Zion National Park

Utah · Established November 19, 1919

A river's patient knife through two thousand feet of petrified dunes

Area: 147,243 acres
Established: November 19, 1919
Recreation visits: 4,984,525 / yr
State: Utah
Highest point: Horse Ranch Mountain, 8,726 ft (2,660 m)
Lowest point: Coalpits Wash, 3,666 ft (1,117 m)

Zion Weather Forecast

Loading the National Weather Service forecast for Zion…

Seven-day outlook at the park's reference point (37.298, -113.026). Elevation changes everything in the mountains — expect colder, windier and wetter conditions on high ground.

Map of Zion National Park

The Park

Zion is a canyon country built from stone that was once sand. Its great walls, cream at the top and rusty red below, are the cross-bedded remains of an Early Jurassic desert, now lifted high above sea level and opened up by the North Fork of the Virgin River. Standing on the floor of Zion Canyon, you look up at a record of wind and water that took hundreds of millions of years to lay down and a few million to carve.

The park sits where three great provinces meet: the Colorado Plateau, the Great Basin, and the Mojave Desert. That crossroads, together with more than 5,000 feet of relief between Coalpits Wash and Horse Ranch Mountain, packs desert tortoises and ponderosa pines, canyon treefrogs and California condors into a single park. Water is the organizing principle here, whether it seeps from a sandstone wall to feed a hanging garden or roars through the Narrows in a summer flash flood.

Geography

Zion National Park covers about 147,000 acres in southwestern Utah, on the western edge of the Colorado Plateau. Its best-known section is Zion Canyon, cut by the North Fork of the Virgin River, whose upper reaches narrow into the famous Narrows beyond the Temple of Sinawava. East of the canyon, the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway climbs through tunnels into a land of checkerboarded slickrock domes.

To the northwest, the Kolob Canyons district is a separate world of finger canyons carved into the edge of the Kolob Terrace, with Kolob Arch and Horse Ranch Mountain, the park's high point. Between the two districts, the Kolob Terrace Road climbs to Lava Point, where cinder cones and basalt flows cap the plateau and cooler forests replace desert scrub.

The Hurricane Fault runs along the park's western margin, a major break in the crust that separates the high plateau from the lower Great Basin country to the west. That structural step is one reason Zion's cliffs stand so tall and its rivers cut so steeply.

Landmarks

Temple of SinawavaCanyonThe end of the Zion Canyon scenic drive, where the canyon walls close in and the Riverside Walk leads toward the Narrows.
The NarrowsCanyonThe slot-like upper gorge of the North Fork of the Virgin River, where hikers wade between walls hundreds of feet high.
Angels LandingPeakA narrow fin of Navajo Sandstone in the heart of Zion Canyon, reached by one of the most exposed trails in the park system.
Great White ThronePeakA massive monolith of pale Navajo Sandstone that towers over the canyon floor near the Grotto.
Weeping RockAreaA dripping sandstone alcove where water that seeped through the rock for years emerges to feed a hanging garden.
Observation PointPeakA high rim overlook on the canyon's east side with a commanding view down Zion Canyon.
Court of the PatriarchsPeakThree sandstone summits west of the canyon drive, named for biblical patriarchs by an early visitor.
The West TemplePeakOne of the tallest walls above the park's south entrance, its layered face exposing much of Zion's rock sequence.
The WatchmanPeakThe sentinel peak above the south entrance and the Watchman Campground, glowing at sunset.
Checkerboard MesaPlateauA slickrock dome on the east side whose surface is etched into a grid by cross-bedding and vertical fractures.
The SubwayCanyonA tubular, water-sculpted section of North Creek's Left Fork, reachable only by permit.
Lava PointVolcanoA high overlook on the Kolob Terrace where basalt caps the plateau and pines replace desert shrubs.
Kolob ArchArchOne of the longest natural arches in the world, tucked into a side canyon of La Verkin Creek.
Timber Top MountainPeakA forested summit in the Kolob Canyons district, rising above the red finger canyons.
Horse Ranch MountainPeak · 8,726 ftThe highest point in Zion, capped by Cretaceous Dakota Sandstone in the Kolob Canyons district.

