Zion · Things to do

5.4 miles round trip and 1,488 feet of climbing, about four hours, with chains bolted along the final half mile. Everyone who hikes it needs a permit from either a seasonal or a day-before lottery on recreation.gov, and day-before applications close at 3pm Mountain Time. You can walk as far as Scout Lookout, 2.25 miles and 1,000 feet up, without a permit.

Start at the Temple of Sinawava, walk the paved one-mile Riverside Walk, then wade upstream — anything from a few minutes to a strenuous 10-mile round trip to Big Spring. No wilderness permit is needed going bottom-up. It closes when flow tops 150 cfs, normal during spring melt, and for two hours after any flash flood warning; wear closed-toe boots and carry a stick, because sandals will not do.

Private cars are barred from the scenic drive throughout the shuttle season, so this is how you reach almost every trailhead. It is free with no ticket or reservation: nine stops from the visitor centre to the Temple of Sinawava, about 40 minutes end to end, buses every 5 to 10 minutes, daily from March through November and again around late December.

The park's northwest district at Exit 40 off Interstate 15, 40 miles from Zion Canyon and 17 miles south of Cedar City: narrow parallel box canyons with 2,000-foot walls and a five-mile scenic drive. Stop at the Kolob Canyons Visitor Center to pay or show an Interagency pass; there are over 20 miles of wilderness trails including Taylor Creek and Timber Creek Overlook, though wilderness permits are only issued down in Zion Canyon.

The Pa'rus is a multi-use foot and bike path linking the visitor centre to the scenic drive without touching the highway: 15mph limit, pedestrians have right of way, and the spur to the Human History Museum is closed to bikes. You may also ride the scenic drive itself, but you must pull over and stop completely so shuttles can pass, and bicycles cannot go through the Zion–Mount Carmel tunnel under their own power.