This question seems like a very straight-forward question to ask.  If you’re a tourist looking to visit Zion National Park, you naturally want to know when the park is open.  Today, that’s what we’re talking about: when does Zion National Park open?

When is Zion National Park Open?

The quick and easy answer is that Zion is open all day and year-round.  It doesn’t matter what day you choose, you can go visit the park.  However, that’s not the entirety of it.  There are closures to be aware of.

Trail Closures

Every so often, Zion will close a trail to the public.  There should be signs and public notices to let you know of this closure.  It should also be published on official web sources such as their website and social media.

Often times, trail closures are for safety reasons.  Perhaps rangers close off a trail because of rock fall (this happens periodically).  Alternatively, the rangers could close a trail because a bridge across the Virgin River now has questionable foundations.  Maybe a trail is closed for environmental recovery.  This means that too many people have been messing up the trail area so it needs to recover for a year or so before being reopened.  Some trails (or trail sections) are permanently closed because of extensive trail damage making it dangerous or impossible for people to use the trail (segment).

Please obey any and all officially posted signs.  The fines for disobedience can get exorbitant.

Shuttle Stop Closures

Every so often, the rangers will need to close an entire shuttle stop to the public.  This is often because of a significant rock fall which makes a sizable portion of the entire area unusable.  One such recent shuttle stop closure shut down the entire Weeping Rock stop (#7) in Nov 2023.  This was due to the size of the rock fall and the location of debris.  Also, rangers and scientists are unsure that the area is safe for the public to reenter.  It remains closed as of the time of writing.

Seasonal Closures

While the full park doesn’t close for the season, there are portions of Zion which will be closed off to the public during winter.  The roads become dangerous to drive on and the park rangers don’t want to deal with lots of rescues, injuries, and deaths due to hazardous conditions.  However, barring something extreme like rockfall, snowplowing efforts, or extremely icy road conditions, you will be able to see the main Zion canyon and the scenic drive of the Zion-Mt. Carmel highway through the park any time of year.

Closed Locations

If you come for a visit during the winter, you can count on certain portions being closed off such as Lava Point.  Kolob Canyon may close due to snow plowing requirements.  There will be chains and barricades blocking off roads in addition to large piles of snow if available.

The Shuttle System

The winter seasonal closures affect the shuttle system.  You cannot ride the shuttle during the winter as the park shuts them down for the season.  The only exception to the winter shuttle shutdown is during the last week or so of December during the holiday season.  The rangers pull the shuttles back out and run them for that period of time every year.

The lack of winter shuttle rides opens up an interesting opportunity not commonly available during the regular season.  It’s during this winter shuttle shutdown when you are allowed to drive your personal vehicle up the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive.  The gates are open and the rangers direct traffic as there’s limited parking available up that canyon road.

The Narrows

The Narrows, as a slot canyon hike directly in the Virgin River, is a special case of seasonal closure.  You will often find the Narrows closed off to hiking during winter and spring.  This is because of extremely cold water temperatures, high water levels, and dangerously swift currents.  The rangers will also close the Narrows if there’s a flash flood warning issued in the area by the National Weather Service at any time including during the summer monsoon season.  The Narrows will remain closed until 2 hours after the warning is lifted.

Full Closures

Full closures of Zion National Park are very rare.  For the most part, there is no need to fully close the park at all.  In fact, I personally know of only one instance where Zion was fully closed.  That was during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic of 2020.  The state of Utah instructed all the national parks and monuments along with the state parks to close.

This means that you really don’t have to worry about Zion National Park not being available for you to visit during your next vacation.

The Best Time to Visit

If you want the best time to visit Zion, I recommend visiting during the spring and autumn/fall.  While most of the interesting activities take place during the summer, it’s very hot and crowded in Zion National Park.  If you’re not used to the heat and don’t bring lots of water with you, it’s easy to fall victim to heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

While there aren’t nearly as many available activities during the shoulder seasons of spring and fall, the temperature is much cooler.  Your risk of heat-related health problems is much lower.  Do keep in mind that there are still wild temperature swings at night so come prepared for the cold too.

People love to visit the park from mid-May to late September or October (depending on weather).  This means that hotel accommodations are more expensive during that window than at other times of the year.  You might need to book your trip a ways out depending upon which week/weekend you plan to visit this part of Utah.  The shoulder seasons give you a bit more flexibility in price and availability than summer does.

Conclusion

In conclusion, much of Zion National Park is open and available for you to visit 24/7/365 days a year.  As a significant portion of the park is on the major artery of the Zion-Mt. Carmel highway, they cannot close all of the park without a good reason (such as snow and ice or rock fall).  So, you don’t need to worry about much except paying for entrance and bringing enough water and sunscreen (Zion is in the desert, after all).

You will want to check up with official Zion National Park sources to make sure that any particular area you wish to visit is actually open when you want to visit it.  If you plan to visit during the late fall, winter, or early spring, you may find a few restricted outdoor options.  However, you should be able to visit the indoor exhibits just fine during regular business hours.

Enjoy planning your next vacation trip to Zion National Park.  You shouldn’t have to worry about it closing so you can focus on more important matters like accommodations.