Standing at the bottom of Zion Canyon, it is easy to mistake the massive canyon walls for towering mountains! The unique and colorful sandstone of the region color the canyon another worldly cream, pink and red. Striking rock towers and mesas, steep canyons and flowing water create a wide variety of habitat at Zion National Park.

Visitors have an opportunity to explore the dramatic scenery and abundant life found here, as well as learn about the long history of human occupation, from Native Americans to explorations of John Wesley Powell, from the Mormon settlers to the early tourists and the push to protect and preserve this spectacular place.

—By Ann Froschauer

NPCA Recommends

A hike in one of the "less traveled" areas of the park is a truly unique experience. We recently hiked the Right Fork trail, on the western edge of the park. Hiking through an area that had recently burned and seeing the new growth coming up, spectacular vistas and finding a mountain lion track were really awe-inspiring.

Did You Know

Visitors to Zion have the opportunity to “take it all in” without worrying about driving and parking! A free shuttle from the gateway of Springdale offers boundless opportunities to explore the park while minimizing their impact to this beautiful place! 

Threats

According to a Center for the State of the Parks assessment (PDF) published in 2005, the park's operational budget is $3.5 million short of what is needed to adequately care for resources and provide visitor services. As a result of this shortfall, important resource protection projects go unfunded, and the park cannot afford to hire critical staff positions to support basic resource management functions.