Zion National Park Tips | 5 Things to Know Before You Go!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 พ.ย. 2024
- If you’re planning your very first trip to Zion National Park, there are a few things you need to know before you go!
In this video you’ll learn about the crowds, trails, lodging, when to go, and why this park is so exciting.
5 Things You Need to Know
0:35 Zion is extremely crowded
3:31 Zion is fabulous year-round
6:29 Book your lodging in advance
9:27 Zion has a mandatory shuttle
13:34 Zion is one of the most adventurous national parks in the country
These tips will get you started with your Zion National Park trip plans, but you can get a fully planned, hour-by-hour trip itinerary here: www.dirtinmysh...
My goal is to make national park trip planning easy!
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I just bought the itinerary after watching this video. If you’re on the fence, it’s a wonderful resource! Very professionally done too!
Thank you so much! I'm so happy to help, and I can't wait for you to visit Zion. Happy trails!
H OK w do you find it?
@@mikeporter8705 www.dirtinmyshoes.com/zion-itinerary
@@DirtInMyShoesplay a little pop pop pp pop ppp pop p pop pp OP pppppppppppp pop p pop p pop pop pop pop pop ppppp pop pop pl
We went there on Super Bowl Sunday of this year. There was hardly anyone there, there weather was beautiful and we were able to drive the entire park. It was perfect!
That's my favorite time of year to be in the park!
Crowded in early October. People were fighting for a parking spot at the visitor center. It was ALWAYS full. In town parking near the entrance was expensive. We had a great RV spot in the park and had no issues. The entrances are super busy during prime time. If you have a camping spot inside the park you can walk across a bridge to get supplies, eat out or get gear rental. Whoever owns that property next to the entrance is making a tremendous amount of money! This park and the other desert parks get a LOT of foreign visitors. You hear visitors speaking French, German, Italian, etc. Just shows how special it is. That said, we liked the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon better as an older couple.
This is a problem for most of the year in Zion. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to show up with a good plan for this park!
Just got back from my first visit to Zion, and she is absolutely correct about the crowds! I've been to many national parks all over the US (including Alaska and Hawaii) and I have never felt the impact of crowds as much as in Zion. Even Smokey Mountains (which has 3 times the visitors as Zion!) has never felt as crowded as Zion in the end of June.
The best thing we ever did, though, was to stay at Zion Lodge. It is expensive, but even staying one night there made everything worth it! You're allowed to drive your car to the lodge, and you feel like you have the main park road all to yourself. Once you're past the gate (which they give you a code to when you reserve lodging), there are virtually no other cars and parking was a breeze anywhere along the main park road. You do have to catch the shuttle from the lodge if you want to go deeper into the main park road--to get to riverside walk/The Narrows trail for example--but that is not a bad ride at all.
So do yourself a favor and stay at Zion Lodge, if you can find room, during the summer or when riding the shuttle into the canyon is mandatory. Good luck!
So true! The lodge is very convenient if you're hoping to avoid the crowding problems at the entrance and the visitor center!
Your video was very good. As a somewhat close resident to Zion (Vegas) your video telling people what to expect is dead on. You earned a new subscriber and I look forward to future videos.
Thanks so much!
You helped me so much with planning my trip, i knew exactly what to expect! Thank you!!
You're welcome!
I go in the winter when there are no shuttles. You can just drive to the popular places.
Yes, that's true!
HOW AWESOME is this information!! Thank you for your tips and advise!!!! What a huge help.
You are so welcome! Happy to help however I can!
Great video!
Thanks!
Thanks from the east coast of Canada. Hope to make it to Zion in the not too distant future.
Have fun!
I just got back from my first trip there, myself. I HIGHLY suggest staying in Kanab (40 minutes Southeast) and taking some of the short, fun hikes on your way in and out of Zion (like dinosaur tracks, sandstone caves, etc). If you have the time, check out the nearby attractions on Indigenous land, like the Pipe Springs monument on the Kaibab Reservation and Navajo/Dine' canyon tours further East (watch out for the time-zone change from Utah to Arizona, lol). Google maps reveals a lot of cool trailheads (and smaller businesses) you won't hear about anywhere, except from locals. Omg, the locals are great! Talk to the locals once you're there, and don't be afraid to change your plans. Take your time, and have fun doing your research 👍🏾💕
PS: You probably already know this, being Canadian, but always ask if something is Native-made, if that's what you want to go home with. Most gift shops have a mix of mass-produced, settler-made, and straight-from-the-res stuff. It's ALL beautiful, but I was really excited to support Native artisans 🥰
@@Setsunako6587 Thanks very much, that is really helpful info.😀
So sweet. Very informative 😊
Super super informative site! Fantastic job.
