Zion National Park facts for kids

Zion National Park is a stunning national park located in the southwestern part of Utah, United States. It sits where three different natural areas meet: the Colorado Plateau, the Great Basin, and the Mojave Desert. This special location gives the park a unique landscape and a wide variety of plants and animals.

Zion National Park is home to many different kinds of plants, 289 types of birds, 75 mammals (including 19 kinds of bats), and 32 reptiles. These creatures live in four main natural zones: the desert, areas near water (called riparian), woodlands, and coniferous forests. The park features amazing mountains, deep canyons, tall buttes, flat-topped mesas, huge monoliths, winding rivers, narrow slot canyons, and beautiful natural arches. The lowest point in the park is 3,666 feet (1,117 meters) at Coalpits Wash, and the highest point is Horse Ranch Mountain, standing at 8,726 feet (2,660 meters).

A very famous part of the park is Zion Canyon, which is about 15 miles (24 kilometers) long and can be up to 2,640 feet (800 meters) deep. The canyon walls are made of reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone. The North Fork of the Virgin River carved out this impressive canyon over millions of years. In 2024, Zion National Park welcomed 4,946,592 visitors.

People have lived in this area for about 8,000 years. The first inhabitants were small groups of Native Americans, including the Basketmakers around 300 CE. Later, the Virgin Anasazi and Parowan Fremont cultures developed. These groups moved away by 1300 CE and were replaced by the Parrusits and other Southern Paiute tribes. Mormons arrived in the area in 1858 and began to settle there in the early 1860s.

How Zion Got Its Name

In 1909, President William Howard Taft created the Mukuntuweap National Monument to protect the canyon. Later, in 1918, Horace Albright, who was helping to lead the new National Park Service, suggested making the monument bigger and changing its name to Zion National Monument. "Zion" was a name used by the local Mormon community.

Historians explain that many people at the time thought that Native American names might make visitors less likely to come if they couldn't pronounce them. The name "Zion" was seen as more inviting. On November 19, 1919, the United States Congress officially made it Zion National Park, and President Woodrow Wilson signed the law. A separate area called Kolob Canyons became a national monument in 1937 and was added to Zion National Park in 1956. In 2009, Congress protected 85% of the park as a special wilderness area.

Why We Protect Zion National Park

The main goal of Zion National Park is to keep its amazing natural features safe. This includes Zion Canyon and its many colorful sandstone canyons, which were formed by incredible erosion. The park also protects its wild character, beautiful rivers, and important signs of human history. It provides a place for scientific research and offers a wonderful experience for everyone to enjoy and learn from.

Exploring Zion's Geography

The park is located in southwestern Utah, mainly across Washington, Iron, and Kane counties. The town of Springdale even extends into the park.

Zion sits on the Markagunt and Kolob plateaus. It's a special place where the Colorado Plateau, the Great Basin, and the Mojave Desert meet. The northern part of the park is called the Kolob Canyons section. You can reach it from Interstate 15 at exit 40.

Horse Ranch Mountain is the highest point in the park, reaching 8,726 feet (2,660 meters). The lowest point is Coal Pits Wash, at 3,666 feet (1,117 meters). This means there's a huge difference in elevation, about 5,100 feet (1,550 meters), creating dramatic landscapes.

The Virgin River flows through Zion Canyon. Its North Fork has one of the steepest slopes of any river in North America, ranging from 50 to 80 feet per mile (0.9–1.5%). This fast-moving water has carved the canyon deeply.

Towers of the Virgin: The Sundial (left), The Witch Head, Broken Tooth, Rotten Tooth, Altar of Sacrifice

The main road into Zion Canyon is 6 miles (10 kilometers) long. It ends at the Temple of Sinawava, named after the coyote god of the Paiute Indians. Near the Temple, the canyon becomes very narrow. A hiking trail continues to the entrance of The Narrows, a gorge that is only 20 feet (6 meters) wide but up to 2,000 feet (600 meters) tall! From early April to late October, a free shuttle bus takes visitors along the Zion Canyon road. During other months, private cars can use the road. Other roads in Zion are open to private vehicles all year.

The east side of the park is accessed by the Zion – Mount Carmel Highway (SR-9). This road goes through the famous Zion – Mount Carmel Tunnel. On this side, you can see features like Checkerboard Mesa and The East Temple.