Geology

Zion's story begins in a low basin near sea level about 270 million years ago. Over the following eons, shallow seas left limestone, rivers and mudflats left red shale and siltstone, and vast wind-blown deserts left sandstone. Layer by layer these sediments stacked up thousands of feet thick, and the weight of each new deposit pressed and cemented the ones below into rock.

The star of the sequence is the Navajo Sandstone, the petrified remains of an Early Jurassic sand sea as vast as any modern desert. Its sweeping cross-beds, the frozen faces of ancient dunes, make up the sheer upper cliffs of Zion Canyon, roughly 2,000 feet thick in places. Iron oxides stain the lower part of the formation red, while the upper part, leached of iron, weathers to cream and white.

Later, the whole region was raised thousands of feet as part of the Colorado Plateau, steepening the gradient of the Virgin River. With so much fall, and armed with sand and boulders during floods, the river cut downward rapidly, and because Navajo Sandstone breaks along vertical joints, the canyon walls stayed nearly sheer instead of slumping into a broad V.

Volcanoes also had a say. Basalt flows spilled onto the Kolob Terrace and down into ancestral valleys over roughly the last million years, and landslides have repeatedly blocked the canyon. Rockfall and flash floods remain the most visible geologic forces at work today.

Deep time

About 270 million years agoThe future Zion region is a flat basin near sea level, beginning to collect the sediments that will become its cliffs.
PermianA warm, shallow sea deposits the Kaibab Limestone, the oldest rock exposed in the park.
TriassicRivers, mudflats and shallow marine waters lay down the banded red Moenkopi Formation and the colorful Chinle Formation.
Early JurassicA vast sand sea covers the region, piling up the dunes that become the Navajo Sandstone.
CretaceousStreams and coastal plains deposit the Dakota Sandstone, now preserved on the high summits of the Kolob Canyons.
About 1.1 million years agoThe Kolob volcano erupts, one of several basaltic centers that capped parts of the Kolob Terrace with lava.
About 4,000 years agoA large landslide known as the Sentinel Slide dams the Virgin River and creates a lake in Zion Canyon for several centuries.
1992A magnitude 5.8 earthquake triggers a major landslide near Springdale, a reminder that the landscape is still changing.

The rocks

Kaibab LimestonePermian
Marine limestone at the base of the exposed sequence, seen mainly in the Kolob Canyons area.
Moenkopi FormationEarly Triassic
Red, brown and pink banded siltstone and shale deposited on tidal flats and river plains.
Chinle FormationLate Triassic
Colorful slope-forming mudstone and sandstone with volcanic ash, including the pebbly Shinarump member.
Moenave FormationEarly Jurassic
Reddish river and lake deposits that form ledges and slopes low on the canyon walls.
Kayenta FormationEarly Jurassic
Maroon stream-laid siltstone and sandstone beneath the Navajo cliffs, known for dinosaur tracks.
Navajo SandstoneEarly Jurassic
Cross-bedded fossil dunes forming the great white and red cliffs of Zion Canyon.
Temple Cap FormationMiddle Jurassic
A thin capstone of red sandstone and mudstone crowning the West Temple and other summits.
Carmel FormationMiddle Jurassic
Limestone and gypsum-bearing beds left by a shallow sea, exposed along the east side of the park.
Dakota SandstoneCretaceous
Tan sandstone and conglomerate capping Horse Ranch Mountain, the park's highest point.

