National parks

Zion National Park, UT

Utah · Colorado Plateau

Entry $35 / vehicle

Scale 5.0M (2025)

Est. 1919

Season Mar-Nov

Red cliffs squeezing a river into a corridor you can wade through for a mile.

Getting there

St George (SGU) is 49 miles away and Las Vegas is about 2.5 hours. The scenic drive is shuttle-only in season; no entry reservation is needed.

Don't miss

Angels Landing - permit-only summit reached from a canyon shuttle stop
The Narrows - river hike from Temple of Sinawava, no permit needed
Zion Canyon Scenic Drive - private cars are barred in shuttle season

Best time to go

March to November while the free canyon shuttle runs daily. Canyon parking fills early, so arrive before 8am or stay in Springdale.

Nearby

Springdale Bryce Canyon Kolob Canyons

Costs and seasons change

Fees and visitor figures are taken from the National Park Service pages for this park; re-check nps.gov before you book. The planning copy is ours.

More like this

$35 / vehicle

Grand Canyon South Rim, AZ

Colorado Plateau

$35 / vehicle

Yellowstone Geysers, WY

Rocky Mountains

$35 / vehicle

Acadia National Park, ME

New England

Before you go

Do I need a reservation to visit the big parks?

Not at the time of writing. Yosemite dropped its timed-entry system, Grand Canyon states there is no timed entry, and Yellowstone does not require a vehicle reservation. Acadia is the exception: Cadillac Summit Road needs a $6 vehicle reservation between 20 May and 25 October 2026.

What does the $35 entrance fee actually cover?

One private vehicle and everyone inside it, for the park's stated period: seven days at Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Acadia, one to seven days at Zion. Motorcycles pay $30 and walkers or cyclists pay $20 per person.

Is there a surcharge for international visitors?

Yes. Each park page states that non-US residents aged 16 and over pay an additional $100 each, unless they hold an America the Beautiful annual pass or an annual park pass. It is per person, not per vehicle.