Canyon Junction - Where the River Meets the Road

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

At Canyon Junction the road splits. One branch climbs east as the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway, built between 1927 and 1930, which passes through a tunnel more than a mile long with large windows cut through the cliff. The other branch is the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, which you will follow up canyon on the shuttle.

Walk onto the bridge and look down at the North Fork of the Virgin River. It may look gentle, but it is one of the steepest-falling rivers in North America, dropping 50 to 80 feet for every mile, and it carries millions of tons of rock and sand out of the canyon each year. Most of that work happens during floods, when the river turns brown and loud.

The view south from here, with the river curving toward the Watchman, is one of the most photographed in the park. Stay on the sidewalk and watch for traffic and cyclists.

Getting here: Walk to the end of the Pa'rus Trail at Canyon Junction, or ride the shuttle one stop from the museum.

Did you know?: The Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel is about 1.1 miles long and has six large windows opening onto the cliff face.

Photo op: From the bridge, frame the Virgin River curving toward the Watchman, best near sunset.

Nearby: No restrooms here; the nearest are at the Human History Museum or ahead at Zion Lodge.

More on Wikipedia: Zion - Mount Carmel Highway · Virgin River

Canyon Junction - Where the River Meets the Road

Stops on this tour