Epic One Day in Zion National Park Itinerary (2024)
I visited Zion National Park with my family in January as part of a longer trip from Las Vegas. We were exploring the nearby national and state parks. Zion was at the top of my list, and I was very excited to visit it as it is one of the most popular national parks in the US.
Being from California, I am a bit biased towards Yosemite National Park, but Zion blew my mind with its unique red sandstone cliffs and landscape, amazing canyons, and river views!
We stayed overnight in Zion but spent one day there overall, as we left in the morning after checkout.
Although I wish I had more time in Zion, one day was still enough to explore the main sights and do some easy to moderate hikes. Zion is beautiful, and I am definitely going to come back to explore more of it!
So, let’s get to the details of how to spend an amazing day in Zion National Park!
Looking for a Las Vegas to Zion tour instead of driving? Below is my top Zion tour recommendation:
➡ Zion and Bryce Canyon Small Group Tour from Las Vegas – small group day trip from Vegas that covers both Zion and Bryce National Parks in a day.
Zion 1 Day Itinerary Overview
Visiting Zion National Park is one of the most popular day trips from Las Vegas.
We drove from Las Vegas to Zion, which is a 2.5-hour drive, and stayed overnight in Zion Lodge. We wanted to start bright and early the next day to explore the sights.
With only one day in Zion, we explored the main Zion Canyon and east Zion, which is the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway.
Below is a quick overview of our Zion itinerary for one day:
- Early morning drive on the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway and hike the Canyon Overlook Trail for epic views.
- Hike the Emerald Pools Trail via Kayenta Trail to the upper and lower pools.
- Explore Zion Canyon scenic drive by car or shuttle.
- Explore Riverside Walk or Pa’rus Trail for a leisurely stroll with canyon views.
How to Spend One Day in Zion National Park
We visited Zion in January, and the Zion Shuttle was not running at that time. So we were able to drive on the Zion Canyon Road. It was off-season, and there were fewer crowds.
Note about Zion Shuttle: Between March and November (and the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays break), when the Zion Shuttle is running, you cannot drive your personal vehicle on the main Zion Canyon Road and must use the shuttle. You can still drive everywhere else in the park except for the Main Canyon Road during shuttle season.
The Zion Shuttle is only for stops on the main Zion Canyon Road. It does not go to the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway, where the Canyon Overlook trailhead is, and you will have to drive there in your own vehicle.
Although Zion National Park has several entrances, we entered the park from the south entrance at Springdale.
This itinerary includes exploring the main Zion Canyon scenic drive and East Zion’s Zion-Mount Carmel Highway, which are the two most scenic routes in the park. It also includes a couple of easy to moderate hikes.
Note: If you want to do a strenuous full-day hike such as Angels Landing or The Narrows, then your one-day itinerary would be as simple as just doing that day hike with all the necessary hiking gear.
Sunrise at Canyon Overlook Trail
One of the main reasons we stayed overnight inside the park at Zion Lodge was so that we could witness the sunrise in Zion. We wanted to hike the Canyon Overlook Trail at sunrise.
It was winter, so sunrise was around 7 AM that day. We got up in the morning and started our drive toward East Zion. Zion Canyon was so serene and peaceful in the morning.
While we were driving, we saw the first rays of sunlight hit the sandstone cliffs, and their tips glowed orange.
It was so beautiful that we parked at a roadside pullout to admire the view. We knew we missed sunrise from the Canyon Overlook, but glad we got to see this view!
Canyon Overlook trail in Zion National Park is a short one-mile round-trip hike with an elevation gain of 170 feet. It is one of the easiest trails if you want to see Zion Canyon from an elevated viewpoint.
As we did not have time for a strenuous hike to Scout Lookout, this was the best option for seeing an epic view.
To reach the trailhead, you have to drive on the scenic Zion-Mount Carmel Highway and through the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel. The parking lot is immediately to the right when you exit the tunnel. (parking lot pic from above)
The only drawback of this hike is the very limited parking. There is a small lot for about 9 cars. There are smaller parking lots further up the road, and you will have to walk back from there to the trailhead.
The trail itself is sandy with several rock steps and incline, as well as many areas with narrow ledges and moderate drop-offs.
The hike has some cool features, like a wooden plank bridge at the side of a cliff and a huge rock canopy.
The view from the top is really worth the short hike to the canyon overlook.
We saw epic views of Zion Canyon and Pine Creek Canyon, surrounded by the cliffs, towers, and temples of Zion.
