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On a road trip through Utah, we stayed in an RV park in Hurricane. A lady asked me about the crowds and parking at Zion National Park.
She had seen the images on social media with people overrunning the park and feared the worst. So, I told her about our experiences and gave tips.
We visit often, and trust me, it’s way better with elbow room. I’ll tell you what to know and what to expect, as this may help you plan your visit.
The Crowds at Zion National Park
Many people love to explore beautiful landscapes, and you’ll find the masses here. I’ll run through when not to go and go times to go.
We’ve been able to enjoy amazing views and beauty in solitude at the park. And we didn’t have to get up at the crack of dawn to do it.
Come Early or Late
Zion is open year-round, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. According to the National Park Service, it gets busy after 10 a.m.
This is the case with many national parks we have visited. So you can avoid big crowds by going early.
The early bird catches the worm!
If you head to the park early, you can spend more time sightseeing, picnicking, and hiking with fewer people around.
Maybe you don’t want to get up early. We’ve gone after the entrance booths close at 5 p.m., and the park was not crowded at all.
Plus, the sun sets later in the summer, so we have time to enjoy.
However, check the bus schedule if you ride the bus on the scenic drive. The park may be open all day, but the buses do not run all day.
You don’t want to start a hike in the evening and miss the last bus back. The rangers will not give you a ride back!
You could end up walking several miles in the dark. Yikes!
Summer Is Busy
Summer is a busy time of year with big crowds at the park. Kids don’t have school, so we see a lot of families during this time.
Many international travelers may be on holiday, like to venture out. Summer also brings nice weather for outdoor activities.
On one road trip, the sun scorched the land when we traveled through the Mohave Desert to Utah. A major heatwave had hit part of the US.
So we assumed many people wouldn’t be out in this kind of heat. When we got to the RV park on Friday, about 10 miles away from Zion, the temperature hit 100°.
But once we entered Zion, it dropped to 75°. What a dramatic difference!
This kind of pleasant weather was perfect for exploring and hiking. So, of course, many people will be out.
During the early spring, we saw beautiful snow-capped mountains. It was a bit chilly, and the crowds weren’t as bad.
Weekends Are Busy
Whenever we have visited during the week, we have dealt with smaller crowds. But on Saturday and Sunday, those weekend warriors come out to play.
So if you can have flexibility in your schedule, I’d aim to visit during the week. Once we came on a weekday afternoon in the fall, and the park was empty.
With few people in the park, this gave us an advantage. We had plenty of space to pull over, take pictures, and explore.
We could look at anything without people crowding around. Without the traffic, we drove through the tunnels alone.
But when we returned on the weekend, we waited in long lines everywhere in the park. We entered at 2:30 p.m., and there was a lot of traffic.
Unlike the evening before, the long lines at the entrance went down the street.
Holidays Are Busy
We tend to travel during the holidays. Of course, we ran into many people at Zion and everywhere else.
It’s one of the busiest times of the year! No matter where you go, holiday travel is always busy.
Many people have time off and take advantage of the long weekends, including us.
We have to drive through three states to reach Utah. Leaving on a Thursday night would clear us of traffic, right?
Hmmm… in a perfect world, that would have worked.
Everyone else must have thought the same thing. We assumed everyone would leave Friday morning.
Lo and behold, they also hit the road Thursday evening to get out of town. Ideally, we should have left even earlier in the week.
Hiking with the Crowds
Many people come to Zion to hike the many trails. If you want to hike during busy times, the National Park Service recommends arriving 90 minutes before your hike.
Yes, allow plenty of time for waiting. Big crowds led to long lines. You’ll have to wait at the entrance and for the buses.
We took the shuttle through Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. The wait wasn’t too long, butmany people crammed onto the bus.
We rode until the last stop on the route, The Temple of Sinawava. Then we hiked the Riverside Walk to The Narrows.
I wrote a blog post describing our experience hiking with many people on the trail. Although it was beautiful, some areas got way too crowded for me.
Parking at Zion National Park
If you travel in a big rig, like we do, you might wonder where you’ll park. Even if you travel in a car, you still might worry. Here’s the situation.
Parking in Springdale
Before reaching the south entrance of the park, you’ll pass the city of Springdale. There are many restaurants and shops in the area.
There’s also lots of street parking. However, when it’s busy at the park, the spots fill up miles down the road.
We saw signs that warned people that the parking lots inside Zion were full. You might find parking areas for bus commuters, but they fill up fast.
They have a free shuttle bus that goes from Springdale to the park. Look for the Springdale Line or the Zion Canyon Line.
We also saw many people walking and biking to the park down this street. We could’ve done that too.
However, traveling in a long Sprinter van limited our parking options. We’d have to squeeze in somewhere.
So if you have a big rig, it might be easier to find parking on the streets if you go very early or wait until the evening.
After 5 p.m., we usually find plenty of street parking. Many people leave the park by this time.
Zion Canyon Visitor Center Parking
The visitor center has a large parking area. They also have an oversized lot for vans, RVs, and big trucks.
We couldn’t believe the regular cars that were parked in oversized parking spaces. So, we couldn’t find anything there!
I guess no one monitors this area. So, heads-up if you have an RV, big truck, or van! Hopefully, that won’t be the case when you go.
We found parking in the regular lot on a crowded weekend by waiting. But we had to drive around and finally got a corner spot. Great timing!
You might find a spot by driving around a few times. I saw many people coming and going. So, someone is bound to leave eventually.
We always figure that if we don’t find parking, we’d drive on the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway and park in a pullout.
Parking Along Zion-Mount Carmel Highway
There are many places to park along Zion-Mount Carmel Highway if you choose to drive your own car. They have pullouts where you can enjoy the views and take pictures.
Some people park alongside the road around curves, so be careful when driving through. We’ve seen some people park haphazardly.
When we visit in the evening, it’s much easier to find parking roadside and at viewpoints. And our rig is longer than the average camper van.
Travel Notes
When we took the bus back to the visitor parking lot after 5 p.m., there were more empty spots. Plus, there was a lot of street parking available.
We saw no staff at the entrance, but a few people were coming in. You can still enter the park, but display your pass on your vehicle.
Even if we come at peak times, we like to ask staff at the visitor center which places aren’t so crowded. That has been very helpful.
Final Thoughts
Zion National Park is a beautiful place to visit and even nicer without the crowds. Timing a visit right might give you a better experience.
Let’s hope you can enjoy and see the views without too many people in the way. You’ll have to tell me about your trip!
More Travel Adventures
I have other related posts on my blog. You might want to check them out.
- We explored Zion National Park, and our adventure through the canyons was beautiful!
- We like to stay at Zion River Resort when visiting the park, and it’s only 10 miles away.
- If you like camping with lakeside views, Quail Creek State Park is also nearby.
I’d love to hear all about your travel stories!
Originally published: September 17, 2024