The Kolob Terrace area, northwest of Zion Canyon, has a cool slot canyon called The Subway. You can also get amazing views of the whole area from Lava Point. Further northwest, near Cedar City, is the Kolob Canyons section. Here you'll find Tucupit Point and one of the world's longest natural arches, Kolob Arch.

Court of the Patriarchs, photographed by Ansel Adams in 1933

Other famous spots in Zion Canyon include Angels Landing, The Great White Throne, the Court of the Patriarchs, The Sentinel, The West Temple, Towers of the Virgin, the Altar of Sacrifice, The Watchman, Weeping Rock, and the Emerald Pools.

Zion's Seasons and Weather

Spring weather in Zion can be unpredictable, with some stormy, wet days mixed with warm, sunny ones. March usually has the most rain. Spring wildflowers bloom from April to June, with May being the best time to see them.

Fall days are often clear and mild, but nights can get cool. Summer days are hot, usually between 95 to 110°F (35 to 43°C), but nights are more comfortable, around 65 to 70°F (18 to 21°C). Afternoon thunderstorms are common from mid-July to mid-September. These storms can create new waterfalls and cause dangerous flash floods. Autumn leaves start to change color in September in the higher areas, and in Zion Canyon, the colors are usually brightest in late October.

Winter in Zion Canyon is quite mild. Winter storms bring rain or light snow to the canyon floor and heavier snow to the higher elevations. Clear winter days can be warm, reaching 60°F (16°C), but nights are often cold, from 20 to 40°F (-7 to 4°C). Winter storms can make roads icy. Most Zion roads are plowed, but the Kolob Terrace Road closes when it's covered with snow. Winter driving conditions last from November through March.

Zion National Park has a cold semi-arid climate. This means it has very hot summers and mild winters, with a limited amount of rain throughout the year.

A Look at Zion's Long History

Experts divide Zion's human history into three main periods: the Archaic, Protohistoric, and Historic periods. Each period shows how people adapted to the land using different tools and ways of living.

Early People: The Archaic Period

The first people arrived in the Zion region about 8,000 years ago. These family groups moved around, hunting animals and gathering plants and seeds. Around 2,000 years ago, some groups started growing crops like corn. This led them to settle down more. Later groups built permanent villages called pueblos. This time is known as the Archaic period, lasting until about 500 CE.

Archaeologists have found baskets, nets made from cords, and sandals woven from yucca fibers from this period. The tools included stone knives, drills, and dart points. These dart points were attached to wooden shafts and thrown using devices called atlatls.

By about 300 CE, some Archaic groups became the early, semi-nomadic Basketmakers. Their homes were shallow, partly underground dwellings called pithouses, with storage areas lined with grass or stone. They hunted and gathered food, and also grew some crops. Locally collected pine nuts were an important food source and item for trade.

Changing Times: The Protohistoric Period

Both the Virgin Anasazi and the Parowan Fremont groups left the southwestern Utah area by about 1300 CE. Long periods of dry weather in the 11th and 12th centuries, along with big floods, might have made it too hard to grow crops in this dry region.

It is believed that their places were taken by new groups, like the Southern Paiute and Ute people. These newcomers were related to the Virgin Anasazi and spoke similar languages. They moved seasonally through the valleys, looking for wild seeds and animals. Some, especially the Southern Paiute, also planted corn, sunflowers, and squash to add to their diet. These groups, who settled more, made brown pottery for storing food and cooking.

Kaun huts were used by Southern Paiute tribes.

European Exploration and Settlement

The Historic period began in the late 1700s when Spanish padres, Silvestre Vélez de Escalante and Francisco Atanasio Domínguez, explored southern Utah. They passed near what is now the Kolob Canyons Visitor Center on October 13, 1776. They were the first people of European descent known to visit the area. In 1825, a trapper named Jedediah Smith explored some downstream areas.

In 1847, Mormon farmers from the Salt Lake area were the first Europeans to settle the Virgin River region. By 1851, Mormons settled the Parowan and Cedar City areas. They used the Kolob Canyons for timber, and for grazing cattle, sheep, and horses. They also looked for minerals and used Kolob water to irrigate crops. Mormon settlers named the area Kolob, which in their scripture means a heavenly place close to God.

