The most popular of Utah’s five national parks, Zion is also the only one easily reachable without a car. Unlike many other canyon parks, such as the Grand Canyon, the main road and trails run along the canyon floor, allowing you to take in views of towering red rock walls without an exhausting multi-day hike.
- Fly to St. George or Las Vegas.
The St. George,UT airport will be pricier, but you also need to factor in the additional shuttle cost from Vegas to St. George and the two hours each way you will lose sitting on the shuttle.
- Take St. George Shuttle to Springdale/Zion.
St. George Shuttle from Vegas to St. George will cost $50-78 roundtrip, and from St. George to Springdale will cost $40 roundtrip. They offer two daily trips to Springdale.
- Lodging in Springdale/Zion National Park
Zion Lodge is the only in-park lodging in Zion and is extremely expensive. Even the cheapest room in the off season will set you back over $200 per night. There is a campsite accessible via the park shuttle for $20 per night, but you will need to make your reservations WAY in advance as they book up fast. My husband and I stayed in the Canyon Vista Lodge in Springdale, which is a little pricey for someone who is used to budget hotels, but was a deal the holiday weekend we went when all other rooms both in the park and in Springdale were either booked or over $250 per night. And the rooms were larger than my apartment! Around 600 sq. ft, with breakfast included and kitchenettes. If you do stay in Springdale, look for lodging within walking distance of Highway 9 and the shuttle bus stops there. However, Springdale is not that big, so most lodging should be safe.
- Take free Springdale Shuttle into Zion National Park.
Zion’s shuttle system operates from early March until November. When it’s running, you in fact have no other option to access the main canyon, as the park rangers close it off to all traffic but the shuttle buses due to congestion that previously plagued the canyon. If you want to go to the more remote Kolob Canyons area you will be out of luck, since that is only accessible by a 45-minute car ride.
Because we went in winter in a car, and the park rangers closed the main park entrance down at 10 am one of the two days we were there, we spent 90% of time in the Kolob Canyons area and hiking other trails that are only accessible by car, so I can’t really give many firsthand suggestions for hikes to do. In winter, many of the best hikes like the Narrows or Angels Landing are also unpleasant to dangerous because of temperatures and ice. However, we did manage to get in the Riverside Walk to the Narrows. It was very pretty, but more experienced hikers may want to choose another trail since the ease of this trail makes it a popular choice for people with strollers/small children and it was extremely crowded even in winter.
Riverside Walk
Canyon floor on the shuttle bus route
Canyon Overlook
Peramblings 