Zion National Park is Utah's oldest and most-visited national park. Early Mormon settlers called the area Zion, meaning sanctuary or refuge in ancient Hebrew — an apt name, considering the area would eventually be protected as a national park. Established in 1919, Zion National Park is 146,000 acres of stunning red-rock landscape that is bursting with towering cliffs, narrow canyons, and breathtaking scenery. For a comfortable resort stay close to the action, WorldMark St. George and WorldMark Estancia are both within an hour's drive of the park. Zion's landscape is made up of geological marvels that developed over more than 150 million years of geologic timespan. The park's mountains, canyons, mesas, buttes, monoliths, slot canyons, rivers, and natural arches are breathtakingly beautiful, and many of the main attractions can be seen from the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. A 54-mile byway, highlights include the Court of the Patriarchs, a group of three peaks named after biblical figures Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; Weeping Rock, a dripping stone overhang covered with a garden of hanging plants; and Zion Canyon, a 15-mile long and more than 2,000-foot deep marvelously colored sandstone canyon. The Zion Canyon Scenic Drive has a shuttle bus that runs from April to late October, free of charge. To learn about Zion's original inhabitants, the ancestral Puebloan people, visit the park's Human History Museum. Ancestral Puebloans, also known as the Anasazi, date back thousands of years, and traces of their rock art, sandstone villages, and roads exist throughout the park today. Zion National Park is home to a multitude of unique animal species, but arguably none is more famous than the endangered California condor. It's the largest flying bird in North America, and with a wingspan of more than 10 feet, you can't miss it soaring over the park's scenic vistas. Zion offers a variety of ranger-led activities, including guided horseback riding trips, nature walks, and evening programs, offered late March through early November. Make sure to check out the Kolob Canyons, a lesser-visited section of the park, and see the Kolob Arch — it's one of the world's largest sandstone arches, at 287 feet long! The majority of Zion National Park is open all year, but winter storms can cause road closures and limit access to certain areas of the park during the winter months. The Human History Museum closes for the winter, and the park's shuttle bus service also ceases operations in the winter months, with the exception of the last several weeks in December for the holiday season. Spring and fall are great times to visit, as crowds are lower and the temperatures are ideal for hiking and exploring. Zion experiences extreme heat during the summer months, with temperatures regularly above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It's also the busiest season for the park, so expect large crowds. Winters in Zion are cold and often wet, with snow occurring frequently, so expect icy roads and trails and plan accordingly. An entrance pass is required for entry into Zion National Park. Entrance passes can be purchased at time of entry at any of the park's three entrances. Choose from a seven-day pass, an annual pass, or a lifetime pass. Visitors with a permanent disability, active-duty military, military veterans and gold star family members are entitled to a lifetime entry pass free of charge. Additionally, a permit is required for oversize vehicles to drive through the Zion-Mount Carmel tunnel, and can be purchased upon park entry. Make sure you visit the National Park Service website, nps.gov, before your trip to Zion National Park. It's full of great information and useful resources that will help you to plan a memorable trip.
