Zion National Park Scenic Drives: Zion Driving Trails (2026)

The road most visitors want to drive - the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, the one that runs past the Lodge, Weeping Rock, and the Temple of Sinawava - is off-limits to private vehicles for most of the year. That access is by shuttle only, and the shuttle is free, but you don't get to control when you stop or how long you stay. The driving you can do yourself is limited to two routes: the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway east of Canyon Junction and the Kolob Canyons Road in the park's northwest section. Those two routes, plus the approach road from Springdale, make up the actual zion driving trails available to private vehicles. Here is how to run them efficiently.

The Drive at a Glance

The Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway runs from Canyon Junction (where the shuttle road branches off) east through the 1.1-mile tunnel to the park's East Entrance, about 12 miles one way. With stops at every pullout, count on 90 minutes to two hours, plus any time you spend on short walks at the viewpoints. The road surface is paved and in good condition, but it includes steep switchbacks on both sides of the tunnel and several tight-radius curves.

Kolob Canyons Road is a shorter option: five miles from the Kolob Canyons Visitor Center to the Timber Creek Overlook trailhead. This road is paved, less trafficked, and gives you views of the Kolob Terrace and Pine Valley Mountains. Allow about an hour with stops.

Both roads are open all year, but weather can close them temporarily in winter. The park is open every day of the year, but icy conditions on the switchbacks near the tunnel occasionally cause delays.

Drive the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway from west to east (Canyon Junction toward the East Entrance) if you want better light for photographs in the morning. The east side of the tunnel faces morning sun, which lights up the sandstone formations. In the afternoon, drive it east to west for similar benefits on the canyon side.

Stop by Stop

Canyon Junction

This is where the shuttle road splits off toward the canyon. Not a destination stop on its own, but the turn here matters. If you are driving the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway, you head right (east) instead of following the shuttle traffic into the canyon. The parking situation here is limited - a small lot that fills early. Most visitors roll through without stopping, which is fine. The actual views start a mile or so up the switchbacks.

Court of the Patriarchs Viewpoint

About a half-mile south of Canyon Junction on the road toward Springdale, this pullout faces west toward the three peaks named Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The late afternoon light works best here - the cliffs catch golden tones that fade quickly after sunset. Most visitors spend five minutes here, snap a photo, and leave. The park service maintains a small paved area with interpretive signs. If you have a copy of the complete visitor guide, the geology notes on the Navajo Sandstone layers at this stop are worth reading. Rangers will tell you that the light here in December and January, when the sun sits lower, creates the most dramatic shadow lines on the cliff faces.

The Switchbacks (Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway)

Between Canyon Junction and the tunnel, the road climbs roughly 800 feet through a series of tight switchbacks. There are two small pullouts on the way up. From these you can look back down into the main canyon and across to the West Temple and the Towers of the Virgin. Early morning is your best bet for clean light here; by mid-morning the canyon floor is already in shadow. Cell service drops out at the second switchback and does not return until you clear the tunnel on the east side. Pack extra water for this stretch if you plan to stop - the pullouts have no shade and the surface radiates heat.

The Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel

The tunnel is 1.1 miles long, bored through solid sandstone, and has a series of "galleries" - openings cut into the rock wall that provide brief views of the canyon below. Do not stop inside the tunnel. Do not pull over into the galleries unless you absolutely have to. The park service has signs warning that stopping is prohibited, and rangers do enforce this. The tunnel is narrow enough that large vehicles sometimes need a one-way traffic control, which can add 15 to 20 minutes of wait time during peak summer months.

East Side Pullouts

Once you clear the tunnel, the landscape opens up dramatically. The road drops through a series of long sweeping curves with pullouts spaced every half-mile or so. The first pullout east of the tunnel gives you a view back toward the tunnel entrance framed by checkerboard-patterned sandstone - the pattern is natural, caused by vertical and horizontal fractures in the rock. The second pullout, about a mile farther, overlooks Clear Creek Canyon and the slickrock domes that define this side of the park.

The third pullout is the one most people drive past without noticing - a small dirt shoulder on the south side of the road about two miles east of the tunnel. From here you can see the East Temple and the eastern edge of the park spreading out toward the Colorado Plateau. Stop here if the other pullouts are crowded. You will likely have it to yourself.

From the East Entrance, you can turn around and drive back through the tunnel, or exit the park and loop back through Mt. Carmel Junction on Highway 89. The return trip through the tunnel often has less traffic after 3 PM.

Kolob Canyons Road (Kolob Section)

The Kolob Canyons Visitor Center is about 40 minutes from the main Zion Canyon area, accessed via