Visiting Zion National Park in winter is an enchanting experience. Here are some of the benefits to a winter visit:
Since winter also means snow, this can make your Zion experience even more magical.
However, these same perks of visiting Zion in winter can also make your visit more challenging, so continue reading for everything you need to know about planning your trip.However, these same perks of visiting Zion in winter can also make your visit more challenging. Continue reading for everything you need to know about planning your trip, as well as my personal tips and tricks.
*The outdoors is for everyone, but it is up to us to protect it. When enjoying the outdoors, it’s important to practice the Leave No Trace Principles so that we can leave the environment better than we found it and ensure that everyone can continue to enjoy it. Learn more about Leave No Trace here.
Don’t let the weather ruin your plans when visiting Zion National Park. Make sure to check current weather conditions, and road and trail closures on the park’s website. Also, remember to double-check the night before and the day of your visit!
One of the best ways to plan for any condition is to pack lots of layers and always have a dry, warm change of clothes ready. Packing the right clothing, along with proper planning, is crucial when hiking in winter conditions to prevent hypothermia. Be smart, and always be aware of your surroundings and changing weather conditions.
Winter weather conditions in Zion can range from sunny and 50° to total blizzards all in the same day, so it’s really important to be prepared for any weather you might encounter. Click here for current and future 7-day forecasts for each section of the park.
Make sure the car you are driving is capable of handling possible winter conditions. Check to make sure your tires have good traction and aren’t bald. If your car doesn’t have AWD or 4WD you may even want to consider bringing tire chains. It’s always better to be prepared so that you don’t get stranded in winter conditions.
Since winter weather and conditions change quickly, unforeseen snow and ice can sometimes affect your well-planned trip. Checking conditions the night before and even the day of when visiting the park is really important- on our visit, a big snowstorm the night before changed our plans for the entire day. Park rangers are an awesome resource when it comes to getting all the details of what’s going on in the park and current conditions, so it’s always worth a trip to the visitor center to make sure you are getting the best information possible. They are also a great resource for finding alternative options in case of unforeseen trail or road closures.
This is always my first stop whenever I visit any national park. You can learn more about the park before you enter, get the latest updates on road and trail conditions, and pick up a sticker for your collection at the bookstore. I also always ask the park rangers for their recommended hikes and sights – doing this has led me to some true hidden gems.
The Zion Canyon Scenic Drive and Zion-Mount Carmel Highway are both usually open in the Winter. Sadly, during my visit, the Highway was closed due to snow. However, from my research, it’s definitely worth checking out. The road climbs to impressive heights, providing magnificent views and access to some breathtaking hiking trails. Thankfully, the Scenic Drive was open. I absolutely loved this quick 20-mile round trip to some of the most iconic views and attractions in the park. Plus, there are tons of hiking trails to explore, including the world-famous Angels Landing*
To do this loop, park at Mount Zion Lodge, where the Grotto Trail starts, and take that to the Kenayta Trail. This trail will join the Middle Emerald Pool Trail, which leads back down to the lodge. We took two side trails- the Lower Emerald Pool Overlook and the Upper Emerald Pool Trail. In the summer, the Lower Emerald Pool Overlook connects to the Lower Emerald Pool Trail which also connects back down to the lodge, but it is usually closed in Winter due to ice. The Upper Emerald Pool Trail had some of the best views from the whole hike, so it is well worth it. The trail was snow packed the entire way and was a little slick in some places. Yaktrax would have been great to have, but we were fine in well-tractioned shoes.
Since only the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive was open the day we visited the park because of a massive snowstorm the night before. We were on a quick roadtrip, so we only planned for one day in the park. I had three hikes on my list for that day- Angel’s Landing, the Narrows (a small section of it at least), and the Canyon Overlook Trail. *Angel’s Landing requires a permit, which you can either apply for well in advance or apply for the day-before lottery. We planned our trip only a few weeks before we went, so we were going to apply for the day-before permit. However, we ended up not even trying because we saw the park would be getting snow and we didn’t feel like the trail would be in a safe condition. Because of weather conditions we were also unable to do the other two hikes out of saftey concerns and road closures. I had other options in mind, but we decided to ask a park ranger what their recommendations were given the park conditions. For hiking, he recommended the Grotto Trail to Emerald Pools Loop.
There are tons of trails in Zion, and we were really excited about the three I had picked before the weather conditions changed our plans (Angel’s Landing, a section of the Narrows, and Canyon Overlook Trail). But that’s Winter hiking and roadtriping for you! The most important thing is to pick several options so that you have backup plans. Also, no one knows better than the park rangers – it’s always getting their recommendations!
On our way into the park, we stopped at Zion Brewpub. Offering incredible views, a beautiful patio, good beer, and great looking food menu, I would recommend this pit stop to anyone! Because of the snow, we didn’t catch good enough conditions to enjoy our beer from the patio, but this place has the best outdoor area I have ever seen at a brewery. I could only imagine relaxing here on a warm 50° winter day while enjoying a Burnt Mountain Brown ale and taking in the scenery…
UT: 84 miles – 1 hour and 50 minutes*
Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, AZ: 90 miles – 2 hours*
AZ: 118 miles – 2 hours and 20 minutes*
*Based on taking Zion-Mount Carmel Highway, which can close for snow
Don’t let the weather ruin your plans when visiting Zion National Park. Make sure to check current weather conditions, and road and trail closures on the park’s website. Also, remember to double-check the night before and the day of your visit!
Visiting Zion National Park in winter is an enchanting experience. Here are some of the benefits of a winter visit:
Since winter also means snow, this can make your Zion experience even more magical.
