Life in Zion centers around the town of Springdale, the Park Visitor Center, and the campgrounds flanking the Visitor Center. Springdale was first settled as a Mormon farming community in 1862, and is now a small town of about 600 people that has maintained much of its charm due to careful and vigilant planning and zoning efforts. While you CAN visit Zion without staying in Springdale, the convenience and amenities it offers are impossible to beat.The Zion area is the 2nd most visited area in Utah, with about 3 million visitors each year. Most visit during the Spring, Summer, and Fall, though Winter can be quite nice as well. Below, find important information on Restaurants, Lodging, Directions, Permit Systems, Park Information, as well as some fun history to acquaint you with one of our favorite places.
It's rare in Southern Utah to find fine wilderness opportunities in such close proximity to civilized things like restaurants, hotels, and gas stations. But here in Springdale, you CAN have the best of both worlds - thus making trips to Zion among the most civilized of wilderness canyon adventures in the U.S. of A.
Browse the services and amenities below to find the best way to meet your in-town needs.
Public Transit in the rural desert? It's another reason why Zion really IS the promised land! The shuttle system was established in 2001 to eliminate traffic and parking problems, protect vegetation, and restore tranquility to Zion Canyon. The National Park and the Town of Springdale work together to offer two integrated, free, and easy-to-use shuttle bus routes serving visitors April through November. Once you get to your hotel or campground, it's pretty easy to leave your car parked for the rest of your visit.
Permits
Zion Canyon is at the edge of the Colorado Plateau where it meets the Basin and Range region. Being at this point geographic inflection, it also has been near the intersection of human cultures. Here is a brief overview of the area's history and suggestions of ways to explore it further.
The Zion Canyoneering Coalition advocates for balanced access to the Zion backcountry for recreational canyoneers. The park is in the middle of the backcountry management planning process, and the future of canyoneering in Zion is at stake. Please visit the Zion Canyoneering Coalition to learn more about these issues and how you can participate in the planning process.
In every wilderness area, stewardship makes a difference between resource degradation and resource preservation. CUSA encourages a reflective and thoughtful outdoor adventure experience, where we help preserve the extraordinary places we enjoy for ourselves and others, far into the future. Please consider the following ideas on impacts, ethics, and responsibilities to keep Zion wild and beautiful.
The North Fork River Gauge is an important, if unobvious, tool for all Zion visitors. Located near the Visitor Center on the Virgin River, the gauge measures the river's height and flow, reporting new data every fifteen minutes online. The Park uses gauge readings to determine safety and closure levels for The Narrows hike and all other canyons tied into the North Fork drainage; if gauge readings pass