Zion National Park
Zion National Park is cut down the middle by the park’s scenic drive and the Virgin River. You enter the park at the canyon floor, and look up at the cream, red, and orange canyon walls, that tower above you over 2,000 feet.
From skinny slot canyons though which you can barely squeeze to the large monolith-flanked canyons of the Virgin River, this park is awe-inspiring from its small southwest corner of Utah.
Due to nearly 5,000 feet of elevation changes, four major vegetation zones are contained within Zion. It contains a huge and diverse biome, from lush grottos to aspen trees.
Places to Stay at Zion National Park
There are a number of towns nearby Zion that may have lodging options (either Airbnb/VRBO, hotels or resorts).
- Springdale, UT (1 mile away)
- Rockville, UT (5 miles)
- Grafton, UT (8 miles)
- Virgin, UT (15 miles)
- La Verkin, UT (21 miles)
- Hurricane, UT (23 miles)
- Toquerville, UT (24 miles)
- Anderson Junction, UT (34 miles)
VISIT Zion National Park:
Park Details
Zion National Park was established on July 31, 1909, and has a total area of 147,237 acres (230 square miles, or 596 square kilometers).
| Address | Zion National Park, Springdale, UT, 84767 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (435) 772-3256 |
| Hours | Open 365 days a year, however shuttle service is only running during daylight hours. |
| Entrance Fee | $35, Valid for 7 days |
| Learn More | Official Website |
When to Visit: Weather vs. Peak Visitation
Zion National Park is the 13th most visited park in the country.
We crunched 30 years of historical weather and/or park service data to find the best months to visit Zion National Park. We looked for the optimal temperatures, the least amount of snow and rain, and stayed away from peak visitation months if we could help it. All this data then helped us paint a picture as to what the absolute best time to visit Zion National Park is.
Our data shows the best months to visit Zion National Park are May, September, April & October.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park Visits | 98,828 | 102,269 | 296,316 | 372,349 | 529,553 | 594,896 | 629,802 | 535,322 | 497,443 | 429,604 | 230,180 | 171,706 |
| Precipitation | 40 | 46 | 37 | 28 | 18 | 12 | 29 | 28 | 24 | 34 | 25 | 38 |
| Avg Temp | 42 | 44 | 53 | 62 | 72 | 82 | 87 | 85 | 78 | 66 | 53 | 43 |
| Max Temp | 53 | 56 | 66 | 75 | 83 | 91 | 95 | 92 | 87 | 78 | 66 | 56 |
| Avg Temp | 27 | 29 | 34 | 37 | 44 | 52 | 61 | 60 | 51 | 41 | 33 | 27 |
| Min Temp | 11 | 15 | 21 | 25 | 30 | 37 | 52 | 51 | 36 | 27 | 17 | 9 |
Zion National Park Road Trips
Many family vacations consist of stringing one or more national parks together during a week-long trip. Creating these types of trips is our specialty! Here are the road trips we've created where Zion National Park is visited.
Other Nearby National Park Sites
From national monuments, to historic sites to seashores and more, here are the other parks closest to Zion National Park.
| Name | Distance |
|---|---|
| Pipe Spring National Monument | 27 mi |
| Cedar Breaks National Monument | 31 mi |
| Bryce Canyon National Park | 54 mi |
| Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument | 72 mi |
| Glen Canyon National Recreation Area | 84 mi |
| Grand Canyon National Park | 93 mi |
| Rainbow Bridge National Monument | 112 mi |
| Capitol Reef National Park | 121 mi |
| Lake Mead National Recreation Area | 130 mi |
| Navajo National Monument | 140 mi |
Nearby Campsites & RV Parks
If you are looking to pitch a tent or park an RV at a campsite near Zion National Park, here is a list of the closest campsites in the surrounding area. They all have slightly different amenitites, so its best to check them all out instead of just chosing the first on the list.
| Name | Details | Miles Away |
|---|---|---|
| South - Zion National Park | Springdale, UT more | 0 miles |
| Watchman - Zion National Park | Springdale, UT more | 0 miles |
| Lava Point - Zion National Park | Springdale, UT more | 13 miles |
| Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park | Kanab, UT more | 18 miles |
| Meadows - Coral Pink Sand Dunes Dispersed | Kanab, UT more | 18 miles |
| Ponderosa Grove - Coral Pink Sand Dunes | Kanab, UT more | 19 miles |
| Quail Creek State Park | Hurricane, UT more | 22 miles |
| Sand Hollow State Park | Hurricane, UT more | 23 miles |
| Red Cliffs | St. George, UT more | 23 miles |
| Washington County Regional Park | Hurricane, UT more | 23 miles |
Nearest Ski Resorts
For those of you who are the diehard outdoors type, visiting a national park on a ski trip can be quite the adventure. Here are the ski resorts within 100 miles of Zion National Park:
| Name | Location | Summit | Difficulty Score™ | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Head Resort | Brian Head, UT | 10,929 ft | 47% | 34 mi |
Nearest Airports
When visiting a National park, many people are faced with either a very long drive across country, or a much shorter flight. For those of you looking to fly into Zion National Park, we've listed the closest airports in the area.
Large Airports
A large airport has scheduled major airline service with millions of passengers per year. This type of airport always accepts international flights. Here are the closest large airports to Zion National Park.
| Name | Code | City | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Reid International Airport | LAS | Las Vegas, NV | 143 mi |
| Lake Havasu City International Airport | LHS | Lake Havasu City, AZ | 203 mi |
| Salt Lake City International Airport | SLC | Salt Lake City, UT | 253 mi |
| Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport | PHX | Phoenix, AZ | 266 mi |
| Ontario International Airport | ONT | Ontario, CA | 338 mi |
| Los Angeles International Airport | LAX | Los Angeles, CA | 378 mi |
| San Diego International Airport | SAN | San Diego, CA | 389 mi |
Medium Airports
A medium-sized airport has scheduled regional airline service. This type of airport may or may not accept international flights. Here are the closest medium-sized airports to Zion National Park.
| Name | Code | City | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint George-Southwest Utah International Airport | SGU | St George, UT | 31 mi |
| Cedar City Regional Airport | CDC | Cedar City, UT | 35 mi |
| Grand Canyon National Park Airport | GCN | Grand Canyon - Tusayan, AZ | 98 mi |
| Flagstaff Pulliam International Airport | FLG | Flagstaff, AZ | 160 mi |
| Prescott International Airport - Ernest A. Love Field | PRC | Prescott, AZ | 179 mi |
| Lake Havasu City International Airport | HII | Lake Havasu City, AZ | 197 mi |
| Provo-Utah Lake International Airport | PVU | Provo, UT | 219 mi |
Credits: Campground data provided by USCampgrounds.info. Map shapes from CartographyVectors. Weather data from NOAA. Airport data from OurAirports.com. Images from Unsplash, Flickr and Parks&Trips. All data has also been updated and augmented by Parks&Trips.