Getting here
Most first trips enter through Springdale and the South Entrance. The East Entrance serves Mount Carmel Junction and Bryce routes, while current restrictions govern large vehicles on Zion–Mount Carmel Highway.
Arrival map
Las Vegas and St. George lead to Springdale and the South Entrance. Bryce Canyon and Kanab approach the East Entrance by the Zion–Mount Carmel Highway. The selected entrance affects lodging, parking, shuttle access, and the first park district reached.
Second Star gear guide
Road Trip Essentials
Road-trip packing list
Phone mounts, chargers, coolers, emergency supplies, and small car organizers for the drive to and from the destination.
Car Phone Mounts
$26.99
Road Trip Coolers
$275.00
Car Emergency Kits
$69.95
Choose the entrance
Las Vegas and St. George arrivals reach Springdale through Hurricane and La Verkin. Bryce Canyon and Kanab arrivals approach through Mount Carmel Junction and the Zion–Mount Carmel Highway. Visitors staying in Springdale should use the South Entrance rather than driving the east road merely to begin a canyon shuttle day.
Harry Reid International Airport is followed by a desert drive through Mesquite and St. George to Springdale.
A smaller regional airport near St. George, followed by the drive through Hurricane and La Verkin to Springdale.
Salt Lake City International Airport requires a long Interstate 15 drive south through central and southwestern Utah before the turn toward Springdale.
The South Entrance town provides shuttle access, restaurants, paid parking, and gear rentals.
East-side lodges, canyoneering outfitters, and the Zion–Mount Carmel Highway sit beyond the main-canyon shuttle route.
Bryce Canyon and Kanab connect naturally with the East Entrance, but each is too far away for an early Zion Canyon shuttle start.
Check National Park Service (NPS) alerts for weather, tunnel restrictions, flash-flood risk, and seasonal shuttle operations.
Check current conditions →Vehicles above current National Park Service size or weight limits cannot travel between Canyon Junction and the East Entrance. Check the limits before approaching Zion–Mount Carmel Highway.
Check large-vehicle limits →
The Springdale town shuttle links lodging and paid parking with the pedestrian entrance. The park shuttle begins inside Zion at the Visitor Center and continues along Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. They are separate systems, so confirm both schedules before an early canyon start.
Road-trip branches
Leave east through Mount Carmel Junction for Kanab or Bryce Canyon. Leave west through Springdale, La Verkin, and Interstate 15 for St. George or Las Vegas. Reach Kolob Canyons from its own Interstate 15 entrance on the western route, not during an East Zion day.
Keep exploring
Springdale covers Zion’s South Entrance; Yosemite adds a separate granite-valley and Sierra road trip.
