Cafe Soliel
- Oscar’s Cafe
Lunch/Dinner
- Bit and Spur Saloon
- Whiptail Grill
- Kings Landing Bistro
- Switchback Grille
- Porter’s Smokehouse and Grill
- Best Place for Beer:
- Zion Canyon Brew Pub
- Kings Landing Bistro
Beer
- Zion Canyon Brew Pub
- Kings Landing Bistro
Stay
There are two campgrounds inside of the National Park, South Campground and Watchman Campground. We stayed at Watchman Campground while we visited, and it was very convenient. Some things to note about these campgrounds: South Campground closes for the winter months and you can reserve up to 14 days in advance. Watchman Campground you may reserve your site 6 months in advance. Also note: these campgrounds have bathrooms but do not have showers.
Nearby private campgrounds: Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort, Hi-Road Basecamp and Zion Canyon Campground and RV Resort.
Hotels nearby: Zion National Park Lodge, Cliffrose Springdale, Spring Hill Suites by Marriott, Cable Mountain Lodge, Desert Pearl Inn, Flanigans Resort Springdale and Best Western Plus Zion Canyon. These are just a few of the choices in the area, and they vary in price.
How much time do you need?
That depends on how much you want to do while you’re here. We spent 2 nights and 3 days and we did not waste a second of it. I would recommend at least 3 nights and 4 days for a more enjoyable pace.
Our Itinerary
Day 1:
- UTV ride in St.George
- Check in at Watchman Campground
- Snagged a beer at Zion Brewing Company
- Zion National Park sign pics
- Riverside walk to the Narrows
- Emerald Pools Trail + Kayenta Trail
- Last bus back to campground
Day 2:
- Watchman Trail Hike
- Breakfast at Deep Creek Coffee
- In town exploring and laundry hour
- Picked up bike rentals from Zion Adventure Company
- Mt.Carmel and Zion Tunnel Drive
- Slot Canyon to Petroglyphs
- Bike Pa’rus trail out to Court of Patriarchs via Zion Canyon Drive
- Another stop at Zion Brewing Company (live music)
Day 3:
- Sunrise Angels Landing Hike
- Coffee at Coffee Love
- Goodbye to Zion
Tips:
- Check the Zion National Park website for road and trail closures as well as wildlife notices. We ended up checking after we were almost to the park and found out that the Canyon Overlook Trail would be closed the whole time we were there. There was also a toxic cyanobacteria bloom in the Virgin River and surrounding streams.
- Book rentals in advance. We booked our UTV ride months in advance, and our bike rentals 3 weeks in advance. I had to use a large size mountain bike for the trip because all of the medium sized bikes were booked.
- Restaurants in Springdale get busy and there may be a long wait for prime time hours. I would suggest making reservations if you can, or eating at off times.
- The busses are super convenient, but you miss out on some of the park experiences. Try walking from one bus stop to another if you don’t have bikes. It makes you feel like you have the whole park to yourself. If you have bikes I would suggest riding the whole Zion Canyon Scenic Drive.
- Zion is incredibly busy in the middle of the day. Take a break during peak hours and try to do most of your activities in the early morning or late evening. We did our activities this way and avoided most of the major traffic.
- Don’t be afraid to do multiple hikes in one day, but do keep in mind what time the last shuttle leaves the shuttle stop you’re returning to.