Thanks!
What are the hours to avoid ?
This sounds amazing! I need to visit
You should!
what a great video...i wonder if you can be my tour guide...small group coming in Oct 2024
Check out my website, dirtinmyshoes.com, for a Zion Itinerary where I will be your virtual tour guide in real time!
I just accepted a seasonal job living/working up inside the lodge area starting in a few weeks! Thank you for the guide. I haven't bee to Zion yet, they definitely emphasized the level of crowds more than anything else, but I can't wait for all of it. Any advice you'd give for living in a park like this for the next 6mo, either practical or about the area, etc? I've been doing my research and am hoping and anticipating it being a huge lifestyle change (ie tiny dorm living, no cell service), buuuut I'm also coming from across the country and inexperienced enough to be shopping for hiking shoes and rain gear along with the twin size sheets 🤣
That is so exciting! Working in the parks is the best! Make friends, and get out and have adventures. Ask other coworkers/rangers for their favorite spots :)
🖖🏻💐👏🏻excellent! Excellent! Super excellent, indeed! Blessings and Rewards for you and yours, always!💐👏🏻🤜🏻🤛🏻❤Jer 🕊
Thanks!
I’m heading there in July 😮
I'm planning to go there on Christmas Day. I believe the park is open all year round. Are there crowds around Christmas time?
Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years are the busiest times of the off-season, so I would definitely expect crowds. But it's magical!
To avoid shuttle crowds near the entrance to the park, can I park near the visitor's center and walk to the second stop?
Yes, it's not a short walk if you don't park at the visitor center though. The other issue being that they usually load the shuttles quite full at the visitor center, so they aren't able to fit many people from the other stops until you get higher up the canyon and people start getting off!
We're staying at the Cable Mountain Lodge for 2 nights in mid October. Is renting a bike to get into the park a good idea or should we just stick with the shuttle? Thanks!
You could do either! But Cable Mountain Lodge is the perfect place to stay for easily catching the Zion Shuttle, so I wouldn't shy away from using the shuttle if you prefer not to bike to everything up the canyon.
I am trying to narrow down hiking shoes because we’re going the first week in Nov. what’s your recommendation? I got some light weight waterproof ones but my husband said they might be too light?
Those should be fine, especially if that's what you feel comfortable hiking in. If you plan on hiking the Narrows, I'd rent the special shoes for that. But for everything else, you should be fine in some good quality hikers :)
We are heading to Zion in a week. Is there any scenic route outside of the park without taking the bus and just driving? . We will have my mom handicapped so we need scenic drives without hiking.We are heading to Bryce in one day. Thank you
You can get a special permit to drive through Zion Canyon for someone who is not able to ride the shuttle -- you can find more info about that here: www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/accessibility.htm. All of the rest of the roads in and around Zion don't require a shuttle, you can just drive your own car. Have fun!
We applied for the spring permit, and did not get one. But on the website it says there are Day Before Lottery tickets. If we went there and camped close and applied each day for one of these permits what are the chances we would get one?
The day before lottery is still extremely competitive, but I would definitely try for it!
"There's certain times of day you don't want to go" -- Ok... what are they?
You'll find all of my timing suggestions in this Zion Itinerary: www.dirtinmyshoes.com/zion-itinerary/
She wants you to pay her for the information 🙄
So she doesn’t say much useful information in the video 👎🏻
@@Tails977 that's true! The itinerary contains way more information and includes walk-through videos. If I put all that info here on TH-cam, the video would be hours long and no one would watch it!
@Tails977 it's almost like she's providing a service and has bills to pay. What a concept!
If I am going this May (Friday of memorial day eek) what time should I aim to be at the visitors centre to get a parking spot?
My Zion Itinerary covers all of my timing recommendations: www.dirtinmyshoes.com/zion-itinerary/
What time do crowds start to dissipate on a daily basis in late July, early August??
If you're looking for timing suggestions/trends, my Zion Itinerary includes that info: www.dirtinmyshoes.com/zion-itinerary/ But in general, usually around 5 p.m. or so :)
I'm more interested in hiking into zion and using the backcountry campsites, I see half are reserved and half first come. Do these fill up fast? Should I reserve a site if I want to thru-hike the narrows and then pitch a tent? And are the restaurants and shops inside zion a usable form of resupply? Such as cliff bars, granola,.. What's a good route that will take me on a 5 day loop from Springdale, through the park and back.
