5 Must-Know Tips for Zion National Park
There’s a reason this park is so famous.
The mystifying light rays, thousand-foot rock walls, crystal blue river, and unique design of the canyon can’t be found anywhere else in the world. This park must be at the top of your to-visit list, but make sure you’ve done your research and finalized all of your plans before arriving.
We were forced to plan a somewhat spontaneous trip (long story) a week before we set out on our road trip, and though it was successful, we hit a lot of road bumps. There was a lot I didn’t realize you had to do/plan before entering the park.
TIP ONE: GET A SHUTTLE TICKET
Zion is such a narrow canyon, that there is not room for parking lots on the main scenic view road past the Visitor Center. Let me repeat that, NO canyon access for cars. You must take a shuttle in.
Because of Covid-19 and limited seating, shuttle tickets are required upon arrival - they only cost one dollar. You also must create an account on Recreation.gov in order to purchase a shuttle ticket. A handful of tickets release 2+ weeks before arrival, and the rest release the day before. See below paragraph for direct information from Zion National Park Service:
Additional tickets shown as “Not Yet Released” will become available one day in advance at 9 am MT. Example: On October 1st, tickets will be available for October 2nd; On October 2nd tickets will be available for October 3rd. These tickets typically sell out very quickly.
Like they said, they sell out very quickly. We unfortunately tried to purchase at noon the day before and all were completely sold out. Luckily we had planned for two days at Zion, so we ended up spending our first day at the North side of the Grand Canyon (about 2 hours away) instead. The morning before our second day, we had our alarms set for 8:58AM. We were both on the site as the tickets released. The 7-8AM tickets were sold out in seconds (and this was for a Monday). We ended up arriving at the park with one 7AM and one 10AM ticket, and the ranger was nice enough to let us “average” the times and get on the 9AM bus together.
Make sure to educate yourself on all of the shuttle pass requirements before visiting. You can find more information about the shuttle tickets HERE, and you can purchase the shuttle tickets HERE.
TIP TWO: WEAR THE RIGHT SHOES
This one is for all you Narrows folk (for those who don’t know what The Narrows is - it’s a skinny canyon with a river flowing from wall to wall). Either carry a second pair of shoes and socks in your bag, rent waterproof shoes and poles from the visitors center, or just go into the trek understanding that you will have wet feet for the rest of your day. You can not avoid getting your feet soaked, or freezing cold, but I promise it’s worth the views and experience. We visited at the end of September and the river was roughly 60ºF. We hiked in our personal hiking boots, and they dried out in a few hours of hiking afterwards - you can find my hiking boots HERE.
TIP THREE: CHECK THAT YOUR TRAIL IS OPEN
I will say upfront that this tip goes for any park - check to make sure the trails you want to hike are open. We didn’t check this time around, and after sitting down on our shuttle, we found out that the bus stop for our hike was closed because of a major rockfall on the trail. We got to the end of the shuttle route and had absolutely zero plan. We ended up hearing through the grapevine that Angel’s Landing was open (after being closed for a while due to a broken chain), so we went for it - then realized with Covid and hundreds of people trying to maneuver one chain and 1,000ft drops - that it wasn’t worth it (this time).
TIP FOUR: FIND A SECLUDED HANG-OUT
Like I mentioned earlier, this park is famous for a reason. Take the time in your busy day to wander to a spot that nobody else is! Be present, appreciate the beauty of the park, and just sit for a few minutes. Zion is a spectacular escape from reality - full of wildlife, bright colors, and calmness. Enjoy it.
TIP FIVE: THE BASICS
We all know the classic tips for trips, but here they are again:
Go Early
Bring LOTS of Water
Pack Snacks
Wear Layers
Once you get the logistics set, you will have the time of your life in this park. There are numerous incredible hikes, views, and activities. After your day in the park, hop on over to Springdale, the super cute town right at the entrance to Zion. Here they have numerous bars and restaurants with equally as incredible views and food!
