24 hours in Zion: The Ultimate Itinerary

1. Hike the Narrows

Outside of Angel’s Landing, this is the hike Zion is known for. You literally walk in a river, there is no actual trail, through a staggering canyon. It is absolutely amazing and you cannot miss this experience. The trailhead is at the Temple of Sinawa which is at the very end of Zion Canyon Road. Make sure to at least make it to Wall Street which is about 3 miles into the hike. Check back soon for my dedicated post to hiking the Narrows with all the tips!

2. Bike the Zion Canyon Road

Of course a bike ride is on the must do activity list! Zion Canyon Road is closed to private vehicles for most of the year making it a perfect bike ride. Bike from the Visitor Center all the way to the Temple of Sinawa. Here you can even add on a hike through the Narrows. Avoid the headache of the shuttle and rent a bike or e-bike instead. For more details on biking through Zion, read my full post below.

How to Avoid Crowds at Zion National Park

biking to the narrows at zion national park

3. Walk Walter’s Wiggles

This is a series of 21 tight switchbacks that leads up to Scouts Landing which is the intersection between the West Rim Trail and Angel’s Landing trailhead. You can hike to this point without a permit and the views are worth the effort. Stop at the Grotto shuttle stop and stay right on the trail. Walter’s Wiggles are just under 2 miles into the hike, Don’t be fooled by a series of switchbacks about a mile in, I thought we were at the Wiggles already!

4. Drive the Zion-Mt. carmel Tunnel

It seems like this drive might be overlooked due to all the hiking trails around, but it is truly spectacular. Take the time to drive the 10 miles from the junction of Zion Canyon Road to the East ranger station. This route takes you through the mile-long Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel (watch for the windows for peek-a-boo views). On the other side of the tunnel it feels like you’re in the Disney movie “Cars” with beautiful red rock views at every turn. It is a pretty winding road, but totally worth the drive.

BONUS: just past the tunnel is a very small parking lot on the right where the trailhead to the Canyon Overlook Trail resides. This is a short 1 mile trail that starts with some stairs, follows a sandy trail and ends with just easy walking across the red rocks. The end opens up to some great canyon views and is worth the side trip if you can get a parking spot.

5. Milkshake at Porter’s

Reward yourself with all the activity with a delicious milkshake at Porter’s which is in the same building as Bumbleberry Gift Shop and Bakery (what a fantastic combination!). They had the best vanilla milkshake I’ve ever had and I highly recommend the burgers as well. Their gift store is huge and worth the visit as well.

Best Zion Travel Tips

Zion Canyon Road is closed to cars March-November. Be sure to check the road status before visiting. When the road is closed the only option is to use the park shuttles which can get extremely busy in the summer. To avoid the long wait times, rent a bike instead! Most e-bikes around town even include a holder for the walking stick needed in the Narrows.

The fee stations are typically open from 8am-5pm. Start your adventures early to avoid both the crowds and the national park pass fee. There is a pedestrian fee station before getting to the visitor center, but it was also closed when we biked through in the middle of the day. We went the entire weekend, in two national parks, without paying a fee.

Visit in the shoulder season to avoid the crowds. The park is the slowest between December and the beginning of March. I can’t imagine hiking the Narrows in the summer. It looks more like Disneyland than a peaceful river walk. We had the canyon basically to ourselves when we visited at the end of February. Weather can be variable, but we lucked out and had a sunny, 60 degree day.