A ranch near the mouth of Zion Canyon around 1910

By 1858, settlements had spread 30 miles (48 kilometers) south to the lower Virgin River. That year, a Southern Paiute guide led Mormon missionary Nephi Johnson into the upper Virgin River area and Zion Canyon. Johnson wrote a positive report about the farming potential and later founded the town of Virgin. In 1861 or 1862, Joseph Black visited Zion Canyon and was very impressed by its beauty.

Isaac Behunin settled the floor of Zion Canyon in 1863. He farmed corn, tobacco, and fruit trees. The Behunin family lived in Zion Canyon near where Zion Lodge is today during the summer, and spent winters in Springdale. Behunin is credited with naming the area "Zion," referring to a place of peace mentioned in the Bible. Two more families settled Zion Canyon in the next few years. They brought cattle and other animals. The canyon floor was farmed until Zion became a Monument in 1909.

The Powell Geographic Expedition of 1869 explored the area. John Wesley Powell visited Zion Canyon in 1872 and named it Mukuntuweap, thinking it was the Paiute name. Photographers John K. Hillers and James Fennemore from Powell's survey first visited Zion Canyon and the Kolob Plateau in spring 1872. Hillers returned in April 1873 to take more photographs. He described wading through the canyon for four days and almost freezing to death to get his pictures.

Protecting Zion and Welcoming Visitors

Painting of Zion Canyon by Frederick S. Dellenbaugh in 1903

Paintings of the canyon by Frederick S. Dellenbaugh were shown at the Saint Louis World's Fair in 1904. A positive article about Zion also appeared in Scribner's Magazine the next year. These artworks and reports led President William Howard Taft to declare the area Mukuntuweap National Monument on July 31, 1909. In 1917, the acting director of the new National Park Service visited and suggested changing the name to Zion, which was used by the local Mormon community. The United States Congress added more land and officially created Zion National Park on November 19, 1919. The Kolob Canyons area became a separate Zion National Monument on January 22, 1937, and was added to the park on July 11, 1956.

Traveling to the area before it became a national park was difficult. It was far away, had few places to stay, and lacked good roads. Old wagon roads were improved for cars starting around 1910. The road into Zion Canyon was built in 1917, reaching the Grotto.

A 1938 poster promoting Zion National Park

By summer 1917, cars could reach Zion Canyon. The first place for visitors to stay, Wylie Camp, was a tent camp set up that same year. The Utah Parks Company bought Wylie Camp in 1923. They offered ten-day train and bus tours to Zion, nearby Bryce Canyon, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The Zion Lodge complex was built in 1925 where the tent camp used to be. Architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood designed the Zion Lodge in a rustic style.

Building Better Roads and Trails

Work on the Zion – Mount Carmel Highway began in 1927. This road was built to make it easier to travel between Springdale and the east side of the park. When it opened in 1930, many more people visited the park. The most famous part of this highway is its 1.1-mile (1.8-kilometer) tunnel, which has six large windows carved through the massive sandstone cliff.

In 1896, local rancher John Winder improved an old Native American path up Echo Canyon, which later became the East Rim Trail. In 1900, David Flanigan built a system of cables to lower lumber into Zion Canyon from Cable Mountain. More than 200,000 board feet (470 cubic meters) of lumber were lowered by 1906. The auto road was extended to the Temple of Sinawava, and a trail was built from there to the start of The Narrows. The Angels Landing Trail was built in 1926, and two suspension bridges were added over the Virgin River. Other trails were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.

Recent Events in Zion's History

The Altar of Sacrifice (center) with reddish, blood-like streaks

To help with traffic, a public transportation system using shuttle buses started in 2000. These buses run on propane, and Zion also has two electric trams. Usually, from early April through late October, private cars are not allowed on the scenic drive in Zion Canyon, and visitors ride the shuttle buses.

On April 12, 1995, heavy rains caused a landslide that blocked the Virgin River. This event washed away part of the only exit road from Zion Canyon. About 450 guests and employees at the Zion Lodge were temporarily stuck. A temporary one-lane road was built within 24 hours to help people leave. A more stable temporary road was finished on May 25, 1995, for summer visitors. A permanent road was completed in the first half of 1996.

The Zion – Mount Carmel Highway is open all year. Large vehicles need a special permit and can only use the tunnel during the day, as traffic must go one way to let them pass. The 5-mile (8-kilometer) Kolob Canyons Road provides access to that section of the park, but it often closes in the winter.

In March 2009, President Barack Obama signed a law that protected 124,406 acres (50,345 hectares) of park land, about 85% of the park, as the Zion Wilderness.