Trees, Plants & Ecosystems

997vascular plant species recorded

Desert shrublandLowest canyons and benches near the south and west boundaries
Blackbrush, narrowleaf yucca and cacti cover dry slopes where desert tortoises and Gila monsters reach the northern edge of the Mojave influence.
Riparian corridorFloors of Zion Canyon and its tributaries
Fremont cottonwood, box elder and velvet ash shade the Virgin River, sheltering beavers, dippers and yellow-billed cuckoos.
Hanging gardensSeeping alcoves on canyon walls
Where groundwater exits the base of the Navajo Sandstone, maidenhair fern, columbines and the Zion shooting star cling to wet rock.
Pinyon-juniper woodlandMid-elevation slickrock and mesas
Two-needle pinyon and Utah juniper dot the sandstone uplands with Gambel oak and cliffrose-style shrubs, home to Woodhouse's scrub-jays.
Montane forestKolob Terrace and high plateaus, up to 8,726 ft
Ponderosa pine, white fir, Douglas-fir and quaking aspen grow on the cooler plateau tops around Lava Point and Horse Ranch Mountain.

Trees

Fremont cottonwoodPopulus fremontiiThe great shade tree of the Virgin River bottoms, turning brilliant gold in late autumn.
Box elderAcer negundoA streamside maple with compound leaves, common along the river and in moist side canyons.
Velvet ashFraxinus velutinaA riparian tree of desert canyons that grows alongside cottonwoods near permanent water.
Bigtooth mapleAcer grandidentatumShaded side canyons flare scarlet and orange with this maple in October.
Gambel oakQuercus gambeliiA shrubby oak forming thickets on benches and plateaus, its acorns feeding deer and jays.
Utah juniperJuniperus osteospermaA drought-hardy, shaggy-barked tree that roots in cracks across the slickrock.
Two-needle pinyonPinus edulisThe nut pine of the Colorado Plateau, paired with juniper in the park's upland woodlands.
Ponderosa pinePinus ponderosaTall orange-barked pines grow on sandy plateau tops and, surprisingly, on some canyon rims.
Douglas-firPseudotsuga menziesiiFound in cool, north-facing alcoves and on the high plateaus, far from its mountain strongholds.
White firAbies concolorA shade-tolerant fir of the higher, moister parts of the park.
Quaking aspenPopulus tremuloidesSmall groves on the Kolob plateaus add fluttering gold in fall.
Curl-leaf mountain mahoganyCercocarpus ledifoliusAn evergreen small tree of rocky ridges, browsed by mule deer and bighorn in winter.

Wildflowers, shrubs & other plants

Southern maidenhair fernAdiantum capillus-venerisThe delicate signature fern of Zion's dripping hanging gardens.
Zion shooting starDodecatheon pulchellumA variety of this primrose relative named for Zion blooms in moist seeps and alcoves.
Golden columbineAquilegia chrysanthaLong-spurred yellow flowers brighten shaded, wet corners of the canyons.
Western columbineAquilegia formosaA red-and-yellow columbine visited by hummingbirds in seeps and stream margins.
Sacred daturaDatura wrightiiHuge white trumpet flowers open at dusk along roadsides and washes; the whole plant is toxic.
Narrowleaf yuccaYucca angustissimaA stiff-leaved desert plant sending up tall stalks of creamy blossoms in spring.
Claret cup cactusEchinocereus triglochidiatusMounded hedgehog cactus with vivid scarlet cups in April and May.
Sego lilyCalochortus nuttalliiUtah's state flower, a three-petaled tulip of sandy flats.
Eaton's penstemonPenstemon eatoniiTubular red flowers that feed hummingbirds along trails in spring.
Desert paintbrushCastilleja chromosaBright orange-red bracts light up dry slopes and pinyon-juniper openings.
BlackbrushColeogyne ramosissimaA dark, spiny shrub dominating the driest, lowest slopes of the park.
Big sagebrushArtemisia tridentataThe aromatic gray shrub of open benches and plateau valleys.
Roundleaf buffaloberryShepherdia rotundifoliaA silvery, round-leaved shrub of slickrock ledges on the Colorado Plateau.

