Is One Day In Zion enough?

Zion is one my absolute favorite national parks! It is even featured on my Top 5 U.S. National Parks list. And while Zion National Park is a gorgeous place with a million things to do, it is definitely possible to pack all the best attractions into one day. But, be aware, Zion is the most crowded park I have ever visited. So, between getting caught up behind groups on trails, and having to wait longer for the next available shuttle, it is easy to fall off schedule. So, I would recommend getting to the park EARY! I entered the park around 6:30 a.m. and I still would of preferred a bit later.

Zion Canyon Overlook Trail

For this itinerary, you will want to enter Zion through either the south or east entrance of the park. I would recommend the east entrance so you get to drive through the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel following this hike. Then, you are going to drive over to the Canyon Overlook Trailhead. There is not a lot of parking in this area, but when I arrived around 6:45 a.m., I had no issues.

Zion Canyon Overlook Trail is an easy 1 mile out an back hike that is the perfect way to start your morning. The views at the top are some of the best in the entire park. Bonus if you are at the overlook for sunrise!

Zion Canyon Visitor Center

Now it is time to go secure your parking spot at the visitor center. Most of the time, Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, Zion’s main road, is closed off to all vehicles and you can only take the shuttle. You will be using the shuttle to get everywhere for the rest of your day, so if you cannot secure a parking spot at the visitor center, you will probably have to exit the park and take a shuttle to get back in. The good thing about Zion is that they have a very simple, well organized shuttle system compared to other parks. The map is easy to follow and

After you are finished exploring the visitor center, it is time to hop on the shuttle and take it all the way to Temple of Sinawava, the final stop.

The Narrows/Riverside Walk

Depending on the season you visit Zion National Park, you can either hike The Zion Narrows Riverside Walk or The Narrows. While every stop on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is pretty busy, this one gets especially crowded, which is why I put it near the beginning of the day.

The Narrows are closed down for most of the spring because the snowmelt raises the Virgin River over 150 CFS. So, if The Narrows are closed during your visit, do the Riverside Walk instead!

The Narrows

The Narrows is a very popular hike in Zion that requires you to walk through the virgin river. Many people take multiple days to hike all 16 miles of the Narrows, but others just spend a few hours hiking a section of it. It is recommended that you rent a full dry suit, boots, neoprene socks, and poles, but I would say bring poles at the very least.

You can hike as much or as little of the Narrows as you would like. Just keep in mind that if it takes you an hour to get in, assume it will take you an hour to get back out. Going out is typically faster, but I would stick to that logic so you don’t run out of time in the park.

Additionally, after hiking the Narrows, you will probably be pretty wet, so either push this hike to the end of your day or bring towels, extra socks, and shoes to change into.

The Riverside Walk

On my visit to Zion National Park, the Narrows were closed down and I was so upset. However, we instead did the Riverside Walk and ended up having a blast!

The Riverside Walk is a paved trail along the Virgin River, allowing you to get some nice views of the Narrows. This is also the trail that most people take before beginning to hike the Narrows, so you get pretty close to the river, even though you can’t get in.

This is a 2 mile, out and back trail that people typically complete in about 45 minutes. However, because we spent so much time exploring the trail, it took us about 1.5 hours to complete it. So, you can decide how much time you want to spend in this area of the park.

Lunch Break

This is probably a good time to take a break for lunch. I would always recommend bringing your own food, since national park food is typically expensive and not the yummiest. But, if you are planning on eating at the park, the Zion Lodge has many options.

Another option is to take the shuttle back to your car and drive out to eat in Springdale. However, if you only have one day in the park, it is probably not worth the hassle.

Angels Landing/Scout Lookout

Next, you are taking the shuttle to The Grotto, and hiking the West Rim Trail up to either Scout Lookout or Angels Landing.

Both hikes require you to hike up the West Rim Trail. However in order to hike the extra .3 miles up to Angels Landing, you need to have a specific permit that you can apply for the day before or months in advance.

So, if you have a permit, you can hike the chains all the way up to Angels Landing, which is an intense climb, but offers the best views you can get in all of Zion National Park.

But, if you don’t have a permit, you can hike up to Scout Lookout, which is still an intense 3.6 mile round trip with 1,115 feet of elevation gain. The views at the lookout may not be as jaw dropping as Angels Landing, but they are still incredible and well worth the grueling climb up. You also get some pretty epic views of the canyon on the way up, giving you the perfect excuse to sit down and take a break.

Additional Hikes

At this point you are probably pretty exhausted, I know I was. So how you spend the rest of the day, depends on how much more you feel like doing. The following are some other epic hikes in the park that are still worth your time!

Emerald Pools Trail

The Emerald Pools Trail is 3 miles long and considered moderately challenging with 620 feet of elevation gain. The trail takes you to 3 different pools, but you don’t have to go to them all if you want to shorten the length of the hike.

I personally did not have the best experience on this hike as it had heavy traffic and we were pretty much walking in a line of people the entire time. But, there are still some pretty cool views, and some nice shade from the afternoon sun in the caves by the pools.

Pa’rus Trail

The Pa’rus Trail is an easy, paved, 3.2 mile out and back trail that is the perfect way to end your day at Zion National Park. It offers some nice views of the park with little elevation gain, giving you the chance to simply focus on the surrounding nature. The trailhead is also right by the visitor center, so it is the best hike to wind down after an amazing day!