Drive on Zion-Mount Carmel Highway
Zion-Mount Carmel Highway is a very scenic drive in east Zion, and I think it was even better than the main Zion Canyon scenic drive.
The towering red cliffs and the winding road are a sight to see. Even the road seemed red to me, maybe with the red dust from the red cliffs.
If you are going to the Canyon Overlook Trail from West Zion, then you will drive on the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway to reach the trailhead.
This drive is open for private vehicles all year, as the Zion shuttle does not go here.
There was a large pullout on the side of the road a little before the tunnel, wide enough to stop and take a picture.
Zion Canyon Scenic Drive
After returning from our morning hike, we went to Zion Lodge for breakfast.
The breakfast at the Lodge was buffet-style and was okay, but nothing great. When we reached it, it was their breakfast closing time. They had stopped refilling the buffet, so we ate whatever was still left.
Next, we started on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. The main Zion Canyon is spectacular, with tall sandstone cliffs on both sides and the Virgin River flowing on one side.
We drove in our car and parked at the stops to explore. If you are visiting during March and November or during the holiday break, you will need to use the shuttle to get to these stops.
Below is the order of the stops on the Zion Canyon Scenic drive by car or shuttle, along with the hiking trails that start from these stops.
- (Stop #1) Zion Canyon Visitor Center – Pa’rus Trail, Watchman Trail
- (Stop #2) Zion Human History Museum – Pa’rus Trail
- (Stop #3) Canyon Junction – Pa’rus Trail
- (Stop #4) Court of the Patriarchs – Court of the Patriarchs Trail
- (Stop #5) Zion Lodge – Emerald Pools Trail (access closed currently), The Grotto Trail, Sand Bench Trail
- (Stop #6) The Grotto – Emerald Pools Trail via Kayenta Trail, Scouts Lookout via West Rim Trail, Angels Landing
- (Stop #7) Weeping Rock – Weeping Rock trail, Observation Point
- (Stop #8) Big Bend
- (Stop #9) Temple of Sinawava – Riverside Walk, The Narrows
With only one day in Zion, it would be impossible to make all of the stops. So, I would advise you to pick a few hikes that interest you.
We went to Stop #6, The Grotto, for the Emerald Pools hike, which is an easy to moderate effort.
We wanted to drive all the way to Stop #9 and do the easy Riverside Walk hike, which takes you to the beginning of the Narrows (the famous river hike), but the road past the Grotto was closed that day due to traffic congestion. So we missed out on that.
So, instead, we went to Stop #2 for the easy Pa’rus Trail.
Emerald Pools Trail
Emerald Pools Trail in Zion National Park is an easy to moderate hike that takes you to three emerald pools – Lower, Middle, and Upper.
The total hike to both Lower and Upper pools is around 3 miles round trip with an elevation gain of around 325 feet. The hike is sandy and rocky and has some moderate drop-offs but no narrow or scary parts. It was a great hike and took us around 3 hours to complete.
Usually, there is an easy way to get to the Lower Emerald Pools from Stop #5 via the bridge opposite Zion Lodge. But the bridge at Zion Lodge was closed when we went, so we had to take the Kayenta Trail from the Grotto.
Kayenta Trail is a beautiful scenic sandy trail that runs parallel to the Virgin River. At about a mile in, there is a fork, and you can go down the steps to the Lower Emerald Pools or up the steps to the Upper Emerald Pools.
We first did the Middle and Upper Pools and then the Lower. I loved the Upper Emerald Pools. It was a shallow emerald-colored pool surrounded by canyon walls on three sides. Worth the uphill hike to reach it.
The Lower Emerald Pools usually has a waterfall, but there was no waterfall when we visited because it hadn’t rained or snowed yet. The trails were also very dry.
Overall, it was a beautiful hike with a different perspective of Zion Canyon and being surrounded by the iconic red sandstone cliffs of Zion.
Pa’rus Trail at Sunset
We couldn’t do the Riverside Walk trail as the road further up was closed on the day we visited, so we hiked the Pa’rus trail instead.
Pa’rus Trail is a great paved trail along the Virgin River where you can leisurely stroll towards the end of the day. This is the only trail in Zion where pets are allowed. It is also great for biking.
You can start the trail from Stop #1, 2 or 3. We started from stop#2 at the Zion Humane History Museum and walked up to Canyon Junction and back. You can also take the shuttle back. Note that the connector to Pa’rus trail from Stop #2 is not paved and has some steps.
I can imagine this trail would also be great in the summer months for a nighttime walk and some stargazing.
