Zion National Park is beautiful. Ask anyone who’s ever visited and they’ll be sure to tell you about how amazing it is and how you could spend days exploring the park. Well, not everyone has days to spend at one park. So, I put together what I think is a perfect itinerary for one day in Zion National Park. You’ll see some amazing scenery, do some epic hiking, and even squeeze in a scenic drive too.
About This Itinerary
This one day itinerary contains a decent amount of hiking. That said, the hiking is broken up into smaller hikes, so rather than one long 8+ mile hike, it’s a series of smaller hikes, with ample time to take a break. Plus, for those who feel like it’s still too much hiking, I’ll give some advice about which hikes I recommend cutting.
The time of year will impact how this itinerary works. Not necessarily because of which hikes are available to you (although if you’re in winter, it’s important to keep an eye out for snow and ice warnings), but because of the Zion Shuttle Service.
From March through November, you’ll need to utilize the free Zion shuttle service to access areas along the Scenic Canyon. If you’re traveling from November to March (through the winter season), the shuttle shuts down and you are allowed to take your own vehicle on the scenic drive. However, even though you can take your vehicle on the scenic drive, rangers will shut the scenic drive when parking lots get completely full. In these situations, you’ll need to park outside of the scenic drive and walk in.
One Day in Zion National Park
I’m officially starting your one day in Zion National Park at 8:00 am, but you’ll need to start even earlier. You’ll want to be at your first trailhead by 8:00, so depending on where your hotel is, you may need to leave at 7:30 or even earlier.
8:00 – Canyon Overlook Trail
I’m starting the morning off at the Canyon Overlook Trail. This is the one trailhead that you’ll need to have your own vehicle for, regardless of what time of the year you travel. But it’s my favorite hike at Zion, so I had to include it in this itinerary.
The big caveat to this trail is that parking sucks. The lot is very small and parking on the road is limited. If you get a spot, amazing! Get out and hike this trail. If you don’t get a spot, go explore other areas of the park and try again later.
It’s hit and miss as to how busy it will be. On my first visit to Zion, I got to the trailhead early in the morning and barely got a spot. On my second visit, I had a similar experience when I hiked this trail in mid afternoon. However, the next day I drove through early in the morning and there were so many spaces available—even in the small parking lot.
Now that the logistics are out of the way, let’s talk about the actual trail. It is short, a mile round trip hike (although more can be added depending on how far away you need to park). While there is some elevation gain, it’s less than 500 feet and I never felt like it was anything strenuous. The hike itself is fun, but the highlight is the main canyon overlook. The views are absolutely phenomenal.
Honestly, this is my favorite view of Zion National Park, so by doing this hike first, it may seem all down hill from here (but there’s still some incredible views). However, the parking situation sucks, so I want to start here first so if you don’t get a parking spot, you’ll have time later in the afternoon to try again.
9:00 – Scenic Drive to Canyon Bridge Junction
Depending on where you came from, you may or may not have driven the Mount Carmel Highway. If you came from Springdale, or anywhere west of Zion, you already drove this road. If you visited the Canyon Overlook Trail from Mount Carmel Junction, or anywhere from the east of Zion, you haven’t done this drive yet.
We’ll get back to hiking soon, but I want to give you plenty of time to get from the Canyon Overlook Trail to your next trail because the Mount Carmel Highway is beautiful. You’ll drive hairpin turns as you snake your way down the canyon. Do you remember that very curvy road that you saw at the end of the Canyon Overlook Trail? That’s the road you’re driving now.
There’s pullouts along the way, so stop and take some photos and enjoy the views.
Where exactly you’ll end up depends on when you visit Zion National Park. If you’re visiting during the winter months and the shuttle isn’t running, you can take your own vehicle straight to the next hike. If you’re visiting any other time of the year, you’ll need to find a safe place to park your vehicle and utilize the park shuttle.
If you’re early enough in the day, you can check to see if there’s any parking at the Zion Visitor Center. If there is, you’re lucky. Park your car and jump on the shuttle stop at the Visitor Center. If you don’t find a spot at the Visitor Center, head back to Springdale. If you’re staying at a hotel in Springdale, park at the hotel. If you’re not a guest at one of the local hotels, you’ll need to park in one of the paid lots throughout the town of Springdale. Park legally and be prepared to pay. There’s information online about rates and all of the different public parking lots at the Springdale’s website.
