One Day In Zion National Park Itinerary (From A Frequent Visitor)

Zion National Park is one of my favorite parks and I’ve been multiple times. It’s only 2.5 hours from Las Vegas which makes it a popular day trip with so much to do. This one day in Zion National Park itinerary includes all of my favorite can’t-miss things to do, and tips for how to avoid crowds and save time.

In this article I’ll cover:

• The best itinerary for one day in Zion National Park
• The best & fastest way to get to Zion
• Where to stay
• Tips for driving, parking and taking the shuttle to save you time

The Best Way To See Zion In Just One Day

There are 3 airports close to Zion that work well for starting points for your road trip – Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and Phoenix.

Distance from Las Vegas to Zion: 2 hours 20 minutes
Distance from Salt Lake City to Zion: 3 hours 45 minutes
Distance from Phoenix to Zion: 6 hours

Las Vegas is the best airport for Zion because it has the most flight options, more direct flights, and the best flight prices. Rental cars from Vegas also tend to be cheaper than Salt Lake City or Phoenix.

While Zion does have a free shuttle, it’s best to rent your own vehicle because transportation to Zion is limited, and the shuttle only runs in Zion Canyon but not the other areas of the park.

Guided Day Trips From Las Vegas To Zion

Don’t want to rent a car? No problem – there are several options for guided day trips from Las Vegas to Zion National Park.

• Full Day Trip From Las Vegas to Zion National Park
• 1 Day Trip From Las Vegas To Zion National Park + Bryce Canyon
• 1 Day Tour From Las Vegas to Zion + Valley Of Fire State Park

One Day In Zion National Park Itinerary

With only one day in Zion National Park these are my top recommendations for things you can’t skip!

• Sunrise at Canyon Overlook
• Hike Angels Landing
• Explore Zion Canyon Scenic Drive
• Hike The Narrows

This is the Zion itinerary I recommend for your one day trip! Depending on the time of year, sunrise may be slightly earlier or later, so adjust accordingly.

Map Of Things To Do With One Day In Zion

Use this map to plan your one day in Zion National Park itinerary! I’ve labeled items by activity type (noted by icon).

Morning Itinerary For Zion

With only one day in Zion National Park I recommend getting an early start so you can maximize your time in the park. Sunrise is incredible to watch in Zion Canyon and the best place to see it is from Canyon Overlook.

If you’re driving in for the day, this might not be feasible with your schedule. In that case, I recommend skipping Canyon Overlook and heading straight to Angels Landing.

1. Sunrise At Canyon Overlook Trail

Start your morning with a Zion sunrise at Canyon Overlook. This is a fairly easy, short trail and has some of the best views in Zion National Park.

During shuttle season (March – November), sunrise hikes in Zion Canyon are limited because the shuttles do not run that early and cars are not allowed on Zion Canyon Scenic Drive.

The Canyon Overlook trailhead is located on Zion-Mt Carmel Highway, so you can drive yourself and arrive as early as you’d like.

TIP: Trailhead parking for Canyon Overlook is extremely limited (less than 10 parking spots) so plan to arrive early, or add about 30 minutes so you can park farther down the road and walk in.

Canyon Overlook is the best place to watch sunrise over Zion Canyon, and it’s a short 1 mile hike with minimal elevation gain, so a perfect hike for an early morning and is easy to squeeze into your itinerary for one day at Zion National Park.

NOTE: Sunrise times in Zion vary throughout the year. Twilight starts as early as 5:40 am and as late as 7:30 am. Ideally, I recommend you be at the trailhead an hour before twilight. Plan your hike based off of twilight hours, not true sunrise, because the best colors happen just before the official sunrise time.

From Canyon Overlook, head back along Zion-Mt Carmel Highway (you’ll pass through the Zion-Mt Carmel tunnel) towards the Zion Visitors Center.

There’s lots of parking near the Visitors Center, and overflow parking is available just outside the entrance gate in Springdale.

If you’re visiting between March and November you’ll need to take the Zion shuttle for the rest of this itinerary.

You can catch the shuttle from the visitors center and take it to stop #6 for Angels Landing.

