Zion National Park in Southern Utah is one of the most visually stunning places in the world. With towering mountains made up of millions of year old compressed sand and valleys with turquoise rivers flowing through, this desert beauty is not one to miss.
I first heard out about Zion five years ago when my dad and step-mom started traveling to Utah to go hiking. A year later they bought a house just outside of the national park. It wasn’t until after they bought this house that I ever went to Zion. I remember my first visit so vividly. I was stunned, I couldn’t believe I had never been to Zion before and sadly had never even heard about it. Sure everyone knows about the Grand Canyon, but when you ask people if they know about Zion, a good amount of people I ask have never heard of it.
After now spending summers and many Christmases in Zion, I have designed this Zion Travel Guide to help you get the most out of your visit to the exquisite Zion National Park.
ZION NATIONAL PARK
BEST TIME TO GO
SUMMER- Late August/Early September: The weather is still warm enough to hike and go swimming in the river or hike the narrows, but the crowds are slowly dying down. Also, during the middle of the week there’s significantly less amount of people in the park.
WINTER- December: I love going to Zion in the winter, especially if I’m staying in East Zion. You’re in the mountains, staying in cabins surrounded by snow, it feels like Christmas. Although there’s snow on the ground the weather is sunny almost every day so it doesn’t ever get too cold. In the winter the only downside is that some of the hikes, like Angel’s Landing, aren’t recommended because of unsafe conditions like ice. However, if you just plan to drive around and see everything from your car I think the winter months are perfect for that. The snow makes the soaring rock formations pop.
GETTING IN
St. George Airport: The closest airport to the park. Tickets to St. George may be higher than to larger airports but the distance is much less. It’s about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes from the park entrance. I would suggest the easiest way to get to Zion is flying directly to St. George and renting a car from there. The easiest but maybe not the most cost efficient.
Las Vegas Airport: This airport is another easy one to fly into. Flights may be cheaper because it’s a larger, international airport. However, you’re going to have about a 2.5 hour drive to Zion. Again, you can rent a car here or there are also shuttles to St George and to Zion directly from the airport.
Driving: A would say the majority of the people coming to Zion are doing it on a cross-country road trip.
FEES & COST OF ENTRANCE
$30/ Per private vehicle, for the week.
$25/ Per motorcycle, for the week.
$15/ Per person on foot for the week.
$16/ Night at campsites.
ACCOMMODATION
Springdale
Most visitors who don’t stay in the park stay just outside in Springdale. Springdale is a charming little town with funky boutique shops and rock stores scattered throughout.
Desert Pearl Inn: Superb boutique hotel with easy access to the park. You’ll enjoy the attention to detail in every perfectly decorated room.
Majestic View Lodge: I’ve stayed in this funky hotel a few times and have nothing but great things to say. It is the farthest hotel from the park in Springdale but I love the wood features throughout. It’s just a standard hotel but has all the amenities you really need. I personally like it because of the odd animal museum and array of moccasins for sale located in the lobby area.
Holiday Inn: I put this on the list because I’m pretty sure it’s the most inexpensive of actual hotels in Springdale. As of summer 2015 the La Quinta was going for $200/night while the Holiday Inn around $150.
East Zion
If you want to get a little bit out of the park and have a relaxing peaceful stay East Zion is a wonderful place for that.
Zion Ponderosa Vacation Homes: This development located fifteen minutes outside of the east gate of Zion is a gated community with so much to offer. The resort is home to numerous full-on vacation rental homes ranging from $400-1500/night and traditional cowboy cabins, wood cabins and campsites. The pool with water slides, the miniature golf course and the massages that come right to your door, make this resort the perfect place to get away without being too far away. Recommended for bachelorette parties, family vacations and couple getaways!
In Zion
Zion Lodge: The plus side to staying at the Zion Lodge is that you’re in the park. You get to wake up right in the heart of it all and you’re close to most hikes and sites. The downside is that you’re in the park. There’s not much in the park other than a café or two and a museum. If you want to stay in the park I would recommend maybe only spending a night or two there, and then another two or three nights in Springdale or East Zion.
Budget
Camping: There are several places to camp out in and around Zion. Most campsites cost around $16/night. Be warned that in the summer temperatures can easily reach about a hundred degrees. Bring plenty of water and hydrate often!
WHERE TO EAT
Springdale
Whiptail Grill: A small café, nothing special about the décor, however, the food says it all. Ribs slow-cooked in a sweet, chipotle sauce with meat that falls off the bone. Also known for their chicken enchiladas.