Once parked, you can either walk back to the Visitor Center (if you found a lot that is very close to the Zion entrance) or you can utilize the Springdale shuttle which connects the town of Springdale to the Zion Visitor Center (where you can then transfer to the Zion Canyon Shuttle which will take you into the park).
One important note. If you park in the town of Springdale, do not leave your Zion pass in your vehicle. You’ll need to show your pass once you exit the Springdale Shuttle. On my first visit, I forgot my pass in my car and had to return to Springdale to pick it up before I could continue into the park (either that or pay an additional entrance fee). Don’t make the same mistake I did.
9:30 – Emerald Pools
Finally it’s time to start hiking again. For those driving, you’ll want to look for parking at The Grotto (Stop #6). If that’s full, try the parking lot at Zion Lodge (Stop #5). From the Zion lot, there’s a handy half mile trail that runs parallel to the road that connects the two lots. For those on the shuttle, get off at Stop #6 for The Grotto.
Unsurprisingly, the Emerald Pools Trail takes you to the Emerald Pools. There’s the Upper Pools which are the hardest to hike to (although I wouldn’t call it difficult). The Middle Pools are easier reach, but the Lower Pools can be closed in winter (due to concerns of falling ice).
For me, the Emerald Pools Trail was more about the journey than the destination. I really enjoyed the views of the canyon as I hiked but I couldn’t help but feel disappointed when I finally reached the Upper Pools. Maybe it’s more impressive during a visit in summer, but I didn’t find the end destination that impressive. But since this hike rates highly on AllTrails and some of the other pictures I’ve seen from this trail look nice, I have to imagine that I wasn’t here during the right time of the year.
I logged 2.69 miles and 663 feet of elevation gain over 1 hour and 25 minutes. Note that access to the Lower Pools was restricted during my visit due to concerns of falling ice. If this feels like a lot (considering there’s a decent amount of hiking on this one day itinerary), consider doing this hike but skipping the Upper Pool. In my opinion, it’s the hike to the Upper Pool that adds the difficulty (mostly because it’s all uphill). Skipping the Upper Pool means skipping about 0.6 miles and 400 feet of elevation change (bringing your total hike to just over 2 miles with only 250 feet of elevation gain).
11:30 – Scenic Drive to Temple of Sinawava
After your hike, it’s time to continue further into the canyon. Either get in your car or jump back on the shuttle and ride all the way to the end of the Canyon Junction Scenic Drive. You’ll arrive at the Temple of Sinawava (Stop #9). The journey is beautiful.
11:45 – Riverside Walk
The Riverside Walk is a trail that takes you from the very end of the Zion Canyon Shuttle to the start of The Narrows. Like the name suggests, it takes you along the river with the canyon walls towering all around you. The hike was beautiful and fairly easy, making it one of my favorites at Zion National Park.
I logged 2.25 miles over 50 minutes. Now my tracker says I did 719 feet of elevation gain, but I know there is no way I did that. The NPS website says this trail has 57 feet of elevation gain which feels significantly more accurate.
1:15 – To the Court of the Patriarchs
It’s time to start working your way back down the scenic drive and to the Visitor Center. This area is beautiful and there’s one more stop you can make. Admittedly, I skipped the Court of the Patriarchs on my visit because I simply ran out of time, but I’m including it on this itinerary.
You can stop here for a short, scenic walk around what’s known as the Court of the Patriarchs. This area gets its name because of the names of the peaks: Isaac, Abraham, and Jacob. Unsurprisingly, these peaks were named by a minister and reference father figures from the Bible.
If you’re riding the shuttle (or driving yourself), you’ll want to look for Shuttle Stop #4.
2:00 – Visitor Center
We’re back at the Visitor Center after a very busy few hours. At this point, it’s up to you how you want to finish your day. Since we did a bunch of hiking already, I want to leave the choice up to you. But here’s a few suggestions.
First, if you weren’t able to hike to the Canyon Overlook Trail earlier in the day, try again now. And once you finish it, you could continue the Mount Carmel Highway all the way to the eastern entrance of Zion National Park. The road in the eastern section of the park looks dramatically different than the western section.
Second, you could take a stroll along the Pa’Rus Trail which runs from the Visitor Center to Canyon Junction Bridge. From the Canyon Junction Bridge, you can hop on the shuttle back to the visitor center. I hiked this trail on my first visit to Zion National Park. Honestly, it was just ok.
Third, take a break and head back to Springdale. Eat a good meal and do some shopping in town.