In September 2015, heavy flooding trapped a group of seven people in Keyhole Canyon, a slot canyon in the park. Sadly, all seven members of the group died in the flash flood. Their remains were found after a search that lasted several days. This tragic event reminds us of the power of nature.

On February 2, 2024, a hiker died after falling on one of the park's steep trails. This incident, like others from falls, heat-related illnesses, and flash floods, highlights the importance of being prepared and staying safe when visiting Zion's challenging landscape. Always plan your hikes, check weather conditions, and know your limits.

On March 25, 2020, the park campgrounds were closed to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Zion's Amazing Geology

The Three Patriarchs in Zion Canyon are made of Navajo Sandstone.

The geology of the Zion and Kolob canyons area shows nine different rock layers. These layers are part of a huge stack of rocks called the Grand Staircase. Together, these formations tell a story of about 150 million years of Earth's history, mostly from the Mesozoic Era. The rocks you see in Zion were formed from sediment laid down in many different environments:

• Warm, shallow seas, which created the Kaibab and Moenkopi formations.
• Streams, ponds, and lakes, which formed the Chinle, Moenave, and Kayenta formations.
• A huge desert with shifting sand dunes, which created the Navajo and Temple Cap formations.
• Dry areas near ancient shorelines, which formed the Carmel Formation.

The Kolob Canyons are a set of finger canyons cut into the Kolob Plateau. Timber Top Mountain is to the right.

About 13 million years ago, the entire region, known as the Colorado Plateaus, began to slowly lift up. This uplift raised the land more than 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) higher than where the sediments were first deposited. This made the ancient Virgin River and other rivers flow much faster.

These faster-moving rivers carved into the rocks, especially along natural cracks. Over time, all the younger rock layers were worn away, and deep gorges were cut into the plateaus. Zion Canyon was carved by the North Fork of the Virgin River in this way. Later, lava flows and cinder cones covered parts of the area.

During wet seasons, large amounts of water flow through the main canyon. These flood events are very powerful and carry away huge amounts of rock and sediment. The Virgin River carves its canyon faster than its smaller side streams (tributaries). This is why many tributaries end in waterfalls from hanging valleys where they meet the Virgin River. The valley between the peaks of the Twin Brothers is a good example of a hanging valley in the canyon.

Table of formations exposed in Zion National Park

	Rock layer	Appearance	Location	Deposition	Rock type	Photo
	Dakota Formation	Cliffs	Top of Horse Ranch Mountain	Streams	Conglomerate and sandstone
	Carmel Formation	Cliffs	Mount Carmel Junction	Shallow sea and coastal desert	Limestone, sandstone and gypsum
	Temple Cap Formation	Cliffs	Top of The West Temple	Desert	Sandstone
	Navajo Sandstone	Steep cliffs 1,600 to 2,200 ft (490 to 670 m) thick; red lower layers are colored by iron oxides	Tall cliffs of Zion Canyon; highest exposure is West Temple; cross-bedding shows well at Checkerboard Mesa (photo)	Sand dunes covered 150,000 sq mi (390,000 km2); shifting winds during deposition created cross-bedding	Sandstone
	Kayenta Formation	Rocky slopes	Throughout canyon	Streams	Siltstone and sandstone
	Moenave Formation	Slopes and ledges	Lower red cliffs seen from Zion Human History Museum	Streams and ponds	Siltstone and sandstone
	Chinle Formation	Purplish slopes	Above Rockville	Streams	Shale, loose clay and conglomerate
	Moenkopi Formation	Chocolate cliffs with white bands	Rocky slopes from Virgin to Rockville	Shallow sea	Shale, siltstone, sandstone, mudstone, and limestone
	Kaibab Limestone	Cliffs	Hurricane Cliffs along I-15 near Kolob Canyons	Shallow sea	Limestone

Amazing Plants and Animals of Zion

Taylor Creek with Horse Ranch Mountain in the background. Desert, riparian, woodland, and coniferous forest habitats are all visible.

Zion and Kolob canyons are where the Great Basin, Mojave Desert, and Colorado Plateau meet. This, along with the varied landscape of canyons and mesas, different soil types, and how much water is available, creates many different homes for a wide mix of plants and animals. The park is home to 289 types of birds, 79 mammals, 28 reptiles, 7 fish, and 6 amphibians. These creatures live in one or more of the four main natural zones in the park: desert, riparian (areas near water), woodland, and coniferous forest.

