Zion National Park - General Park Information

Massive canyon walls ascend toward a brilliant blue sky. To experience Zion, you need to walk among the towering cliffs, or challenge your courage in a small narrow canyon. These unique sandstone cliffs range in color from cream, to pink, to red. They could be described as sand castles crowning desert canyons.

By 1909, Zion Canyon was practically inaccessible to outside visitors; and while only a few had laid eyes on the towering cliffs, the country still understood its significance and established Mukuntuweap National Monument. In 2009, National Park Service will celebrate the Nation's commitment to preservation and protection of the natural and cultural resources and providing visitor enjoyment in Zion National Park over the past 100 years.

The Zion Natural History Association is a non-profit organization established in 1931 to support education, research, publications, and other programs for the benefit of Zion National Park.

Zion's unique geographic location and variety of life zones combine to create a variety of habitats for a surprising array of plant and animal species. Located on the Colorado Plateau, but bordering the Great Basin and Mojave Desert Provinces, Zion is home to plants from each region.

Located in Washington, Iron and Kane Counties in Southwestern Utah, Zion National Park encompasses some of the most scenic canyon country in the United States. The park is characterized by high plateaus, a maze of narrow, deep sandstone canyons and striking rock towers and mesas.

Zion National Park is a showcase of geology. Geologic processes have played an important role in shaping Zion. The arid climate and sparse vegetation allow the exposure of large expanses of bare rock and reveal the park's geologic history.

Evidence of Ancestrial Puebloans, known as the Anasazi, date from 2,000 years ago; Paiutes from about 800 years ago to present. Mormon settlers arrived in the 1860s. Park visitation in 1920 was 3,692; in 1996 it reached 2.5 million.

To enhance your national park experience before, during, and after your visit, stop in the visitor centers or museum in Zion National Park. The Zion Natural History Association (ZNHA) partners with the National Park Service to enhance your experience in Zion. The park's bookstores offer a wealth of interpretive resources, while the ZNHA Field Institute and Junior Ranger Program provides hands-on learning experiences for people of all ages.

Be prepared for a wide range of weather conditions. Temperatures vary with changes in elevation, day and evening temperatures may vary by over 30-degrees Fahrenheit.