Thursday, March 22, 2012

Hotels Zion Has For National Park Visitors

By Petra Berg


The hotels Zion National Park offers for visitors are to be found in the gateway towns near the park's south and east entrance. Depending on where they are coming from and heading to, travelers can choose to stay in Springdale, Mt. Carmel Junction, Kanab, Hurricane, Virgin and Rockville, among others. All the properties are located on or along Highway 9 or on US-89.

The nearest and most popular option is a hotel in Springdale. The town is tucked in right outside the south entrance of the park amid the sandstone peaks. Note that everyone from the big cities (Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and Cedar City) and their airports will be using I-15. It connects to SR-9 near St. George and travelers will then have to pass through Springdale to get into the park.

Perhaps because it is the biggest official gateway into the park, Springdale has a nice collection of hotels, motels, inns, restaurants and other tourist facilities. Visitors are asked to leave their vehicles behind in Springdale and get on board the park shuttle. Parking at the visitor center is almost always full, so it's a good idea to use the free shuttle.

Other accommodation options between St. George and Springdale include the towns of Hurricane, Virgin, Rockville and La Verkin. These tourist friendly places pick up the overflow which cannot be accommodated in Springdale. As for the eastern side, it is the preferred entrance for road trippers traveling between the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon parks, with Zion in between.

These visitors may prefer a stay in Mt. Carmel Junction or Kanab. Both towns are on US-89 and ideally located just outside the east entrance with plenty of lodging facilities. Those coming from or going to Bryce Canyon can also choose to stay in Orderville or Glendale.

Apart from all these hotels Zion offers, there is also the lodge inside the park. It is about 3 miles from the south entrance, and located on Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. Speaking of which, remember to drive safely, sleep safe and come back every year to explore these magnificent national parks.




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