As you know from reading our posts over the last few weeks, Zion National Park is a fantastic place to visit and you can have so much fun there. It is best to go in prepared though for how the park works. One of the best things to figure out early is how the Zion Shuttle works.

Why a Shuttle?

The Zion Shuttle was introduced in 2000 to cut down on traffic congestion in the park. Most National Park sites don’t get too crowded, but a few are very popular and Zion is one of those. It was one of the parks that was first put forward to raise fees because of the high number of visitors it receives (read more about fee changes here). Zion had over four and half million visitors in 2017, and is in the top 5 most visited National Parks and in the top 10 most visited National Park sites.

All these people coming to see one of nature’s most beautiful canyons leads to a lot of congestion, pollution, and danger on narrow roads. So, like in the Grand Canyon, the Zion Shuttle system is a great advantage to both the park and the people visiting it.

When is the Zion Shuttle Running?

Most of the time sane people are visiting Zion the shuttle is in operation. This year (2018) it is slated to operate between March and November. It also operated during some weekends in February. Check the current schedule here.

While the Zion Shuttle is in operation you can’t drive the canyon scenic drive beyond Canyon Junction. You can turn right an Canyon Junction and take the Mt. Carmel Highway through the tunnel and out of the park on the east side. Because of this, most of your traveling will be on the Zion Shuttle.

Scenery and cars on the Mt. Carmel Highway before the tunnel.

Where to park to ride the Zion Shuttle

Riding the shuttle begins with parking. As we have stressed throughout our Zion posts you should arrive as early as possible. Ideally you want to be in Zion before 8:00 in the morning on weekdays and before 7:00 in the morning on weekends. Being early will ensure that you can park inside the park and not in the town of Springdale.

If you arrive early enough you might be able to get a parking spot at the Human History Museum. This is ideal because it means you will never have to deal with the lines that form at the visitor center stop. Most likely though you will park at the visitor center and then take the shuttle from there. If you have to come back to your car later in the day be prepared for some very long lines at the visitor center shuttle stop.

If you are unable to park at the museum or the visitor center, then you will need to park in the town of Springdale and first take a shuttle to the on foot entrance into the park near the visitor center. The shuttle in Springdale is free, but parking is not. You will have to pay either the city or a private lot to park your car. There are a few shuttle stops throughout the town, but if you arrive late in the day you will need to park on the road leading out of town toward Laverkin and walk a long way in to the first of the shuttle stops.

Riding the Zion Shuttle

The Zion Shuttle busses are a fairly nice ride, and a quick way to get from place to place. The nice thing about them is that you can enjoy the scenic view of the canyon while someone else worries about driving the winding road. There is some narration on the ride which is fun to hear the first time you ride it, and can become a little annoying after you have been on that part of the route a few times. Some of the bus drivers will add in their own commentary/jokes as you go along.

The route is made up of 8 stops. All of these stops are along the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive and will lead to places like Angel’s Landing, the Narrows, Emerald Pools, and Weeping Rock. Except at the visitor center, you will never have to wait very long for a shuttle bus to come. Sometimes busses will be crowded though and you will need to stand. Doing this with a baby in a hiking backpack can be a little bit difficult.

Lucy naps while she waits for shuttle

Sum Up

The Zion Shuttle is a great service that makes the park a much easier place to navigate and visit. Arrive early to have the easiest time getting to it. If you want to by pass the line at the visitor center stop follow our tip in this post.

Most of the shuttle stops have restrooms located somewhere nearby. Food can be obtained at the Zion Lodge.