I work in Zion and these are some of my tips for visiting the park!

Arrive early and there are higher chances you will find parking at the Visitor Center.  Arrive late and you will probably have to park in the town of Springdale and then take the shuttle to Zion Village.

Parking inside Zion can fill up early in the morning.  Park near one of the eight shuttle stops in the town of Springdale and get the free shuttle to Zion Village.  Then it’s a short walk from Zion Village up to the Zion Visitor Center where you can take the Zion Canyon Shuttles into the park.  Springdale parking has fees.

At Zion Village there is a pedestrian/bike entrance into Zion National Park where you can present your passes or buy passes. Then it’s a 1000 ft easy walk to the Zion Visitor Center where you can take the free Zion Canyon Shuttles into the park.

Tips for the Shuttles:

• The actual shuttle buses for the Springdale line and the Zion Canyon line are the same.  The main difference is that the Springdale Shuttles are just a single bus and the Zion Canyon Shuttles are typically a double bus.
• Both the Springdale Shuttles and the Zion Canyon shuttles are free, but if you feel like your drive did a good job, show them some gratitude.  Many drivers have some great narration and provide lots of insight to the Zion area.
• You can load your bikes on the both the Springdale and  Zion Canyon shuttles.  There are racks on the front of every bus that can fit three bikes. (ebikes are not allowed on the shuttle racks though)
• Every shuttle bus has a lift to allow access for visitors who are in wheelchairs or have limited mobility.
• Before getting on a shuttle, make sure you have your park passes or the annual pass if you already have one.
• It can be confusing since both the Springdale Shuttle stops and the Zion Canyon Shuttle stops are numbers 1 through 9. 
• I can’t emphasize this enough: the Springdale Shuttles DO NOT go inside the Zion Canyon.
• Be respectful to the driver and other passengers.

Here are the shuttle stops and the hikes or points of interest at them:

Stop 2 is where the Zion Museum is located.  The Zion Canyon shuttles don’t make left turns into the Museum, so instead the shuttles only enter the Museum when they are coming down canyon.  If you want to take the Zion Canyon shuttles directly to the museum from the Visitor Center, you must take the shuttle to Stop 4 (Court of the Patriarchs) and then cross over the road to the down canyon shuttle stop to get on a down canyon shuttle to Stop 2.

Some people like to park along Highway 9 and then walk up to the shuttle Stop 3  (Canyon Junction) thinking they can then hop on a shuttle going up canyon.  They are then severely disappointed to learn that shuttles don’t stop there going up canyon.  So, they must then hike up to stop number 4, OR they can get on a shuttle at the down canyon stop at number 3, and then go to the Visitor Center and get on an up canyon shuttle from there.  It’s a hassle, but I’ve seen people do it both ways.

(side note – the national park doesn’t want shuttle buses stopping at stop 3 Canyon Junction going up canyon because they want to have less people park on the side of Highway 9.)

Stop 8 is Big Bend.  It’s also a stop where the Zion Canyon shuttles don’t turn left into.  This means you will have to take the shuttles all the way up to stop 9 (the Temple of Sinawava) and then the shuttles will take you to Stop 8

The speed limit through Springdale is 35 MPH and 30 MPH.  I’ve witnessed people literally driving 15 MPH or less going through town.  People aren’t really aware that there may be 20+ cars behind them and they are the sole cause of the traffic holdups.   If you are trying to find your hotel or a restaurant, just pull over and let everyone pass, then look up your hotel/restaurant on Google maps and continue on.

On the roads from Virgin to Rockville the speed limit goes up to 65 MPH.  People often drive 45 MPH on this part and they will have several dozen cars behind them.  This is a common problem and can cause frustration.  Especially among the locals and the employees who work there.

This is from the national park service in Zion:

“Use of personal vehicles is restricted to those individuals requiring additional vehicle supported medical devices, those unable to ride the shuttle for medical reasons, or when the shuttle bus cannot accommodate the individual due to weight or size restrictions.  The shuttle lift has a combined weight limit of 600 lbs and cannot accommodate chairs larger than 45″ long or 25″ wide.  A special permit for personal vehicle use up-canyon must be obtained from the visitor center or museum information desks.”

Once you have your special permit, you will be able to drive your own personal vehicle into Zion Canyon!  This means, you can bypass the shuttle systems and go straight into the park.  You are allowed to drive all the way up to the end of the road too!

Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is very bike friendly!  That being said, there aren’t dedicated bike lines along the Scenic Drive.  You will be sharing the road with the Zion Canyon Shuttles, park staff, Zion Lodge guests, and visitors who have Special Use permits.

You can rent Ebikes from one of the many vendors in the town of Springdale.  This enables you to visit and explore Zion at your own pace.  It’s a little bit slower, but you are able to pull over and see some things that you normally wouldn’t see while on the shuttle system.

Once you have rented your bike and in order to get up Zion Canyon from the visitor center, take the Pa’rus Trail to bypass riding on the dangerous Highway 9.  The Pa’rus trail gets you directly to Canyon Junction where you can then ride your bikes on the side of the Zion Scenic Drive.  The Pa’rus trail is scenic and crosses over the Virgin River several times.

• You still must pay an entrance fee into Zion even though you are on an Ebike
• Shuttle buses have the right of way
• Pullover out of the way for shuttle buses when they are approaching
• Don’t wear headphones or earphones while riding Ebikes, so you can hear buses and other vehicles
• Don’t drive on the opposite side of the road
• You can’t put your Ebikes on the shuttle bus bike racks
• Bring a bike lock.  There are plenty of places to lock your bikes at each shuttle stop
• Speak with the company you rented bikes from about emergency situations and procedures.  Sometimes an accident can happen and it’s important to know what the tour operator’s plans are
• Many of the Ebikes you rent from town have holders for hiking poles and gear.  Many Ebikes can hold two people on them too.  Check with your tour operator for options