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Zion National Park Info:
The National Park Service (NPS) offers a fee free day each year, usually on Founder's Day, August 25, but this year and perhaps in the future the fee free day will be September 20th.
Zion Visitors Center:
The Zion Visitors Center is open 8 am to 7 pm in the summer with shorter hours the rest of the year.On Christmas Day the Zion Visitors Center does close. Exhibits are displayed here and some of the ranger talks are held outside on the patio. The Visitors Center is accessible without getting on the shuttle and keep in mind that you do not have to get on the shuttle to drive the scenic drive through Zion or to access many of the Parks hikes. If you do wish to ride the shuttle you can get on board at either the Zion Visitors Center, the Zion Museum or there is limited parking at canyon junction located at the turn off into Zion Canyon. The majority of hikes in Zion Park are in Zion Canyon as well as some incredible views at each shuttle stop. Make sure to take the time to ride the shuttle into Zion Canyon as well as drive the incredible Zion Mt. Carmel Hwy from the South Entrance of Zion Park to Mount Carmel Junction.
Zion Air Quality
Zion National Park prides itself on the quality of its air. One indicator of clean air is the presence of large numbers of lichens growing throughout the park. These plants are sensitive to oxides of nitrogen and sulfur and can thrive where these are not present. When hiking the trails notice the abundant evidence of the symbiotic plant. Finding lichens in a city would be unlikely. Lichens are a combination of algal cells and fungal filaments living together in what is called a symbiotic relationship.
Biking in Zion
Bikes are allowed on established roads in Zion, but not on the trails with the exception of the paved Pa'rus Trail. This trail runs along the river and connects with the Zion Campgrounds. This is a great place for the family to get out and bike inside of Zion Park. Since the new shuttles run through Zion Canyon bike travel is dangerous in there due to the wide turns the shuttles make, but bike groups are seen often riding through the main highway through Zion Park, scenic byway 9. Travel through the Zion Mt. Carmel tunnel is by escort.
Zion Museum
The Zion Museum is the old Zion Visitors Center. Newly remodeled, but keeping its historic look, it offers a different perspective than the Zion Visitor Center. This is the place to stop to load up on books and posters of the park, including history, geology, flora, fauna, literature. A map of Zion Canyon and breif literature on the park will be given to you as you enter the gates, but for those who would like extra souvenirs and information the Zion Museum carries a large variety of items. Also of interest in the museum is a twenty-two minute orientation film shown daily every half hour starting at 8:30 am and repeating until 6:30 pm. in the summer, the times are reduced during the cooler months of the year. There are displays at the Museum pertaining to the Parks history and facts. The West Temple, ascending more than 4,100 ft, is the highest peak in the Southern section of Zion Park and can viewed from the back patio of the Zion Museum. The Zion Park Museum is accessible without getting on the shuttle and is also a site to get on or off the Zion Shuttle. The hours are 8 am to 7 pm in the summer with shorter operating hours the rest of the year. It is open year round with the exception of Christmas Day.
Next: Zion Ranger Talks and Zion Park Information
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