Desert Life: Plants and Animals

Desert conditions are found on canyon bottoms and rocky ledges away from constant streams. Common plants here include sagebrush, prickly pear cactus, and rabbitbrush. You can also find sacred datura and Indian paintbrush. Utah penstemon and golden aster grow here too. In areas with selenium-rich soils, you might see milkvetch and prince's plume.

During the day, you might spot mule deer, rock squirrels, pinyon jays, and whiptail and collared lizards. At night, Desert cottontails, jackrabbits, and Merriam's kangaroo rats come out. The top hunters in the desert are cougars, bobcats, coyotes, badgers, gray foxes, and ring-tail cats.

Mid-Elevation and High-Country Habitats

Cooler conditions are found on slopes at middle elevations, from 3,900 to 5,500 feet (1,200 to 1,700 meters). Here, you'll see small forests of pinyon pine and juniper trees. They grow alongside shrubs like manzanita, cliffrose, serviceberry, scrub oak, and yucca. Higher up, on the mesas and cliffs above 6,000 feet (1,800 meters), you'll find stands of ponderosa pine, Gambel oak, Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir, White fir, manzanita, and aspen trees.

Desert bighorn sheep are often visible near the roadway in the park.

Birds like golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, peregrine falcons, and white-throated swifts fly in these areas. Desert bighorn sheep were brought back to the park in 1973. California condors were also reintroduced nearby, and in 2014, the first successful condor breeding in the park was confirmed. Nineteen different kinds of bats also live in the area.

Riparian Zones: Life by the Water

Along streams and rivers, you'll find boxelder, Fremont cottonwood, maple, and willow trees. These plants create special communities called riparian zones. Animals like bank beavers, flannel-mouth suckers (a type of fish), gnatcatchers, dippers, canyon wrens, the virgin spinedace (another fish), and water striders all make their homes in these watery areas.

Fun Activities in Zion National Park

Park rangers at the visitor centers in Zion Canyon and Kolob Canyons are ready to help you plan your visit. You can enjoy guided horseback riding trips, nature walks, and evening programs from late March to early November. The Junior Ranger Program is available all year for children aged 4 and up at the Nature Center, Human History Museum, and visitor centers. A bookstore at the Zion Canyon visitor center offers books, maps, and souvenirs. The Grotto in Zion Canyon, the visitor center, and the viewpoint at the end of Kolob Canyons Road are the only designated picnic spots. The visitor center also uses cool environmental technology like windcatchers for passive cooling and solar panels for electricity.

Hiking Trails for All Ages

The Subway, a slot canyon within the Kolob Terrace section

Zion Canyon has seven trails that take from half an hour (like Weeping Rock) to 4 hours (like Angels Landing) to complete. In the Kolob Canyons section, near Cedar City, two popular trails are Taylor Creek (4 hours round trip) and Kolob Arch (8 hours round trip). Hiking up into The Narrows from the Temple of Sinawava is very popular in summer. However, if you want to hike beyond Big Springs, you need a special permit. The full Narrows hike from Chamberlain's Ranch is a challenging 16-mile (26-kilometer) one-way trip that usually takes 12 hours. A shorter option is to enter The Narrows through Orderville Canyon. Both Orderville and the full Narrows require a backcountry permit. Entering the Parunuweap Canyon section downstream of Labyrinth Falls is not allowed. Other popular backcountry trails include the West Rim and LaVerkin Creek. The more wild parts of Zion include the Kolob Terrace and the Kolob Canyons. A network of trails, totaling 50 miles (80 kilometers), connects the park's northwest corner (Lee Pass Trailhead) to its southeast section (East Rim Trailhead). This route, known as the Zion Traverse, offers backpackers a diverse experience of the park.

Camping and Places to Stay

Zion Lodge accommodations

You can stay inside the park at Zion Lodge, which is located halfway through Zion Canyon. More places to stay are available just outside the park in Springdale.

Zion has three campgrounds: South and Watchman are at the far southern end of the park. There's also a simpler campsite at Lava Point, located in the middle of the park off Kolob Terrace Road. If you want to camp overnight in the backcountry, you will need a permit.

See also

In Spanish: Parque nacional Zion para niños

• List of national parks of the United States
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Zion National Park
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Iron County, Kane County and Washington County, Utah