During the morning, the shuttle lines are the longest. In my experience, the lines move very quickly so you shouldn’t have to wait more than 30 minutes at the most (but probably less).

2. Hike Angels Landing

Angels Landing is one of my all-time favorite hikes and it’s a must-do even if you only have one day in Zion National Park!

The trailhead for Angles Landing is across the street from shuttle stop #6.

It’s 4.3 miles to a stunning summit with views of Zion Canyon and the Virgin River.

On the hike up, you’ll hit Walters Wiggles – a short but steep section of 21 switchbacks shortly before arriving at Scouts Lookout.

Technically, you can hike to Scouts Lookout without a permit. However, the section of trail just past Scouts Lookout to Angels Landing (the famous “chains section”) requires a permit.

You can apply for permits several months in advance (read more about getting Zion permits here), or you can try and get one the day before.

Your best chance of getting permits for Angels Landing is the advanced lottery.

However, it’s possible to get them the day before, too – that’s what I did (although it took 3 days to finally win permits.)

Due to the dangerous nature of the trail (narrow trail with steep drop-offs) the number of people who can hike Angels Landing is limited via the permit system for safety.

This is considered one of the most dangerous hiking trails in the US. The trail itself isn’t very dangerous, but the steep cliffs along the chains section are where most incidents happen.

If you’re unable to get a permit for Angels Landing you can still hike to Scouts Lookout for incredible views of Zion Canyon.

TIP: It’s fairly common to see endangered California Condors from Angels Landing. There were several flying in the canyon the day I hiked.

3. Lunch In Zion

With only one day in Zion National Park, I recommend staying in the park for lunch. Heading out into Springdale can take quite a bit of time.

Luckily, there are two options located in Zion Canyon, right next to Zion Lodge – Castle Dome Cafe and Red Rock Grill.

📍Castle Dome Cafe – casual burgers and sandwiches with take-away options
📍Red Rock Grill – southwestern favorites with fresh, local ingredients

TIP: It’s a little over half a mile from the Angels Landing trailhead to Zion Lodge, and it’s a nice walk. If you’re visiting during the summer it’ll be faster to walk than it will be to catch the shuttle.

4. Explore Zion Canyon Scenic Drive

In the afternoon, explore Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. This is the main road that leads through Zion Canyon, and has a ton of great hiking trails and viewpoints along it.

The trailhead for Emerald Pools is located right next to Zion Lodge, and it’s the perfect next hike on this one day itinerary in Zion National Park.

The trail is 3 miles, or you can opt to hike to Lower Emerald Pools only which is just 1.4 miles.

Alternatively, one shuttle stop away (stop #4) is Court Of The Patriarchs which is only a 0.1 mile trail.

This is a short and easy hike in Zion National Park (fully paved) and takes you to the viewpoint where you can see the three Patriarch peaks.

5. Hike The Narrows

Spend the rest of the afternoon hiking The Narrows.

This hike is upstream through the Virgin River and it’s a really unique hike in Zion.

You can do as little, or as much as you’d like – I think hiking upstream at least 2 miles is best so you can escape the crowds.

If you’re visiting late in the summer the water may be warm enough you don’t need additional gear, but any other time of the year I suggest a quick detour to Zion Outfitters (near the visitors center) to rent neoprene socks and hiking boots.

When I hiked The Narrows in October the water was chilly and I was glad to have rented appropriate gear to keep my feet warm. The cost to rent for a day is around $30.

I imagine that in spring or early summer the water is even colder, and water levels may be deeper due to snow melt.

The Narrows is an out-and-back hike. In total it’s 8.9 miles, but you can hike as much or as little as you want depending on how much time you have.

With limited time during one day in Zion National Park I don’t recommend hiking the entire 8.9 miles. Save some time to see other highlights in Zion.

TIP: Don’t want to do it alone? Book a guided tour of the Narrows.

Adjustments To This One Day In Zion National Park Itinerary

With one day in Zion National Park this is my recommendation for how you outline your day:

You may need to make some adjustments based on the time of your permit for Angels Landing. Hike times available on permits are before 9am, 9am-noon, and after noon.