However, these same perks of visiting Zion in winter can also make your visit more challenging. Continue reading for everything you need to know about planning your trip, as well as my personal tips and tricks.
*The outdoors is for everyone, but it is up to us to protect it. When enjoying the outdoors, it’s important to practice the Leave No Trace Principles so that we can leave the environment better than we found it and ensure that everyone can continue to enjoy it. Learn more about Leave No Trace here.
This is always my first stop whenever I visit any national park. You can learn more about the park before you enter, get the latest updates on road and trail conditions, and pick up a sticker for your collection at the bookstore. I also always ask the park rangers for their recommended hikes and sights – doing this has led me to some true hidden gems.
The Zion Canyon Scenic Drive and Zion-Mount Carmel Highway are both usually open in the Winter. Sadly, during my visit, the Highway was closed due to snow. However, from my research, it’s definitely worth checking out. The road climbs to impressive heights, providing magnificent views and access to some breathtaking hiking trails. Thankfully, the Scenic Drive was open. I absolutely loved this quick 20-mile round trip to some of the most iconic views and attractions in the park. Plus, there are tons of hiking trails to explore, including the world-famous Angels Landing*.
To do this loop, park at Mount Zion Lodge, where the Grotto Trail starts, and take that to the Kenayta Trail. This trail will join the Middle Emerald Pool Trail, which leads back down to the lodge. We took two side trails- the Lower Emerald Pool Overlook and the Upper Emerald Pool Trail. In the summer, the Lower Emerald Pool Overlook connects to the Lower Emerald Pool Trail which also connects back down to the lodge, but it is usually closed in Winter due to ice. The Upper Emerald Pool Trail had some of the best views from the whole hike, so it is well worth it. The trail was snow packed the entire way and was a little slick in some places. Yaktrax would have been great to have, but we were fine in well-tractioned shoes.
There are tons of trails in Zion, and we were really excited about the three I had picked before the weather conditions changed our plans (Angel’s Landing, a section of the Narrows, and Canyon Overlook Trail). But that’s Winter hiking and roadtriping for you! The most important thing is to pick several options so that you have backup plans. Also, no one knows better than the park rangers – it’s always getting their recommendations!
One of the best ways to plan for any condition is to pack lots of layers and always have a dry, warm change of clothes ready. Packing the right clothing, along with proper planning, is crucial when hiking in winter conditions to prevent hypothermia. Be smart, and always be aware of your surroundings and changing weather conditions.
Winter weather conditions in Zion can range from sunny and 50° to total blizzards all in the same day, so it’s really important to be prepared for any weather you might encounter. Click here for current and future 7-day forecasts for each section of the park.
Make sure the car you are driving is capable of handling possible winter conditions. Check to make sure your tires have good traction and aren’t bald. If your car doesn’t have AWD or 4WD you may even want to consider bringing tire chains. It’s always better to be prepared so that you don’t get stranded in winter conditions.
Since winter weather and conditions change quickly, unforeseen snow and ice can sometimes affect your well-planned trip. Checking conditions the night before and even the day of when visiting the park is really important- on our visit, a big snowstorm the night before changed our plans for the entire day. Park rangers are an awesome resource when it comes to getting all the details of what’s going on in the park and current conditions, so it’s always worth a trip to the visitor center to make sure you are getting the best information possible. They are also a great resource for finding alternative options in case of unforeseen trail or road closures.
Only the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive was open the day we visited the park because of a massive snowstorm the night before. We were on a quick roadtrip, so we only planned for one day in the park. I had three hikes on my list for that day- Angel’s Landing, the Narrows (a small section of it at least), and the Canyon Overlook Trail. *Angel’s Landing requires a permit, which you can either apply for well in advance or apply for the day-before lottery. We planned our trip only a few weeks before we went, so we were going to apply for the day-before permit. However, we ended up not even trying because we saw the park would be getting snow and we didn’t feel like the trail would be in a safe condition. Because of weather conditions we were also unable to do the other two hikes out of saftey concerns and road closures. I had other options in mind, but we decided to ask a park ranger what their recommendations were given the park conditions. For hiking, he recommended the Grotto Trail to Emerald Pools Loop.
On our way into the park, we stopped at Zion Brewpub. Offering incredible views, a beautiful patio, good beer, and great looking food menu, I would recommend this pit stop to anyone! Because of the snow, we didn’t catch good enough conditions to enjoy our beer from the patio, but this place has the best outdoor area I have ever seen at a brewery. I could only imagine relaxing here on a warm 50° winter day while enjoying a Burnt Mountain Brown ale and taking in the scenery…
UT: 84 miles – 1 hour and 50 minutes*
Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, AZ: 90 miles – 2 hours*
AZ: 118 miles – 2 hours and 20 minutes*
*Based on taking Zion-Mount Carmel Highway, which can close for snow
Visiting Zion National Park in winter is an enchanting experience. Here are some of the benefits to a winter visit:
Since winter also means snow, this can make your Zion experience even more magical.
However, these same perks of visiting Zion in winter can also make your visit more challenging. Continue reading for everything you need to know about planning your trip, as well as my personal tips and tricks.
*The outdoors is for everyone, but it is up to us to protect it. When enjoying the outdoors, it’s important to practice the Leave No Trace Principles so that we can leave the environment better than we found it and ensure that everyone can continue to enjoy it. Learn more about Leave No Trace here.
Don’t let the weather ruin your plans when visiting Zion National Park. Make sure to check current weather conditions, and road and trail closures on the park’s website. