Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, Utah, United States

5loves2travelandmore 5:00 PM Oct 21, 2022

Scenic is the Keyword
The Scenic Drive is viewed from the shuttle buses which are based at the information center and are mandatory most of the year to avoid congestion on the roads and the limited parking areas. They travel very regularly, and so you can be dropped off at one trailhead and be picked up at the end of the trail. You can get a good overall feel for the park from the shuttle without exerting yourself if there are physical limitations. At the Zion Lodge we heard coyote pups learning to howl.

4SuperDuper Coach 5:00 PM Apr 15, 2022

Beautiful and must see, but be prepared for lines and mucking about
Astonishingly beautiful canyon. Great short and long hikes. Horribly busy, and we were there in a ‘quiet’ time. Must be unbearable in summer. You aren’t allowed to take your car past the visitor center, you have to use their shuttle system. There is such limited parking at the visitors center that we and most others had to go out of the park into the nearby town of Springdale, pay to park ($30 in our case) then either catch a bus or walk back to the national park. The shuttle system works very well, plenty of shuttles. We had no trouble getting on when we wanted to but I can imagine long lines waiting at each stop in summer – and worse still, if you don’t get on at one end of the line, many shuttles might go on by because they are already full. In case you don’t know, there is a single road in the park that finishes at a certain point and you have to come back on the same road – its not a loop road. Therefore there is an end of the line. I think the road is 12 miles long, and has about 6 stops along the way (one or two were closed when we were there, one due to rockfall). If you can put up with all the mucking about, and can get yourself organised (especially if you can be there early in the day), this is a must see if you are anywhere near this area. The Kayenta trail is beautiful and isn’t a lot of effort; after an initial climb of 50m or so, the rest of the trail is basically flat and hugs the mountainside giving majestic views over the canyon and river. Its about 2 miles and I did it in 45 minutes without hurrying. Accommodation in the park is exorbitant and accommodation in Springdale is not much better; consider La Verkin or Hurricane, there are plenty of hotels and eating options.