Getting around Zion w/o shuttle service

if you don’t stay at the lodge you have to take the park shuttle, once you get to that point. Private vehicles are not allowed past the lodge

Renting electric bicycles are very popular and cheap. This is an option.

Although, we took the park shuttle and it was easy as well.

You can hike from the visitor’s center on a paved path but it seems like you’d be fairly SOL without shuttle access.

Been in Zion for the last 3 days. More rules than a high security prison. How people get bus passes I’ll never know. Plus the people on the buses look like they are going off to concentration camps. Also the lines for busses at the Lodge (inside the park) are a few hundred yards long. No one we’ve spoken to knows anything about park access. It’s like one big guessing game.

Buying parking passes is another true wonders of the world. After buying the $24 pass to park all day, the machine charged us, but failed to give us a receipt because it was out of paper. Happened at 2 parking machines. Finally at the 3rd parking machine and $72 later, we were printed a parking receipt.

We have battled it out because it truly is one of the most beautiful places in the USA.

When you don’t get your bus pass/admission to the park, you can hike Watchman’s Trail. My kids renamed the trail “No Pass Trail” because everyone hiking the trail can’t figure out how to get passes into the park.

We went mountain biking at Guacamole Trail. Then we found out we could ride bikes in the park. So we rode mountain bikes to the lodge, as most people flew past us on E-Bikes.

My recommendation is to rent an E-Bike. You can stop and hike at your own will. Call and get them reserved a few weeks in advance. I can’t imagine how poorly the park is run when it’s slammed during summer.

I might regret posting this insider tip here being a 20+ year Utahn sworn to secrecy, but anyone making a trip to Zion check out the Kolob Canyons. Its still part of Zion NP, but no one ever goes there comparably to the main park. This visitors center is off of I-15 as you drive south towards Spingdale/Zion NP main entrance. There's also a "back way" off of HW 9 as you approach Springdale. That way gives you alot more access to great trails and camping spots - many of which are still unmarked - but you'll have to figure that out yourself.

Can ebikes be left at the trail heads?

Just got back from Zion. You don't have to reserve shuttle passes anymore. Shuttle lines were long at visitor center but after that were ok. Shuttles are still only vehicle day access in park, though they did let my elderly in laws drive their car to the Lodge.

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for a relatively short hike with amazing views, hit up the Canyon Overlook Trail. The trailhead is immediately upon exiting the east end of the Mt Carmel Tunnel (1.0 mile out, 2 miles total)

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I agree, this is a great hike. Be forewarned that even though there are 2 turnouts there, parking is limited and can often be hard to find a spot.

I wish we could have done Canyon Overlook. They are saying it may be closed permanently due to a large falling rock. If you have any more pictures I would love for you to post. My fiancé and I were very upset we missed that trail.

ETA: Everyone really already covered getting around, the shuttle service must have changed since we went at the end of March. We had to have a pass daily and it had to be at that exact time on your pass, there was no getting on at 8:30 if your pass was for 10:00. Once you got in the park you could not leave and re enter. Ebikes/bikes are the way to go if you want to get deep into the park. you could walk on a few trails near the welcome center.