How Long Do You Need at Zion National Park
How long you need depends on how much hiking you want to do. I’d say for the average visitor, you could see and do most of the main sights in one, very busy day. Two days at Zion will give you a bit more time so you can explore more in depth and not feel as rushed. For those you love hiking, you could spend a week at Zion and have plenty of interesting hikes to do.
With More Time
For those with more than one day in Zion National Park, I’d suggest looking into some of the other, longer hikes. Use this itinerary for your first day, but then for every other day, you can add one one new hike. Consider Angel’s Landing or the East Rim Trail to Observation Point.
When to Visit Zion National Park
It is possible to visit Zion National Park all year round. Summers are hot and can have very high crowds.
In winter, crowds get so low that the Zion shuttle stops its operation. But winter also comes with the chance of snow, ice, and cold temperatures on your hikes. Still, with the right preparation and flexibility, winter in Zion can be an excellent time to visit.
Spring and fall can offer a nice balance between crowds and weather.
I’ve visited Zion twice, once in October and once in March. The weather in October was lovely, but the park was busy. In March, the shuttle was not running, but there were still enough crowds that rangers needed to close the Canyon Scenic Drive by mid afternoon. The temperatures were cool but with plenty of layers, it was manageable.
Where to Stay on Your Visit to Zion National Park
Springdale, Utah is right outside the main entrance to Zion National Park and has its own shuttle that links up with the main Zion shuttle. This makes Springdale the ideal place to base yourself for Zion National Park. However, Springdale is expensive, particularly during peak seasons. For those on a budget, there’s a few other options.
On my first visit to Zion, I spent the night in Mount Carmel Junction which is just a 15 drive from the eastern entrance of the park. Prices can be high but are significantly more reasonable than Springdale.
On my second visit to Zion, I based myself in Hurricane which was a 35 minute drive from Springdale and the western entrance of the park. I stayed here during the off season (the first weekend in March) and got a fantastic deal on a hotel. Prices here were significantly less than what I saw in Springdale.
Other options include La Verkin (30 minutes from Springdale) and Kanab (35 minutes from the eastern entrance).
Getting to Zion National Park
Your best option for getting to Zion National Park is having your own vehicle. If you do not have your own vehicle, you’ll likely need to utilize an expensive shuttle service that connects Springdale with one of the nearby airports. St. George, Utah is just an hour from Springdale but has limited flights. Las Vegas is a 2 and a half hour drive from Springdale (although there is an hour time change on the way).
My Visit(s) to Zion National Park
So far, I’ve visited Zion National Park twice. My first visit was very rushed as I didn’t have enough time to dedicate to the park. I was visiting Zion as part of my 10 Days in Utah National Parks road trip and I only ended up with a half day at Zion. This was not ideal, but I did get to drive the Mount Carmel Highway, hike the Canyon Overlook Trail, and see a bit of scenery on the Pa’Rus Trail.
Two and a half years later, I visited Zion again on a long weekend to southern Utah. This time I gave myself one full day to explore and was able to hike Emerald Pools, The Grotto Trail, Riverside Walk, and the Canyon Overlook Trail again. This second trip was all about redemption and trying to figure out why everyone ranks Zion National Park so high on their list of favorite parks. After this trip, I figured it out. Zion is beautiful.
My advice to a great visit is to hike the Canyon Overlook Trail and try to do a hike on the Canyon Scenic Drive (I recommend Riverside Walk).
Final Thoughts
Zion National Park is a hiker’s paradise. For those who love hiking and have a lot of time available, you could easily spend days hiking across this national park. But for those with limited time, you can cover the highlights in one very busy day.
Continue Your Adventure
Zion National Park: If you love hiking, make sure you check out my guide to the best hikes at Zion National Park. If you’re planning a winter visit, make sure to check out my top tips.
Utah’s Mighty Five: Zion is one of five national parks in Utah. Don’t miss the dramatic rocks at Arches National Park, the unique scenery at Canyonlands National Park, the feeling of solitude (if you time your visit right) at Capitol Reef National Park, and the jaw dropping Bryce Canyon National Park.
More in Utah: The national parks are great, but don’t skip out on other scenery. Snow Canyon State Park is gorgeous and has an epic hike.
Itineraries: Visit all of Utah’s Mighty Five, plus the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley, in this epic 10 day road trip. Or if you are short on time, consider this long weekend itinerary.