Zion National Park Travel Guide
After visiting the lowest point in the US, we headed to Zion National Park in southern Utah.
To see everything we did, check out our travel video of Zion National Park here and keep reading below all the details of what we did.
Zion National Park Quick Stats
Size: 148,732 acres
Location: Zion National Park is located in southern Utah near Springdale, close to popular destinations like Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, and St. George.
Park Established In: 1919
Best For: hiking, backpacking, kayaking, horseback riding
WHAT TO DO:
If you have more than a few days to visit the Greater Zion area, visit the other local attractions like Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion’s sister park about two hours northeast of the Zion entrance. Both parks are part of the “Grand Staircase,” a region known for stair-stepping layers of colorful rock.
Bryce also has the geological phenomenon known as hoodoos, natural rock towers formed by erosion.
If you love the Grand Staircase, visit the Cedar Breaks National Monument which has a three-mile-long amphitheater as its main attraction.
Southern Utah is a common destination for world-class mountain biking, but just remember that in Zion, bikes are restricted to the Pa’rus Trail and paved roads. If you’re coming for the biking, this is where you want to go!
If you’re looking for some more biking locations, check out the nearby town of Hurricane which has both Hurricane Rim and Gooseberry Mesa, both of which have great mountain biking trails.
WHAT WE DID:
We hiked the Riverside Walk which is a stunning, level, and broad trail along the Narrows. The hike has a waterfall and is about 1.9 mile long out and back trail.
Distance: 1.9 miles out and back
GPS Coordinates: 37.29665, -112.94829
We also biked the Pa’rus trail which is open to bicycles, pets, and is wheelchair accessible! It starts at the South Campground, so it’s a perfect trail if you’re camping there.
Distance: 3.4 miles out and back
Location: Zion Visitor Center/South Campground, Zion Museum, and Canyon Junction (the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd stops for the Zion Canyon Shuttle in Zion's main canyon)
Duration: 1 - 2 hours
Conditions: mostly paved
WHERE TO STAY:
CAMPING
There are two large campgrounds in Zion Canyon—the South Campground and the Watchman Campground. Watchman is slightly larger (190 sites compared to South’s 117).
If you’re a home on wheels like us, there is a private Zion Canyon Campground and RV Resort (from $49 for a tent and $59 for an RV), and has family-friendly amenities like a swimming pool and showers.
Just keep in mind that this resort is only open March through November.
HOTELS
If a hotel is more your speed, Zion Lodge is the only in-park hotel, and has six suites and 40 cabins. These limited spots book far in advance, so your best bet is to reserve your spot about a year in advance.
WHERE WE STAYED:
We stayed at the Watchman Campground!
WHEN TO GO:
Unlike most of the southern, desert-like parks we’ve been visiting, Zion is actually incredibly cold in the winter, between 50 and 30 degrees, making December through February the low season.
There’s often snow, which can be beautiful, so if this is the window you have to visit, don’t skip it, just prepare!
Spring
For the most part, the park starts getting crowded again in March, with temps between 40 and 60 degrees. The warmer temperatures melt the winter accumulation, leading to fields of wildflowers that bloom beginning in April.
Because of the snowmelt, water levels will be higher, and the Narrows section of Zion Canyon may be off-limits to hikers until water levels even out.
Summer
Early summer is a beautiful time to visit Zion before the temperature gets into the low 100’s by mid June. Staying in the upper elevations is the name of the game in the heat. By mid-July, monsoon season has started, which can cause an early end to a day adventuring with kids.
Fall
If you can fit in a trip at the end of September through October, do it! Colorful trees, cooler temps, and fewer crowds are all good reasons to plan a trip in the fall. Just know that as soon as November hits, you’ll be headed back into freezing weather!
WHERE TO EAT:
We pack a great lunch and plenty of snacks. Kids carry their own food and water in their backpacks.
Here’s what we use on every hike.
KID FRIENDLY?
Yes, there are so many benefits to hiking with kids. It’s a great opportunity to teach real life lessons about risk and safety. It also allows them to be in nature, be creative, and to create their own adventure.
There are so many great things to stop and explore, so the kids get to be in charge of what they want to explore. A hike is kind of a kid’s curiosity playground. They get to jump on rocks, play in a puddle, ask tons of questions, etc.
Here’s what I take on every hike.
Yes! My kids loved the Jr. Ranger Program:
This is such a great way to get the kids involved and really get excited about the park. You can go on the park website and download all the information and resources and print it beforehand so you can learn about it with your kids before you go. Then you’d turn your booklet into a ranger at the visitors center and receive your Jr. Ranger pins, or you can wait until you get to the National Park (that’s what we do), and receive a beautifully colorful workbook, do the activities while at the National Park, then head back to the visitors center (before they close) and receive the pins.
Either is great! We love the workbook the parks provide, and it means we don’t have to figure out where to get the content printed.
HERE’S WHAT I BOUGHT TO MAKE THIS EVEN MORE FUN FOR THE KIDS
CATCH UP ON ALL OUR AIRSTREAM ADVENTURES HERE.
Looking for a handy guide (with links, coordinates, and even more fun pictures) to all the info above?
