what to do in zion national park

What to Do in Zion National Park Marvel at steep sandstone walls soaring 2,000 feet skyward along Zion Canyon Scenic Drive on the park's free seasonal shuttle bus, or drive yourself during the off-season.

Run your fingertips across reproductions of Zion's evocatively named landmarks—the Court of the Patriarchs, the Great White Throne , the Altar of Sacrifice and the West Temple, to name a few—at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center , which has two topographic maps, interactive video screens and helpful park rangers.

Splash through the Virgin River (with the appropriate watertight footgear) near the Temple of Sinawava as you hike up the unforgettable Narrows, where the canyon walls seem to close in on both sides and dry footing is usually not an option.

Venture out (if you dare) along a slender ridge marked by 1,500-foot drops on either side to reach Angels Landing (the view is magnificent but you'll wish you had wings). It’s one of the park’s most adventurous things to do. If dizzying heights and steep ascents aren't your thing, stop at Scout Lookout, an overlook on the Angels Landing Trail right before the scary part begins.

Behold the canyon walls at sunset—which seem to glow with their own inner fire—during dinner at a restaurant with a view. Outdoor seating is offered at the Spotted Dog Cafe At Flanigan's Inn and the Zion Pizza & Noodle Co., both in Springdale, and at the Red Rock Grill inside the park.

Head to the Kolob Canyons area, on the park's less-visited western side, where you can take in a spectacular view of five finger canyons—so called because they run alongside each other like fingers on a hand—and the soaring red sandstone cliffs that mark their entrances.

Drive along scenic Zion-Mount Carmel Highway , which leads through a series of switchbacks—with pullouts where you can pause to marvel at the view—and up through a mile-long tunnel before emerging into a surreal landscape of rolling slickrock hills that look as if they're melting in the Utah sun.

Travel to Bryce Canyon National Park , a mere hour-and-a-half drive from Zion's East Entrance, and behold a very different landscape characterized by arrays of hoodoos—spires of eroded limestone—streaked orange, pink and white.

Stop at all four of the park's overlooks—Sunrise, Sunset, Inspiration and Bryce—each with views of hoodoo-packed Bryce Amphitheater —one of Bryce's most interesting things to see. Take a selfie with one of Bryce's whimsically named limestone formations in the background (Thor's Hammer, Silent City, Queen Victoria or Wall Street).