Planning your Zion trip
Zion runs on systems: a shuttle, three separate permit processes, and a lodging market that sells out months ahead. None of it is difficult once you know the order to do it in.
- Shuttle season
- March to November
- Angels Landing
- Seasonal lottery
- Narrows bottom up
- No permit needed
- Busiest months
- Apr, May, Sep, Oct
The useful thing to know is which decisions have deadlines
Lodging in Springdale sells out earliest. Angels Landing permits run on a seasonal lottery that closes months before your hike. Canyoneering permits work on a different calendar again. The shuttle needs no booking at all but does shape your day.
Get those four things in the right order and the rest of the trip plans itself. The table below is that order.
What to book, and how far ahead
Most Zion trips that go wrong go wrong here, months before anyone arrives. This is the lead time table, roughly in the order you should act.
| What | How far ahead | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Springdale lodging | 4 to 9 months | The tightest constraint on a spring or fall trip. Book this before anything else. |
| Angels Landing permit | 2 to 5 months | Seasonal lottery, applications open two months before each three month season. There is also a day before lottery. |
| Canyoneering permit | Up to 3 months | Advance reservations, plus a seasonal lottery for The Subway and Mystery, plus a daily lottery two days out. |
| Narrows top down permit | Up to 3 months | Required for the through hike. Not required for the bottom up day hike. |
| Guided tours | 1 to 4 weeks | Longer in midsummer and around holidays. Midweek is easier than weekends. |
| Narrows gear rental | A few days | Walk in works most of the year. Book ahead in peak October. |
| Park shuttle | Nothing to book | Free, no reservation, first come. It does set your earliest and latest possible trailhead times. |
The mistake almost everyone makes
People book flights and lodging, then discover the Angels Landing lottery for their dates closed weeks earlier. The permit calendar does not care when you decided to come. If Angels Landing matters to you, work backwards from the lottery dates and build the trip around them rather than the other way round.
Permit rules and fees change every year. Everything on this site carries a verification date, and we re-check against National Park Service sources each season.
Planning guides
Permits, logistics and timing, each covered properly. Pages still in progress are listed so you can see what is coming.
Angels Landing permit lottery
All four 2026 lottery windows, the fees, and the one application rule that disqualifies people.
The Zion shuttle explained
Season dates, first and last departures, all nine stops, and the rules that catch people out.
Best hikes in Zion
Every trail with the park’s own distance, elevation and time, the two that are closed, and the one that needs a permit.
Parking in Springdale and Zion
Published rates by zone, when the free lot fills, and RV options.
The Narrows: conditions and permits
Flow rates, the 150 cfs closure, the cyanobacteria advisory and how top down permits work.
Canyoneering permits
How the three permit routes work for Zion technical canyons.
Zion entrance fees and passes
Every fee, the new $100 non resident surcharge from January 2026, and the arithmetic on which pass pays for itself.
The Subway permit lottery
Four separate ways to get one, both routes compared, and the park’s own rule that no guide may take you.
Best time to visit Zion
Month by month on crowds, water, permits and what is actually open, with the tradeoffs.
One day in Zion
Hour by hour on the park’s own shuttle times and trail figures, with a version for permit holders.
Two days in Zion
One dry day, one wet day. The split that works, and what to swap in if the river is too high.
Three days in Zion
Three ways to use the third day: quiet Kolob Canyons, a guided canyon, or the slickrock east of the tunnel.
Zion with kids
Published age and weight limits for every guided trip, the easy trails, and what children pay at the gate.
Zion weather month by month
Temperature, rain, and what the river does.
Zion in winter
The shuttle stops, the scenic drive opens to cars and the queues disappear. What is open, what shuts and what it asks of you.
Wilderness and backcountry permits
Which trips need one, the fees, the three ways in including walk in spaces, and why no guide can take you on any of them.
Planning does not happen in isolation. Where you stay is the earliest deadline and shapes everything after it, guided trips need booking on their own timeline, and the town guide covers the practical ground once you arrive.
Common questions about planning a Zion trip
How many days do I need in Zion?
Two full days covers the main canyon comfortably. One day works if you accept you will pick two hikes rather than four. Three days lets you add a canyon trip, the east side of the park, and a slower morning in Springdale.
Do I need a permit for Zion National Park?
Not for general entry beyond the entrance fee, and not for most hikes. You need a permit for Angels Landing, for technical canyons, and for the Narrows top down through hike. The Narrows bottom up day hike needs no permit.
Can I drive into Zion Canyon?
Not during shuttle season, which runs roughly March through November. The scenic drive is closed to private vehicles then and the free shuttle is the only way in. Outside that season you can drive it.
When is Zion least crowded?
Winter, by a wide margin, though some services reduce. Among the pleasant months, early June and the second half of November are noticeably quieter than April, May, September and October.
Get the sequence right and the rest is easy
Start with the deadlines, then fill in the days around them.
Also useful: the Springdale town guide, The Narrows, and canyoneering.
Working out dates? Start with the lead time table above.
Where to stay