Oscar’s: A usually jam-packed Mexican joint with a large menu. Everything here is pretty good, not amazing, but pretty good. Don’t order too much! Almost every entre comes with a side salad and the dinner portions are huge. I usually go with the large taco or the Oscar’s baked burrito with steak.
The Spotted Dog: The classiest of classy in Springdale and one of my favorite restaurants to dine at near Zion. It’s a little on the pricey side but quality food nonetheless. Offers amazing trout, sautéed wild Mushrooms, and caprese salad, all greens and vegetables from their local garden. I personally love getting a little dressed up after a day of dusty hiking and enjoying a cold beer and piece of fish on the patio.
Kanab
Rocking V: Probably my favorite restaurant around Zion. It has a rockin’ atmosphere 😉 top-notch service and food to swoon over. I especially love the appetizers. My favorites are the white bean salad and the antipasto.
Houston’s Trail End: Basic, decent food! The waitresses walk around with fake guns in their aprons, it’s a fun experience.
St. George
Café Rio: Hold the phone. If you’re near St. George you cannot miss Café Rio. Forget about your diet for a day, this place is INSANE. The enchilada style burritos are heaven on earth. MMM MMM MMM!!!!
THINGS TO DO AROUND ZION
Springdale: Visit the funky boutique and rock shops. You can definitely find some unique jewelry and interesting pieces everywhere around Zion.
Kanab: Denny’s Wigwam- I’m obsessed with the western hats and amazing cowboy boots this place has! Although on the pricey side, these cowboy boots are some of the cutest I’ve ever seen. There’s also a shooting game in the back of the store that’s fun after a few beers.
Bryce Canyon: A canyon with thousands of hoodoo formations. It’s a great day trip from Zion. It takes about an hour to an hour and a half from the east gate of Zion.
My favorite hike in Bryce is the Navajo Trail. You start at the top and go down into the canyon and back up. It’s 1.3 miles and doesn’t take more than an hour at most! It’s a fun and pretty easy hike that almost anyone can do. There are some strenuous uphill parts but if you take your time I’m certain you can make it back up to the top!
If you’re hungry after your hike the lodge in Bryce has an amazing Elk Chili! It’s a funky old lodge but the chili is what I go for!
Pink Coral Sand Dunes: Very close proximity to Zion. Go out the east gate and within 25 minutes you’ll be at the coral-colored sand dunes.
The Grand Canyon: You can make it a day trip if you’re pushed for time. It’s about a 2.5 hour drive from East Zion but worth it if you’ve never seen the Grand Canyon before.
THINGS TO DO IN ZION
The Narrows: One of the most famous hikes in Zion. You can make this hike as long as you want or as short as you want. Most people suggest hiking at least three miles up to see the beautiful Narrows in full effect. Hike far enough to come to a fork in the river. Most people go left, because of this, go right. The right is less crowded but I personally believe, more fun. There’s more bouldering and maneuvering involved which makes for more excitement. People of all ages love this hike because you’re literally hiking through the gorgeous river the whole time. If it hasn’t rained in a while the water will be a turquoise light blue color.
Angel’s Landing: Everyone who comes to Zion hears about Angel’s Landing, a peak so high only angel’s can land on it. The park seems to be actively discouraging people from doing it by rating it as strenuous, etc. Although it is a tough hike and you do have to take precautions, there really aren’t a lot of hikes like this anywhere in the world. The last third of the hike you’re standing on cliffs thousands of feet above the ground, with no more than five feet on each side of you, all while holding on to chains to pull you up the rocks. When you get to the top the view with take your breath away.
The “Wash” Hike: I think I named this hike myself but it’s a fun hike that anyone can do on the east side of Zion. To get there, first look on a map find where Checkerboard Mesa is. Around Checkerboard Mesa there’s a wash you hike through in-between the large rock formations. The beauty of this hike is that there’s no path; it’s almost as though you make your own hiking path and can walk for miles and miles. Some points in the hike you may think you’re stuck and can’t go any further but there’s ALWAYS another way! Our rule in the family is to always go back and few steps and try to go left, seems to have been working for us on this hike so far.
CONCLUSION
Zion is an amazing western getaway. If you embrace the experience of being in the west and being surrounded by it’s beauty you will be sure to come away with some great memories.
Wow, your its amazing that your friend bought a house just outside of Zion. I think Zion is one of the most beautiful place to hike. It is one of the best place to travel. A good thing about it is that even though it is so beautiful, it is not crowded. You can enjoy the place and relax.