Zion National Park Transportation

There are two great shuttle bus services that are free. One shuttle bus drives up and down the main road from the park gates to the far end of Springdale. The second shuttle bus drives up and down the Zion Gorge between the park gates and the end of the gorge. Both shuttle buses stop frequently at hotels, RV Parks, restaurants, points of interest, trailheads (start of footpath), etc. You can get on and off the buses as you please. The service was excellent. It should be noted that you cannot take your own vehicles into the Zion Gorge at peak periods of the year and this is when the shuttle bus is running.

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There are two shuttle systems that serve Zion National Park. One runs between the town of Springdale (with several stops at various motels) and the park. The second shuttle system runs from the Visitors Center down the Zion Canyon Scenic Route. Shuttles run often and you can get on and off as often as you wish. They are the only way to tour the scenic drive during the summer months and taking it from Springdale allows you to avoid parking headaches.

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It is mandatory to take the bus to the Scenic Drive road, where most sites are located off Hwy 9 route. There are 6 stops in Springdale, and if lucky enough to get a parking place at the visitor center, you can get the bus there. Along Scenic Drive are 8 pick up places. They run every 10 minutes average in summers months from 9-8. Buses run until 11PM at night.

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There is no access to the Scenic Drive part that goes north 5 miles, and only buses can use that route. Along the main road; Hwy 9, people stop wherever they can, or feel like it. Others take a slow drive approach and go maybe undre the limit of 20 MPH . Campers and RV's are a nightmare to follow, especially around the switchback area.

Zion was one of the early proponents of shuttle buses and though you can drive from the east to west side of the park on an amazingly scenic route, Zion Canyon is only accessible by shuttle from late March until November. The shuttle buses are electric to reduce impact on the environment and also much more quiet. They are comfortable and drivers give a running commentary, especially on ones going up into the canyon. During peak hours, they run every seven minutes so you really don't have to worry about catching the next one. It's actually easier and faster than if you had to look for a parking spot. They stop at great viewpoints and all trail heads. Oh, and they are free so there is no reason to complain that you can't drive in the canyon. As if that were not enough, the park also runs another free shuttle from nearby Sprindale to the Visitor Center so that you don't have to drive or worry about parking at all during your Zion stay.

Though you cannot drive into Zion Canyon during the park's busiest months and must use the great shuttles provided, there are places you need a car to get to as well as get to the park itself. There are also numerous sights around Zion in Utah, all reached most easily by car such as Bryce Canyon and Cedar Breaks. The most amazing thing about Utah is that not only are their parks stunning but the drives in every direction are too.

Entering Zion National Park costs $25 per car load for a one week stay. This entitles you to all the shuttles and ranger programs as well as a million dollar view everywhere you look. We used the American The Beautiful Pass which costs $80 and gets you entry into all National Parks and administered lands for a period of one year. That is perhaps the best value in all of travel.

The East Rim Drive or Mt Carmel Highway is one of the most scenic in Zion and entirely different from Zion Canyon. If arriving from the east, it provides a very dramatic entrance to the park. This is slick rock country and the rock formations have a melted ice cream appearance with a bit more muted coloration as well. The Checkerboard Mesa is the most famous of the formations but there are many beautiful spots to get out and take photos. Get out of the car and walk around, it's very peaceful and the terrain is interesting to walk on. Try and time this for later in the afternoon for the best light.

The shuttle system is very efficient, and I completely understand why it was implemented. The number of personal vehicles in and out of Zion was destroying habitats and the landscape. So, the park created a shuttle system. This is the only way you can get around the park. No personal vehicles are allowed on Zion Scenic Drive. I think the only way around this is if you are staying at Zion Lodge. Then you are allowed to drive to and from there, but no further than that. You would still have to take the shuttle farther into the park. As I said, it is so effiicient; however, for someone that loves to be on her own, it can be frustrating to have to wait for the shuttle; wait for people to get on/off, etc. The drivers of the shuttle provide great information and are quite humorous.