Zion National Park, National Park in Utah, US

Zion National Park sits in southwestern Utah and covers an area where deep canyons, tall red sandstone cliffs, and the Virgin River shape the terrain. The rock walls reach heights up to 800 meters (2,600 feet) and form narrow valleys that hold trails and waterways running through the landscape.

President William Howard Taft proclaimed Mukuntuweap National Monument in 1909 to protect the canyon. In 1918 Horace Albright of the new National Park Service proposed enlarging it and renaming it Zion, a Mormon term; historian Hal Rothman noted the change catered to visitors put off by unfamiliar names. Congress redesignated it Zion National Park on November 19, 1919, signed by Woodrow Wilson.

The name Zion comes from a Hebrew word for Jerusalem that Mormon settlers applied to the canyon; many other park names, such as the Court of the Patriarchs and the Temple of Sinawava, also come from the Bible or from Paiute tradition. Southern Paiute people still enter the park for religious reasons and to gather rare plants. The canyon road ends at the Temple of Sinawava, named for the coyote god of the Paiute.

A free shuttle connects major trailheads and viewpoints along the main canyon road during spring, summer, and fall, making it easier to move between different areas without a car. Most trails are clearly marked, but some pass through water or over slippery rocks, so sturdy footwear and readiness for changing conditions help ensure a safer visit.

The rock layers reveal nine different geological formations that took shape over 150 million years and now appear through ongoing erosion, offering a visible cross-section of deep time. Visitors can trace these layers along the canyon walls while walking, seeing how ancient environments stacked one on top of the other.