Zion Canyon Visitor Center - Gateway to the Canyon

Photo: Han Zheng, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)

A stop on Zion Canyon, a free self-guided tour.

Start here, where the canyon opens toward the town of Springdale. The low building behind you opened in 2000, the same year the park launched its shuttle buses to end the traffic jams that once clogged the canyon road. It was designed to use far less energy than a typical building, with sun-warmed Trombe walls, natural daylight and cooling towers instead of standard air conditioning.

Look up at the cliffs. They are mostly Navajo Sandstone, the hardened remains of a vast field of sand dunes that covered this region roughly 190 million years ago. Over time the Virgin River cut down through them, carving the canyon you are about to ride into.

Pick up a map, check the day's conditions and shuttle times, and fill your water bottles. Summer temperatures here often climb above 100 degrees, and shade can be scarce. Then head for the Pa'rus Trail or the shuttle line to begin.

Getting here: Park at the Visitor Center or ride the free Springdale shuttle to its stop at the park entrance, then walk to the Visitor Center plaza.

Did you know?: The Visitor Center's cooling towers work without fans: water wets pads at the top, and the cooled, heavier air sinks down into the building on its own.

Photo op: From the plaza, frame the Watchman's layered peak rising above the Visitor Center roofline to the east.

Nearby: Restrooms, water bottle filling stations and a bookstore at the Visitor Center; food in Springdale just outside the entrance.

More on Wikipedia: Zion National Park · Navajo Sandstone · Springdale, Utah

Zion Canyon Visitor Center - Gateway to the Canyon

Stops on this tour