Zion National Park and its epic hiking trails have become an extremely popular place to visit in recent years. This is a spectacular destination and one of our favorite national parks in the USA. However, due to crowd levels, trail closures, and cyanobacteria in the Virgin River, Zion has become a challenging park to visit. Here are 5 things to know before visiting Zion National Park.
Table of Contents
An Overview of Zion
Zion National Park is home to several of the most popular hikes in the United States. Angels Landing and the Narrows are two trails that draw most visitors to this park. The hefty climb up to Observation Point is another popular hike, the reward being jaw-dropping views across Zion.
Many of the hikes and best things to do are located along the Zion Canyon. For most of the year, a shuttle zips visitors to and from the hiking trailheads…cars are not allowed on this road when the shuttle is in operation. During the winter months, when the shuttle is not running, you are permitted to drive on Zion Canyon Scenic Drive.
There is one lodge inside of the park, the Zion Lodge. This is a great place to stay, since you are centrally located within the park and can walk right to some of the more popular trails. Springdale is the gateway into Zion. With numerous hotels and restaurants, this is where most visitors stay.
Things to Know Before Visiting Zion
#1 Some Hiking Trails are Closed
Currently, Hidden Canyon is closed due to a rockfall. Observation Point shares the same starting point as Hidden Canyon in Zion Canyon, at the East Rim trailhead. This trailhead has been closed since August 2019 and there are no projected dates about when it will reopen.
There are two alternative routes to get to Observation Point. The shortest option is to hike the East Mesa Trail with a round trip distance of 7 miles. On this hike, you will start outside of the park and hike to Observation Point. You can also get to Observation Point on the East Rim Trail, starting near the East Entrance of Zion National Park. This hike is 20 miles long so it is a massive day hike. Learn more about hiking to Observation Point here.
If you have dreams of hiking to Hidden Canyon, you will have to wait until the hiking trail is repaired.
Even if you have no plans to hike these trails, the closures can still impact your visit. With fewer trails open, there are limited options for hikers to spread out in the park, increasing the crowds on the remaining trails. Even in 2019, the crowd levels were record setting on Angels Landing, enough so that the trail had to temporarily shut down for safety reasons.
For updates on trail closures and the potential repair of the trail to Observation Point and Hidden Canyon, visit the Zion National Park website.
The trail to Hidden Canyon
#2 Toxic Cyanobacteria Bloom in the Virgin River
Since the summer of 2020, toxic levels of Cyanobacteria have been detected in the Virgin River. This was first discovered when a dog died after drinking water from the river.
Cyanobacteria produce toxins that affect the nervous system, causing rash, numbness, pain, seizures, vomiting, diarrhea, and death. Children and dogs are the most susceptible. It can be absorbed through the skin, eyes, and mouth.
Currently, the Utah Department of Water Quality is monitoring the levels of Cyanobacteria in the Virgin River. You can get updates here.
In August 2020, the Zion Narrows did close for a short period of time due to high levels of Cyanobacteria.
If you have plans to hike the Zion Narrows, I recommend being aware of this situation and periodically checking the Water Quality website just so you do not have any unfortunate surprises.
Zion Narrows
#3 You May Not Be Able to Hike the Narrows on Your Visit
When you hike the Narrows, you are hiking in the North Fork of the Virgin River through an immense slot canyon. During periods of high flow, the Narrows will close.
The National Park Service closes the Narrows when the flow rate of the North Fork of the Virgin River is over 150 cubic feet per second (cfs). During spring snowmelt, flow rates easily top out over 150 cfs.
The Narrows is usually closed from mid-March through mid-May. If you plan on hiking the Narrows, do not plan your visit to Zion National Park during this time.
The Narrows can also close during flash floods. This is most likely to occur during the summer months.
The higher the flow rate, the more difficult it will be to hike the Narrows, since water levels will be high. From May to December, water levels gradually decrease, so the later in the year you go, the easier the hiking conditions will be. There are some fluctuations due to rainfall and storms, but in general, this is the trend.
