Zion Cycles
A full service bike shop on the main road through town, renting everything from a kids bike to a tandem e-bike. Renting rather than booking a tour also sidesteps a park rule that catches people out.
- Bike, per day
- $40
- E-bike, per day
- $80
- Where
- 868 Zion Park Blvd
- E-bikes on the shuttle
- Not allowed
Who this outfit actually suits
Most of what gets sold as a Zion cycling experience is a guided tour at around $189 to $295 a head. For a lot of visitors that is money spent on being led along a closed road with a bus on it, and the honest alternative is to rent a bike for the day and ride it yourself.
There is a second reason to rent rather than book a tour, and it is a park rule. Zion prohibits participants on a commercial biking tour from hiking its trails while on that tour. So a guided ride cannot include a walk to the Emerald Pools, which is exactly what people assume they are getting. Rent the bike, ride it independently, and you are not on a tour, so the restriction does not apply to you.
The one thing renting does not solve is the shuttle. E-bikes are not permitted on either shuttle line and regular bikes are capped at three per bus, first come. So an e-bike day in the canyon is an out and back under your own power, whichever way you book it. The e-bike page covers what that means for distance.
Trips, gear and prices
From the operator’s own published material at the time of writing. Rates change with season and group size, so confirm when you book.
| Bike | Per hour | Per day | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canyon bike, Trek FX3 | $15 | $40 | The standard hybrid, and all most people need for the paved scenic drive and the Pa’rus Trail. |
| E-bike, Trek Verve +3 or Allant +8 | $25 | $80 | Half the price of a guided e-bike tour for a whole day rather than three hours. |
| Tandem e-bike | $30 | $100 | An unusual thing to have in stock, and the cheapest way to bring a passenger who does not want to pedal. |
| Gravel, Trek Checkpoint ALR | — | From $70 | For riding beyond the paved canyon road. |
| Full suspension mountain bike | — | $70 half day, $80 full | Not for the canyon. This is for the trails outside the park. |
| E-mountain bike, Trek Rail 7 | — | From $110 | The top of the fleet. |
| Kids bikes | — | From $35 | Which makes the Pa’rus Trail a family ride rather than a family walk. |
They are a full service shop as well as a rental counter, so repairs, spares and retail are available. If you have brought your own bike and something has gone wrong on the drive, this is the only place on that road that can help.
What they are permitted to do
Cycling is one of the activities Zion does authorize inside the park, so a rented bike is welcome on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive and on the Pa’rus Trail, which is the only trail in the park open to bikes at all.
Two rules shape every ride here, and neither is the shop’s doing:
- E-bikes may not travel on the shuttle. Regular bicycles may, at three per bus, first come.
- Commercial biking tour participants may not hike park trails while on the tour. Riding independently on a rented bike is not a commercial tour.
When the scenic drive is open to private vehicles, in roughly January to early March, cycling it is a different and busier proposition, because you are sharing it with cars rather than with buses.
Worth asking about
Where the shop sits
868 Zion Park Boulevard. Springdale numbers its addresses from the park entrance outward, so that is roughly the middle of town rather than at the gate. Fine if you are riding from the door, worth knowing if you are walking there with luggage. How the numbering works.
Hourly against daily
A standard bike is $15 an hour or $40 a day, so the day rate pays for itself before three hours. Unless you are certain you want a short spin, take the day and stop worrying about the clock.
Worth confirming when you call: whether helmets and locks are included, what the collection and return times are, and whether they will hold a bike the evening before, which several Springdale shops do for river gear.
If this is not the right fit
You want a guide with it
Guided e-bike tours run around $225 for three to three and a half hours with a five rider maximum, and some let you keep the bike for the rest of the day, which changes the value. Compare the tours.
You want to ride and hike
Then rent rather than book a tour, because the no hiking rule is written for commercial tour participants. Pick your walk from the hiking page.
You are here for the river instead
Different shops, different gear. Gear rental covers the Narrows packages and what each tier includes.
Common questions about Zion Cycles
How much does it cost to rent a bike in Springdale?
At Zion Cycles, $15 an hour or $40 a day for a standard Trek FX3 hybrid, and $25 an hour or $80 a day for an e-bike. Kids bikes start at $35 and a tandem e-bike is $30 an hour or $100 a day.
Is renting a bike better than a guided e-bike tour in Zion?
For many visitors, yes. A guided tour runs around $189 to $295 and lasts a few hours, while a day rental is $40 to $80. A guided tour also cannot include a hike, because the park prohibits commercial biking tour participants from hiking its trails while on the tour.
Can I take a rented e-bike on the Zion shuttle?
No. E-bikes are not permitted on either shuttle line. Regular bicycles are, at a maximum of three per bus, first come. So an e-bike ride in the canyon is an out and back under your own power.
Where can I ride a bike in Zion National Park?
The Zion Canyon Scenic Drive and the Pa'rus Trail, which is the only trail in the park open to bicycles. Everything else is closed to bikes.
Where is Zion Cycles?
868 Zion Park Boulevard in Springdale. Addresses on that road are numbered from the park entrance outward, so that puts the shop around the middle of town.
Book direct with Zion Cycles
We do not sell trips and we take no commission. This link goes straight to the operator.
Compare across companies on guided trips, or read how this site works.
A day on a rented bike costs less than three hours on a guided one.
Visit their site