If you’re traveling to Zion in the summer, I recommend getting a permit for Angels Landing before 9am. The sunrise will be earlier, so you’ll still have time to see Canyon Overlook before heading to Angels Landing for your hike start time.

If you’re traveling to Zion in the winter I recommend requesting the 9am-noon permit time slot. Sunrise is later so you’ll need the extra time to return from your sunrise hike and get to the trailhead.

Where To Stay Near Zion National Park

I recommend staying in the park so you can optimize your time with just one day in Zion.

There’s only one hotel inside Zion National Park – Zion Lodge.

There are also 3 campgrounds – Watchman, South and Lava Point. However, South campground is closed for long-term rehabilitation projects, and Lava Point is in a remote part of the park that’s over an hour from the main entrance, so it’s not a good option for only one day in Zion National Park.

Another good option is to stay in Springdale, which is just outside the main entrance to Zion National Park.

There are many options to fit most budgets:

• Bumbleberry Inn – mid-range
• Red Cliffs Lodge Zion – luxury
• Cable Mountain Lodge – resort & spa
• Luxury apartment that sleeps up to 16 – vacation rental

Hurricane is about a 20-30 minute drive from Zion and offers more budget-friendly options like Wingate by Wyndham and Econo Lodge.

Time-Saving Tips For One Day In Zion

With limited time in the park, these are a few things you’ll need to know ahead of time so you can make the most of your short trip to Zion!

Taking The Zion Canyon Shuttle

TIP: Anticipate a bit of a delay traveling between stops if you’re taking the shuttle. Sometimes the lines can get backed up during busy seasons and you may have to wait for a few shuttles before you can get on one. The shuttle is the busiest first thing in the morning, and least busy in late afternoon.

NOTE: Private vehicles are always permitted on the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway.

Parking In Zion

Parking in Zion can be tricky. If you arrive to the park early in the day (before 8 am) you will likely find a spot at the large Visitors Center parking lot.

Once the Visitors Center is full, there are several lots in Springdale (just outside the main entrance) where you can park and then take the Springdale Shuttle into the park before transferring to the Zion Shuttle.

With only one day in Zion National Park I highly encourage you to arrive at the park as early as possible so you can avoid lines and delays which will eat up your time in the park.

Zion Entrance Fees

The entrance fee for Zion is $35 per vehicle, which is good for 7 days. There are no timed-entry vehicle reservation requirements for Zion, unlike the Arches National Park reservations.

If you have an America The Beautiful National Park Pass your admission to Zion is free. The pass is good for everyone in your vehicle, or if you’re walking into the park it covers 4 adults.

I’ve been an annual pass holder for several years and really love the convenience and savings from the card. It’s $80 per year and lasts for 12 months (rolling).

Since most parks charge $30-$35 to enter, if you plan to visit more than 2 parks in a 12 month period the America The Beautiful pass will save you money.

Suggestions For More Than One Day In Zion National Park

Personally, I recommend spending at least 2 days in Zion National Park if you can squeeze it into your itinerary.

Two days gives you a chance to see the park in a more relaxed way, and it gives you a second opportunity to win lottery permits for Angels Landing.

If you have even more time, check out this complete travel guide & itinerary for Zion.

However, if one day in Zion National Park is all you have time for I still highly recommend visiting. There’s a lot you can see in just one day and it is very much worth the trip!

Additional Planning Resources

Since you’re already in the southwest I recommend you see some other National Parks! The Utah National Parks, called the Mighty 5, are all within a short drive of each other, as well as the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

If you’re on a road trip to see the American Southwest National Parks I recommend at least 7 days, but ideally 10 or more.

Here are some additional resource for your trip planning:

• Zion Itinerary & Travel Guide
• Bryce vs Zion: Which Is Better & Why?
• Bryce Canyon National Park Itinerary And Travel Guide
• Arches National Park Itinerary And Travel Guide
• How To Spend One Day In Arches National Park
• Epic Road Trips From Las Vegas To Grand Canyon
• 14 Road Trips From Las Vegas