Zion National Park

The great cliffs of Zion are made of Navajo sandstone, laid down as an immense field of ancient dunes and later cemented into rock thousands of feet thick. The Virgin River, small but persistent and armed with sand and gravel, has spent millions of years cutting down through that rock to form the deep, sheer-walled canyon seen today.

The result is a landscape of towering monoliths, sculpted alcoves, and narrow slots, streaked with desert varnish and glowing in the low sun. Where water seeps from the porous rock, hanging gardens of ferns and wildflowers cling to the cliffs, soft green against the stone.

Zion is famous for hikes found nowhere else. Angels Landing climbs a knife-edged fin of rock, the final stretch clinging to chains along dizzying drop-offs, and now requires a permit obtained by lottery to manage the crowds. The Narrows leads hikers up the river itself, wading through the water between soaring walls where the canyon pinches to a slot.

Beyond these icons, trails lead to the Emerald Pools, up to Observation Point, and into the quieter high country. There is a hike for every ability, from paved riverside strolls to strenuous cliff climbs, all set against the park's overwhelming scenery. Flash floods and heat make checking conditions essential in the narrow canyons.

The Virgin River is the lifeblood of Zion, its green corridor supporting cottonwoods, box elders, and a wealth of wildlife, from mule deer and wild turkeys to bighorn sheep on the cliffs and the endangered California condor soaring overhead. Songbirds and lizards fill the warm desert air.

To protect the canyon from traffic, the main scenic drive is car-free during the busy season and served by a shuttle, letting visitors move quietly along the river and step off at trailheads and viewpoints. It is one of the things that makes a Zion visit feel calmer than the crowds might suggest, and it keeps the canyon's air clear and its quiet intact.

This canyon country has been home to people for thousands of years, from the ancient Ancestral Puebloan and Fremont cultures to the Southern Paiute, whose homeland this is and who knew the canyon long before it was a park. Mormon pioneers settled the area in the nineteenth century and gave Zion its name. All these threads are part of the park's story.

Spring brings wildflowers and full waterfalls, summer is hot with a monsoon flash-flood season in the slots, fall offers golden cottonwoods and gentler temperatures, and winter quiets the canyon under occasional snow that dusts the red walls. The shoulder seasons reward visitors with smaller crowds and lovely light.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.