The late summer and early fall months are the best times to hike the Narrows. Flow rates are generally low and temperatures are pleasant. We hiked the Narrows at the end of October and it was a phenomenal time to be in the park.
Riverside Walk in October
#4 The Zion Shuttle
For most of the year (March through November), the Zion Shuttle is in operation. During this time, private vehicles are not permitted to drive on Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. For the full schedule and hours of operation, visit the NPS website.
Park at the Visitor Center or take the Springdale Shuttle to the main entrance. The shuttle route starts at the Visitor Center and travels on Zion Canyon Scenic Drive until it ends at the Temple of Sinawava. If you are heading into the park to go hiking, make sure you know the correct shuttle stop for your hike.
Starting mid-morning, lines to board the Zion Shuttle can be very long. We are talking an hour wait or longer. To have the best experience, plan on being on one of the first two shuttles of the day. During peak season and holiday weekends, plan to get in line at least 30 minutes before the first shuttle. I know that’s early, but if you are planning to hike Angels Landing, you will have a much better experience going early, since you can hike the chain section without two-way traffic. It’s worth the early start!
If you get to Zion and find that lines to board the shuttle are ridiculously long, there is still plenty to do in Zion without riding the shuttle. Read our article 10 Things to Do in Zion if You Don’t Want to Ride the Shuttle for more information.
When the shuttle is not in operation (December, January, and February) you are permitted drive along Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. Just be aware that parking is limited so it still helps to get an early start.
You are permitted to drive from the Visitor Center to the east entrance all year.
There is a second shuttle system, the Springdale Shuttle, that connects the hotels in Springdale with the main entrance of Zion.
The view of Zion Canyon from Observation Point
#5 You Must Have a Permit to Hike to Angels Landing
Angels Landing is the most popular hike in Zion National Park. Crowd levels were so high in 2019 that the national park service began brainstorming ideas on how to control the traffic on this trail. Then, the pandemic brought its own changes. During the summer of 2020, the chain section of the hike was closed, for social distancing. The farthest hikers were allowed to go was Scout Lookout.
During Memorial Day Weekend 2021, crowds were enormous at Zion National Park. The park rangers managed the line, sending small groups of hikers up every few minutes. At one point, there was a 2 hour wait just to start the hike.
If you plan to hike Angels Landing, you must have a permit. The National Park Service now requires hikers to have a permit, in order to limit the number of people on the trail.
Permits are awarded by lottery, both seasonally and the day before your planned hike. It costs $6 to enter an application and if you are one of the lucky lottery winners, you will pay $3 per person.
For dates of the seasonal lotteries, how the day-before lottery works, and the link to enter the lottery, visit the National Park Service website.
Angels Landing trail
In Conclusion
I’m not writing all of this to change your mind about visiting Zion. It is an awesome national park, but due to trail closures, crowd levels, and high bacteria levels in the Virgin River, this park is dealing with some very unique challenges right now. These are all things you need to be aware of before planning a visit here.
Just up the road is Capitol Reef National Park, a highly underrated national park with surprisingly awesome hiking trails, unique backcountry experiences, with just a fraction of the visitors that Zion gets.
Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon are also very close to Zion. There are some super fun hiking trails in Grand Staircase-Escalante, or you can explore the Valley of Fire or Snow Canyon State Parks, which are just a short drive away from Zion.
If you are planning a visit to Zion National Park and have any questions, let us know in the comment section below.
More Information About Zion National Park
HIKES IN ZION: Angels Landing, the Zion Narrows, Observation Point, and the Watchman Trail are some of the top hiking trails in Zion. For the full list, read our Best Hikes in Zion guide.
BEST OF CAPITOL REEF: Top experiences in Capitol Reef include hiking Cassidy Arch, driving through Cathedral Valley, and hiking one of the many trails in the park. For the full list, read our article Best Things to Do in Capitol Reef.
GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE: In Grand Staircase-Escalante, drive Cottonwood Canyon Road, hike Willis Creek, and hike through Peek-A-Boo and Spooky Gulches.
AMERICAN SOUTHWEST ITINERARY: If you have 10 days, learn how to road trip through the American Southwest, visiting several national parks, state parks, and scenic spots in Arizona, Utah, and Nevada.
ARCHES NATIONAL PARK:Take a look at our Arches National Park Travel Guide for important travel planning tips, sample itineraries, advice on when to go, where to stay, and more.
UNITED STATES: We have TONS of information about places to visit in the United States in our USA Travel Guide. In our Guide to the US National Parks, get the full list of national parks with important travel planning information, such as things to do in the parks and sample itineraries.
For many more things to do in Utah, check out our Utah Travel Guide.
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Comments 33
I think this website has very excellent indited content posts.
Hi Julie,
First, thanks for the detailed post! We are two Europeans (who have never been to the US!) planning to do a road trip around many of the southwest US National Parks. I am at the stage of planning our itinerary. We will be going in mid-May to early-June. Before we visit this park the idea is to come from Monument Valley and then we have two days reserved for either Zion or Bryce Canyon. After reading your post, I was left a little bit with the impression that, despite the fact that Zion is really the big boy park in the south of Utah, it might not be the best idea to go there at the moment. You mention ‘The Narrows’ that might be closed for us (given our travel schedule), then Angels Landing with this lottery system, the cyanotoxins situation, crowdedness, …. What would you say now in 2024? Do you think it is a good idea to go there in May? Or should we instead focus on Bryce Canyon? or maybe even Arches National Park? For some added context, our plan was to, after visiting Bryce or Zion, to go to Las Vegas for a day, and then proceed towards Death Valley, Sequoia, and Yosemite. I appreciate your suggestions in advance!
Miguel
Author
Hello Miguel. That is very exciting that you are planning your first trip to the US and you have picked a great spot and a great time of year to go. I think Zion is worth a day and Bryce is definitely worth a day. The cyanotoxin issue changes throughout the year and may not be an issue when you are there, but it is something to be aware of. The flow rates could still be high in May, which would prevent you from hiking the Narrows. I don’t know if any of the recent storm that walloped the Sierra Mountains in California dumped snow in places that will drain into the Virgin River, but if so, flow rates could be high this spring and early summer. Angels Landing is awesome and worth trying to get a permit. If you can’t do that, then do the Observation Point hike because that is great too. Bryce Canyon is spectacular and quick to visit and not to be missed, so leave a day for this park. And be aware that Death Valley is dealing with unusual flooding, and again, I don’t know if the recent snowstorm will further impact the park. Keep checking the NPS website for updates so you know what to expect. Let me know if you have any other questions. Cheers, Julie
Hi Julie,
Thank you so much for the quick reply! Yes, you are indeed right, yesterday I did start looking into the itinerary for Death Valley and to my disappointment some roads seem unaccessible due to the severe flooding of August last year. I loved your 2-day itinerary for Death Valley, I intend to follow through it, if conditions allow it in May.
Regarding your suggestion, Angels Landing we can now only try for the lottery on the days before our visit, because for our period in May we needed to have entered the lottery system by late January , which we didn’t even know. So we might do it until the Scout Lookout. Observation Point I was thinking of doing it on the second day via the East Mesa Trail since the Weeping Rock way is closed, as you pointed out.