Wildlife

68mammals
210birds
29reptiles
7amphibians
9fish

Mammals

Desert bighorn sheepOvis canadensisOften spotted on the slickrock along the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway on the park's east side.
Mule deerOdocoileus hemionusThe most commonly seen large mammal, grazing on the canyon floor at dawn and dusk.
Mountain lionPuma concolorThe park's top predator, rarely seen but present throughout the backcountry.
RingtailBassariscus astutusA nocturnal, bushy-tailed cousin of the raccoon that hunts among cliffs and boulders.
Gray foxUrocyon cinereoargenteusA small fox that can climb trees, hunting rodents in brushy canyons.
CoyoteCanis latransAdaptable and widespread, heard yipping from canyon mouths at night.
American beaverCastor canadensisLives along the Virgin River, where it tends to den in banks rather than build large dams.
North American porcupineErethizon dorsatumBrowses bark and twigs in the cottonwood groves and upland forests.
Rock squirrelOtospermophilus variegatusA bold, large ground squirrel of canyon trails; do not feed it.
White-tailed antelope squirrelAmmospermophilus leucurusA small desert ground squirrel that carries its white tail curled over its back.
Cliff chipmunkNeotamias dorsalisScampers across ledges and pinyon-juniper slopes.
Desert cottontailSylvilagus auduboniiCommon in open shrubland at lower elevations.
Pallid batAntrozous pallidusA large-eared bat that plucks scorpions and beetles from the ground.
Yuma myotisMyotis yumanensisSkims insects over the river on summer evenings.

Birds

California condorGymnogyps californianusReintroduced condors from the Arizona-Utah flock soar over Zion's cliffs and have nested in the park.
Mexican spotted owlStrix occidentalisA threatened owl that nests in cool, narrow side canyons.
Peregrine falconFalco peregrinusNests on sheer sandstone walls; some climbing routes close seasonally to protect them.
Golden eagleAquila chrysaetosHunts over the plateaus and open country around the canyons.
White-throated swiftAeronautes saxatalisRockets along the cliff faces in chattering flocks, nesting in rock crevices.
Canyon wrenCatherpes mexicanusIts cascading, descending song is the voice of Zion's canyon walls.
American dipperCinclus mexicanusA stocky gray songbird that walks underwater in the Virgin River hunting insect larvae.
Black phoebeSayornis nigricansA tidy black-and-white flycatcher perching over the river.
Yellow-billed cuckooCoccyzus americanusA secretive summer resident of the cottonwood groves.
Southwestern willow flycatcherEmpidonax trailliiAn endangered subspecies that depends on dense riparian thickets.
Woodhouse's scrub-jayAphelocoma woodhouseiiLoud and blue, a fixture of the pinyon-juniper woodlands.
Spotted towheePipilo maculatusScratches noisily in leaf litter beneath oak and shrub thickets.
Wild turkeyMeleagris gallopavoFlocks wander the canyon floor, especially near Zion Lodge.

Reptiles & amphibians

Desert tortoiseGopherus agassiziiA threatened reptile living in the lowest, warmest desert terrain near the park's southwest edge.
Gila monsterHeloderma suspectumA venomous, beaded lizard near the northern limit of its range.
Great Basin collared lizardCrotaphytus bicinctoresA big-headed lizard that can sprint on its hind legs across open rock.
Desert spiny lizardSceloporus magisterA large, scaly lizard basking on boulders and tree trunks.
Common side-blotched lizardUta stansburianaAmong the most abundant lizards on trails and rock slabs.
Western rattlesnakeCrotalus oreganusThe park's rattlesnake; give it space and watch where you place hands and feet.
Canyon treefrogDryophytes arenicolorA pebble-colored frog that rests on streamside rocks and calls from potholes after rain.
Red-spotted toadAnaxyrus punctatusBreeds in rain-filled pools and slow streams, trilling on warm spring nights.

Fish

Virgin spinedaceLepidomeda mollispinisA native minnow of the Virgin River system, found in the park's clear tributaries.
Desert suckerPantosteus clarkiiA native bottom-feeder that scrapes algae from rocks in the Virgin River.
Flannelmouth suckerCatostomus latipinnisA large native sucker of Colorado River basin streams.
Speckled daceRhinichthys osculusA small native minnow common in riffles.

