Where to Stay

Zion National Park provides a variety of lodging and camping options both inside and outside the park.

Zion Lodge, which sits within the park, offers guest rooms, suites, and individual cabins.

Campgrounds include Watchman (open year-round), South (open March-Oct.), and Lava Point (primitive, open June-Oct.). Watchman requires reservations, the others are offered on a first come, first served basis. Visit: http://www.recreation.gov/

Excursions Outside the Park

Cedar Breaks National Monument, located about 75 miles north of Zion National Park on the Colorado Plateau, features sculpted hoodoos, spires, and colorful wildflowers in season.

Zion Canyon IMAX

In the town of Springdale, Utah, just south of Zion, there is an IMAX theater that presents documentaries on the Southwest and on the natural history of the park. Springdale also offers food and lodging.

Advisories

Those with a fear of heights should be wary of trails climbing out of the canyon; most are exposed to precipitous drop-offs. Temperatures in the park can vary by 30 degrees (F) depending on the elevation and time of day. Be prepared for a wide range of weather conditions. Check at the visitors center for current weather reports and flash flood potential before entering narrow canyons.

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Copy for this series includes excerpts from National Geographic Guide to the National Parks of the United States, Sixth Edition, 2009, and our National Parks series featured in National Geographic Traveler. See staff contributors here.