Zion is an ancient Hebrew word meaning a place of refuge or sanctuary. Protected within the park's 229 square miles is a dramatic landscape of sculptured canyons and soaring cliffs. Zion is located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin and Mojave Desert provinces. This unique geography and the variety of life zones within the park make Zion significant as a place of unusual plant and animal diversity.
Zion features stunning scenery found nowhere else on earth with sandstone cliffs among the highest in the world and one of the last mostly free-flowing river systems on the Colorado Plateau.
Its 229 square miles (147,551 acres) has elevations ranging from a low of 3,666 ft (1,128 m), Coalpits Wash in the southwest corner to the highest, 8,726 ft (2,660 m), at Horse Ranch Mountain in the Kolob Canyons section.
Zion's plant life features the richest diversity of plants in Utah, almost 800 native species. Differences in elevation, sunlight, water, and temperature create ''microenvironments,'' like hanging gardens, forested side canyons, and isolated mesas that lend to this diversity. Its animal life covers 75 species of mammals, 271 birds, 32 reptiles and amphibians and 8 fish. Commonly seen animals include mule deer, rock squirrels, lizards, and many species of birds. Rare or endangered species include the Peregrine Falcon, Mexican Spotted Owl, Southwest Willow Flycatcher, desert tortoise, and the Zion snail, found nowhere else on earth.
History: In 1919, a Congressional bill designating Zion National Park was signed into law. Visitation to the new national park increased steadily during the 1920s, particularly after the Union Pacific extended a spur rail line to Cedar City. The Utah Parks Company, a subsidiary of the Union Pacific, acquired the Wylie Camp in Zion, and offered ten day rail/bus tours to Zion, Bryce, Kaibab, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Construction on the Zion Lodge complex, designed in "Rustic Style" by architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood, began in the mid-1920s. In 1930, the newly completed Zion-Mt Carmel highway allowed motorists to travel through Zion to Bryce and points east. This highway was one of the greatest engineering feats of modern times, requiring the construction of a 5,613-foot tunnel to negotiate the vertical sandstone cliffs of Zion.
Location: Springdale, Utah
Directions:
Plane - The closest major airport is Las Vegas International, 150 miles from the park. There is a smaller airport in St. George, UT, 46 miles (74.1 km) from the park.
Car - The Visitor Center at the Kolob Canyons entrance is accessible from I-15, exit 40. I-15 passes west of the Park and connects with UT-9 and 17 to the Park. US-89 passes east and connects with UT-9 to the Park. The Zion Canyon Visitor Center is a short distance from the Park's South Entrance adjacent to Springdale.
Activities: Hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, swimming, sightseeing, canyoneering
Contact: Zion National Park, SR 9, Springdale, UT 84767-1099 Email
Fax- 435-772-3426 Phone Visitor Information - 435-772-3256
Admission: Car - $20 for 7 Days; Bike or Pedestrian - $10 for 7 Days Per Person, not to exceed $20 per family
Special Use Permits: Backcountry Permit - $5 for One Time
Hours: Summer months, the visitor centers are open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Spring, fall and winter hours are shortened. Visitor centers are closed on December 25.
Camping:
Lava Point Campground
Open From 06/01/2001 To 10/15/2001
A first come, first serve primative campground with only 6 sites and no water. Lava Point is about 1 hour from main canyon of park. Closed in Winter
For More Information on this campground please call 435-772-3256
South Campground
April 1 through October 31
First come first serve no hookups no showers $14.00 per/night ($7.00 w/G. Age - Access)
For More Information on this campground please call 435-772-3256
Watchman Campground
Make Reservations by Phone at 1-800-365-CAMP
Open All Year
Tent: $14.00 night ($7.00 w/G. Age - Access) Elec.: $16.00 night ($8.00 w/G. Age - Access) Group: $3.00 per/person, per/night no showers
Lodging:
Zion has a lodge available, but we stayed at and highly recommend
Under The Eaves Bed and Breakfast
980 Zion Park Boulevard, P.O. Box 29, Springdale, Utah 84767-0029
They offer lodging from $60 a night in a charming atmosphere in the shadow of Zion. The beautiful view from the front porch is not to be missed! Steve and Deb Masefield will take good care of you.