Species totals are the park's certified NPSpecies checklist (occurrence: present).

Climate & When to Visit

Zion has a semi-arid climate shaped by elevation and the depth of its canyons. Summers are hot on the canyon floor, often topping 100°F (38°C), while nights can run more than 30°F (16°C) cooler than the afternoon. The Kolob Terrace and other high plateaus are markedly cooler and collect more winter snow than Zion Canyon.

Precipitation comes in two main pulses: Pacific storms in winter and early spring, and the North American monsoon from mid-July into September. Monsoon thunderstorms build quickly over the plateaus, and rain that falls miles upstream can funnel into narrow canyons as a flash flood under a clear local sky. Winters on the canyon floor are generally mild, with occasional snow that rarely lasts long.

Spring
Mild temperatures and wildflowers, but snowmelt can keep the Virgin River high and cold, often closing the Narrows to hiking into early summer.
Summer
Canyon-floor highs frequently exceed 100°F; from mid-July into September, afternoon monsoon storms bring lightning and flash-flood risk.
Autumn
Often the most comfortable season, with warm days, cool nights, lower water in the Narrows, and golden cottonwoods and red maples in late October and November.
Winter
Generally mild in Zion Canyon, with cold nights; higher areas such as Lava Point and Kolob can hold snow and ice, and some roads may close.

Weather hazards

Flash floods: Check the forecast and flash-flood potential before entering the Narrows or any slot canyon, and get to high ground if water rises or turns muddy.
Extreme heat: Carry plenty of water and hike early; summer afternoons on exposed trails can cause heat exhaustion quickly.
Lightning: Leave exposed ridges such as Angels Landing when storms build; monsoon lightning strikes high points first.
Rockfall and landslides: Rockfall is a natural and ongoing process on Zion's cliffs, and trails can close after slides or heavy rain.
Cold water: Even in summer, wading the Narrows in cold water for hours can chill hikers; wear appropriate footwear and layers.

Zion Questions

When is the best time to visit Zion National Park?

Autumn and late spring usually offer the most comfortable temperatures. September through November brings cooler days and fall color, while April and May bring wildflowers, though spring runoff can close the Narrows. Summer is hot and crowded, with monsoon storms from mid-July into September.

What is the weather like in Zion in summer?

Expect highs above 100°F on the canyon floor and large day-to-night temperature swings. From mid-July into September, the monsoon brings afternoon thunderstorms, lightning, and a real risk of flash floods in narrow canyons.

How was Zion Canyon formed?

The canyon walls are mostly Navajo Sandstone, the hardened remains of an Early Jurassic sand sea. As the Colorado Plateau rose, the Virgin River gained speed and cut down through the layers, and vertical joints in the sandstone kept the walls steep and narrow.

Where can I see wildlife in Zion?

Mule deer and wild turkeys are common on the canyon floor at dawn and dusk. Desert bighorn sheep are often seen on the east side along the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway, and California condors sometimes soar over the main canyon. Look for American dippers along the Virgin River.

Are there California condors in Zion?

Yes. Condors from the reintroduced Arizona-Utah population range over Zion, and the birds have nested within the park. Spotting their huge, flat-winged silhouettes high over the cliffs is a special treat.

What is the highest point in Zion National Park?

Horse Ranch Mountain in the Kolob Canyons district is the high point at 8,726 feet (2,660 m). The lowest point is Coalpits Wash at 3,666 feet, giving the park more than 5,000 feet of relief.

When is the Zion Narrows open?

The Narrows closes when the Virgin River flows too high, which commonly happens during spring snowmelt, and whenever flash floods threaten. Late summer and fall typically offer the best conditions, but always check current flow and the flash-flood forecast.

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Sources: www.nps.gov · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · irmaservices.nps.gov · developer.nps.gov · Official NPS site