So one day for Zion and one for Bryce? I was not even thinking of this because it seems difficult to have a good idea of the parks if we just spend a single day on each… so our idea has been mostly to spend two days on the bigger/more important parks and only a single day on smaller ones (in our case we opted for one day for Monument Valley and one day for Petrified Forest). I have just looked briefly over your 1-day itinerary for Bryce and it seems tempting since you mention it is quite compact. I will evaluate! Thanks a lot
Author
If you plan another trip to the US national parks in the future, it is good to know that there are now many parks that require an advance reservation of some sort and more parks get added to this list every year. We recently wrote a post that lists these parks that need a reservation, and we update it as soon as we learn any changes or new additions, so it’s a good post to bookmark and refer to if you plan another parks trip. Given the limitations of what you will be able to do in Zion, I think 1 day in Zion and 1 day in Bryce is sufficient. If Zion seems too much of a hassle, another idea is to visit the Valley of the Fire on the way to Vegas or as a day trip to Vegas. Just an idea. Cheers, Julie
Hi, Mum and I have 9 days travelling in an RV from Denver to Las Vegas (I left a comment on one of your other itineraries and you gave a super helpful reply which has led to this current plan!) I have been reading lots of things and watched a video from some other people who do Utah guides online, all about how the crowds are a bonus and it is just like going to a theme park etc… But, as Mum and I are NOT theme park people, or mall people, we are now wondering if we should skip Zion. Do you think spending more time getting to Bryce and stopping on the way in places like Grand Staircase would be better than a crowded visit to Zion? So far we have:
Wednesday – pick up RV in Denver and drive to campsite in RMNP (booked)
Thursday – hike from campsite in RMNP and night in the same campsite (booked)
Friday – drive to a campsite near Arches (these are all first come first served so we’ve not booked)
Saturday – spend the day in Arches starting early, then camp at Needles Outpost next to Canyonlands (booked)
Sunday – Canyonlands and camp at the same place for a second night (booked)
Monday –
Tuesday –
Wednesday –
Thursday – return RV in the late afternoon in Las Vegas
So we need to decide what to do Monday – Thursday. We are following your ‘Ultimate Utah National Parks’ itinerary, but don’t have time to do it all. And we are now rethinking Zion. What do you think. Should we spend more time on the way to Bryce, and maybe spend Thursday somewhere between Zion and Las Vegas – I’ve looked briefly at somewhere like Cotton Canyon Wilderness – might somewhere like this be more rewarding than Zion as things currently stand?
Thank you! Mary
Author
Hello Mary. If you don’t want the crowds, then skip Zion and visit Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon and maybe even Valley of Fire on the way to Las Vegas. From the Moab area, you can drive west through Capitol Reef National Park and then south towards Tropic/Bryce Canyon. That drive can be done in one day, which would leave you a day for Bryce Canyon. If you want to explore an unusual landscape, spend an hour or two in Goblin Valley. Kodachrome State Park could be a nice place to consider staying and I think they have RV hookups. Just look up the drive to Bryce Canyon to see if it is worth it. A lot of Grand Staircase is inaccessible with an RV, since many roads are upaved and rough. But you could do the Valley of Fire in Nevada on the day you drive to Las Vegas (or see if there are RV hookups here…we love this state park and is just as good as some of the national parks in Utah…but it could be crowded because it too has gotten very popular in recent years). Cheers, Julie
Hi,
We will have one day spent at Zion National Park. We are family of 5, including two children 11 years old. We are not used to hikes. Having said that what “easy” hiking trail you will suggest for us? BR
Author
I recommend the Canyon Overlook Trail, the Emerald Pools Trail, and the Riverside Walk. Of the 3, Canyon Overlook is my favorite. It’s short and easy and has great views…but parking can be tough (you park here rather than riding the shuttle). The Riverside Walk is an easy walk along the Virgin River and kids might think it’s a bit boring, but it is pretty. From here, you could walk part of the Narrows, depending on when your visit will be. Kids will love this walk! You will need water shoes or just plan on getting your hiking shoes wet. Hiking the Narrows is very popular, so expect a lot of people, and you will ride the shuttle to get here. Cheers, Julie
Great tips! We loved our Zion trip last month!
Another tip…for anyone else flying in, LAS was a great airport option for us. As this other post explains, it has a lot of cheap airfare and rental car options, and is only about a 3 hour drive from the park. Perfect for a family of 4 with tweens.
https://thewindowflyer.com/posts/best-airport-for-zion-national-park