Foundation Document Overview Zion National Park Utah
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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Foundation Document Overview Zion National Park Utah Contact Information For more information about the Zion National Park Foundation Document, contact: [email protected] or 1-435-772-3256 or write to: Superintendent, Zion National Park, Springdale, UT 84767 Park Description Located in Washington, Iron, and Kane counties in Zion is a leader in protecting natural resources and southwestern Utah, Zion National Park encompasses some embracing sustainable practices that reduce the effects of of the most scenic canyon country in the United States. The park operations on climate change. In order to accomplish park is characterized by high plateaus, a maze of narrow, this, Zion has implemented sustainable policies and deep, sandstone canyons, and striking rock towers and mesas. practices. Examples included eliminating the need to The North Fork of the Virgin River has carved a spectacular purchase bottled water in plastic containers by providing gorge through Zion Canyon, where sandstone walls rise 2,000 and publicizing water bottle filling stations; creating a to 3,000 feet above the canyon floor. The southern part of the recycling program for staff, visitors, and concessioners; park is a lower desert area, with colorful mesas bordered by installing solar panels that provide electricity to many of rocky canyons and washes. The northern sections of the park the park buildings; and using energy efficient vehicles. are higher plateaus covered by forests. These actions will help Zion meet the challenge of the National Park Service to leave park resources unimpaired Zion is one of the earliest additions to the national park for the enjoyment of future generations. system. On July 31, 1909, President William H. Taft issued a proclamation setting aside 15,200 acres as the Mukuntuweap National Monument. In 1918 another presidential proclamation enlarged the monument to 76,800 acres and changed its name to Zion National Monument. Congress established the area as a national park in 1919. A second Zion National Monument (now called the Kolob Canyons) was established by presidential proclamation in 1937. Congress added the Kolob Canyons to Zion National Park in 1956. The park currently encompasses 148,733 acres. On March 30, 2009, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act (Public Law 111-11) designated the vast majority of Zion National Park as wilderness. A total of 124,462 acres of Zion is designated wilderness (84% of the park), and 9,047 acres (6% of the park) are recommended for wilderness designation. This means that 90% of the park is managed as wilderness, as per NPS policy. The legislation also designated 144 miles of wild and scenic rivers in Zion National Park, the first wild and scenic rivers designated in Utah. Zion’s spectacular scenery attracts visitors from all over the world. Visitation to the park was about 3 million people in 2012. Visitors to Zion enjoy deep cool canyons, high wooded plateaus, and vast warm deserts. Zion offers a variety of recreational opportunities and activities including driving scenic roads, hiking, backpacking, canyoneering, photography, and wildlife viewing, to name a few. Park Map To Cedar City, Cedar Breaks National Monument, amp and Salt Lake City C C re ek Exit 42 Horse Ranch Mountain 15 8726ft 2659m North Fork Taylor Creek Ta ylor C reek anyon M Tra Exit C s iddl il b R PARIA e F 40 lo o POI ork o a NT Double K d Arch So uth Alcove Lee Pass Fork Kolob Canyons Trailhead Kolob O Visitor Center A Canyons KOLOB K Willis 5074ft Viewpoint il l Creek i Nagunt Mesa ra Kolob V 1546m a T Chasm r Reservoir A 7785ft T Lake 2372m k 8118ft L k e L e Timber Creek e r 2475m E e C Y Overlook r EAR TRAP CANYONS B E C in Trail L n rk i Ve CANYON N B k I a A U r T L B e 8055ft UN A V O A 2455m M Kolob R a P Kolob Peak E L TO R Kolob Arch C E T B S 8933ft S TIM Gregory Butte Trail Langston Mountain Arch 7408ft D 2739m A Volcano Knoll k 7705ft 2258m R L 6735ft e 2348m A e P r O 2053m F C Beatty H a r Spring k e b E B k H T k m ee i r H e C o N F T I O e p T r in O C k P L C r r a Ve V H VIRGIN L e a O O Blue Springs l G e l Vehicles longer than FLATS I e P N K Reservoir k Burnt Mountain y O 19 feet/5.8 meters are L 7921ft 7682ft T not allowed on Lava r 2415m a Point Road. Unpaved 2341m i H L l V Lava O roads are impassable G A S Point Rd HEAV L when wet. EN L E R West R im C Y E R p Chamberlain’s Ranch P d e Lava Point e Trailhead P D U West Rim Lava Point Trailhead Overlook 7890ft 2405m K er o Riv lo gin Trailhead and trail b Vir N Fork d orth are on private property. a Spring E o Sawmill Please close gates. C R Springs r e e e k c a N r r e T L Beyond this point, road ail O b r G A not plowed in winter. T H oo o se l n W O o o y W K n R C E Firepit Knoll a re e e Wildcat C S R 7265ft s k C t t E l Canyon 2214m i a ra c Hop Valley T Trailhead d R r il i C to W m I Trailhead onnec P N T A o r Spendlove Knoll r a S K t i 6895ft h l L T R O g 2102m E E a U C t L T Big Spring A e r R V O a V P i E l e E B A a R S L k P M O s IT L H H E O T A V Y L T A P LO O L L W P Viewpoint L A U M E L Y T T A E H S E N T YO A E A North Guardian Angel E CAN L U 7395ft E ORDERVIL N H 2254m A A U Keyhole Falls R R Tabernacle Dome O Mountain of Mystery 6430ft rk W Unpaved roads are 1960m Fo 6565ft S impassable when wet. ZION 2001m Closed in winter. ast Me E sa Trail South Guardian Angel Temple of 7140ft Riverside Sinawava ft 2176m Cabin Walk e Spring To St George and k Unpaved roads are L e st Rim e Las Vegas, Nevada e impassable when wet. Left Fork W T r r a C Trailhead Double i Weeping l 7367ft Falls Rock N 2245m O n Exit i Y k N 27 r A e C V N a NATIONAL rk O L Fo H Grapevine C ht O E Trailhead Rig Right Fork Y Angels Trailhead Landing PS N The Great White Throne A E C E C 6744ft a A H A Stave s O NY t N ON A 2056m Spring R o S U i r m th E G Toquerville C The Grotto Tr F A a o i r M R l k To 89 at Mt Carmel Junction, Emerald Pools R o (north to Bryce Canyon National Park; M Trails a PARK Zion Lodge d south to Kanab, Grand Canyon O 17 E ek re U C National Park, and Page, Arizona) N N T T OF A R A U O CHS I C IAR e C N TR A v I P i E r H R T D Spring through fall, Zion R c 9 N i Canyon Scenic Drive is open U n The Sentinel H E e to shuttle buses only. Private h T V I 7157ft O c H t R F G I S East Entrance d r Oilwell (ruins) O I N 2181m vehicles are not allowed a o N Z n ighway o S o beyond Canyon Junction. el H R R rm y The East Temple Ca E Altar of Sacrifice n t (restrooms e a 7709ft un c W 7505ft C o closed in a M Checkerboard O 2350m r 2288m Canyon Junction n - Mesa winter) r T o n e i io 5700ft T Z Z 6670ft Vehicles pulling trailers Spring Canyon Overlook 1737m b 2033m lo not recommended. Zion Human History Museum Trail Tunnel o 9 K Narrow winding road La Verkin with steep grades. Upper The West Temple Virgin W Tunnel section not plowed in Crater Hill as 7810ft 3550ft h No bikes or pedestrians allowed. winter. 5192ft s 2380m n 1082m h i Ask about restrictions on large 1582m s g South Entrance South a g o vehicles. W c S Mount Kinesava Zion Canyon Theater 7285ft 2220m Springdale Springdale/Zion Canyon Shuttle 3920ft Zion Canyon Visitor Center and Zion-Mount Carmel Highway 1195m V s Watchman t r tunnel information i i r e To 15 exit 16, g p i l v 9 n a i 9 o St George, h R s C A N Y O N and Las Vegas, a The Watchman C W n P Nevada i 6545ft E A r Chinl rg W e e i 1995m U b Tra V N R u il U k i H r R Hurricane v o A e F P r 59 Coalpits Wash er h v Ri t rgin To Pipe Spring National Monument and r i k V o r Grand Canyon National Park Fo Rockville N t Grafton 3747ft s (ghost town) Ea North 1142m 0 1 2 3 4 5 Kilometers Bridge Chinle Trailhead Road 0 1 2 3 4 5 Miles Road turn on Anasazi Way fton Gra Shuttle Information Other Visitor Information Unpaved roads are Springdale shuttle Paved road open to Ranger station Campground impassable when wet.