You'll definitely need to reserve the Narrows in advance...those are highly competitive. Some of the areas, not as much. But Zion has gotten so busy that everything seems to be competitive there these days. You'll find basic necessities at the Zion Lodge...nothing fancy but they have some food items. I personally would start with the West Rim Trail if you're looking for a nice backpacking route. You used to be able to connect it with the East Rim in Zion Canyon without a vehicle by hiking the Observation Point Trail up to the East Rim, but now that trail is closed. But you could hike the West Rim, pick up your car and drive to an East Rim trailhead, and then do that section separately!
@@DirtInMyShoes there lies my dilemma, I don't have a vehicle. The plan is to fly into Vegas and hop a shuttle to Springdale. Then just hike for 5 days and end up back at Springdale. I just now realized the narrows can only be hiked fully if starting from the ranch and hiking downstream. I also just saw the zion traverse, so maybe it's best to catch a shuttle from Springdale to the start of the traverse (west to east) do the traverse in 3-4 days and then just do angels landing and the up and back narrows on the last 2 days. My concern is leaving my gear at either of the south entrance campground while out hiking. Can I trust leaving my $300 tent, $200 sleeping bag, and $200 air mattress in the campground?
@@thetrailawaits498 yeah, that makes sense. Your plan sounds good though...that would get you to the main highlights! People leave their camping gear at their campsites all the time. I understand the hesitation, but I've never had a problem like that when I stay in campgrounds.
Do I need a pass to camp here for a weekend
You need a camping reservation :)
OK, so now that you have me nervous about the crowds, I'll be there around May 16th-17th. What time is recommended to arrive to beat the parking crowds?
You should be nervous about the crowds haha...things get really bad in that park. My itineraries cover all of that, and you can find them here: www.dirtinmyshoes.com/national-park-trip-itineraries/ I wish you all the best!
Did you determine when you are going to arrive at the visitors Centre parking lot so that you get a spot and get on the shuttle during your trip in May? I am trying to figure that out as well! Shuttles start at 7 AM but I imagine we definitely need to be in the parking lot before then
Why is it that you don’t give the time that people should be at the parking lot for the shuttle ?
You'll find specific timing recommendations for all of my favorite spots in Zion in this itinerary: www.dirtinmyshoes.com/zion-itinerary/
This is a commercial for a $39 product. Which is fine.
@@rayray4192 Haha I only mention it a couple of times, but good thing it's a dang good product that helps people have a better trip :)
@@DirtInMyShoes you can be proud of doing good work, and using your knowledge and experience to make money. Smart move. How about a little honest opinion about Angel’s Landing. My pilot friend says it’s like flying- be careful and mindful and you’ll be fine. Is Angel’s Landing Trail dangerous? The videos don’t look terrifying but they look like Parks should never allow anyone up there. Or is it camera angle and difficult to judge difficulty on video. The trail scares me which angers me because I don’t like being scare. Makes me feel weak.
@@DirtInMyShoes I wasn’t criticizing your business skills and making a buck. I was saying let’s be honest the video is a way to sell a product.
It’s a smart move.
Can you ride an e-bike up the shuttle only roads?
Yes!
We know some people who did that and said it was the best part of their trip.
@@camisauder9711 yeah, it's gotten really popular. Zion is actually going to put in a dedicated biking/walking path in Zion Canyon now!
Where and how do you secure your e-bike when you want to go hiking?
@@angelatrinh1156 Just a standard bike lock. Of course I take the battery key with me as well.
I feel like this video was just about shuttles 🤣
Haha that's accurate!
Why would a crouded park scare anyone?
Some people, like me, are allergic to crowds LOL. It's a completely different experience if you can find some peace and solitude versus always being surrounded by people :)
Bring your bicycle
Shuttle buses miss cyclists by inches constantly.
So get up early and park and get on a shuttle bus to your trail head. Am I missing something?
Zion is a small park with a huge visitation...so yes, getting up early makes a difference, but that's not the only thing you can do to find solitude and have a more enjoyable time!
@@DirtInMyShoes I’ll be in the park for the first time November 12-14. I’ve watched 40 You Tube videos including yours, which is a good one because more than what trail to hike I need to know where to camp and about the shuttles. Sounds to me like Zion needs to build a huge parking lot like Colorado ski towns do like Aspen. $6 per day fee. Any boondock spots for free camping? I almost bought your itinerary today. I still might. I don’t mind not having a plan. All who wander are not lost, we are just living in the moment. A statement that drives planners wild.
@@rayray4192 that's a good time to be there, and it will be less busy at that time. I have a full video about the Zion Shuttle, so I would watch that one. I like campendium.com for finding boondocking near the parks!
@@DirtInMyShoes thanks so much!