Where to stay in Zion
Even though this is a one-day itinerary for Zion, we stayed overnight at Zion Lodge the night before to have a full day of exploring the park.
Staying inside Zion National Park
I highly recommend staying inside the National Park at Zion Lodge if you can find accommodation. It’s ideal if you are staying just for a night or two. That way, you will be closer to the hiking trails and attractions and will be able to do more with your time in Zion.
We visited during winter, so we were able to find accommodation at Zion Lodge. The lodge room was very comfortable for our overnight stay, and we had a view of the red sandstone cliffs from our balcony.
Staying in Springdale
For a longer stay, a hotel in Springdale might be better, as food options inside the park are somewhat limited.
The town of Springdale is the next best thing, and right outside the park entrance. There are several restaurants in Springdale for breakfast, dinner, and getting a to-go lunch to enjoy in the park.
During the summer months, there is a Springdale shuttle that makes stops in town and drops you at the Visitor Center inside the park, from where you can board the Zion Shuttle.
During my research on where to stay in Zion, Hampton Inn and Suites in Springdale was my next best option if we did not find accommodation at Zion Lodge. The hotel has large rooms and amenities like free breakfast and pool. The Springdale shuttle stop is right outside the hotel.
How to get to Zion National Park
The closest major airport to Zion National Park is McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, about 170 miles (3 hours drive) west of the park.
Another option is the Salt Lake City International Airport, approximately 300 miles (4.5 hours drive) north of Zion.
From either airport, you can rent a car to drive to the park.
The fastest way to reach Zion is to fly into Las Vegas. We flew into Vegas (from San Francisco) and rented a car to drive to Zion. It took us around 2.5 hours to reach Zion.
We stopped at Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park on our way from Las Vegas to Zion. It was a really nice park with amazing red rock scenery (very different from Zion and worth it!) and some cool hikes, like the Fire Wave hike.
Zion is accessible via State Route 9 if you are driving from within Utah or from neighboring states. The drive is scenic, especially as you approach the park, with towering red cliffs and canyons.
Zion National Park entrance fee
You will need to pay the Zion National Park Entrance Fee of $35 per vehicle if entering by car. We used our ‘America the Beautiful’ annual pass ($80 for a full year of entrances into US National Parks).
If you are using the Springdale Shuttle and entering the park on foot via the pedestrian bridge, you will pay the pedestrian fee of $20 per person.
How to get around Zion
During peak season from March to November (and also during Thanksgiving and Christmas break), Zion National Park operates a free Springdale shuttle bus service.
The Springdale Shuttle takes visitors from the town of Springdale to the South Entrance; you cross over to the Visitor Center via a pedestrian bridge and the Zion Shuttle bus that starts at the Visitor Center and goes to various trailheads on the main Zion Canyon Road.
When the Zion shuttle is running, you cannot drive your own car on the main Zion Canyon Road. We went in January when the shuttles were not running so we could drive on Zion Canyon Road.
If you want to drive on East Zion’s Zion-Mount Carmel Highway and the tunnel (you should, as it is very scenic!), you will have to drive in your own car as the Zion shuttle does not go there.
Biking is another great way to explore Zion. Bikes are allowed on park roads (except the tunnel) and the Pa’rus Trail. The Zion shuttle has a bike rack if you want to bike one way only. Zion Outfitter outdoor sports store, right outside the park entrance, has bikes available for rent.
When is the best time to visit Zion
We visited Zion in January during the winter. It was way less crowded, and parking at trailheads was easier. We could not hike Angels Landing or The Narrows (imagine how cold the water would be!), but we weren’t planning to anyway with just one day to explore Zion.
I imagine Spring (April to May) and Fall (September to November) to be great times to visit, too, weather-wise, with fewer crowds. Spring would have waterfalls, wildflowers, and greenery, and the Fall season would have fall foliage on display.
Summer (June to August) is the peak season for Zion, attracting crowds and high temperatures. While this period offers extended daylight hours for exploring the park, it can get very hot during the day for hiking. Make sure to start early or later in the day to beat the heat and the crowds.
Final Takeaways: Zion National Park in One Day
Although one day is not enough to see everything that Zion National Park has to offer, it is enough to see the main sights and do a couple of hikes.
We enjoyed the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive and the amazing Zion-Mount Carmel Highway. We were also able to hike the Canyon Overlook Trail for some epic views and the Emerald Pools trail for am experience deep in the canyons with water features.
Zion National Park is now at the top of my list of favorite US national parks, along with Yosemite! I can’t wait to visit it again!
Up next, check out some of these easy hikes in Zion National Park.
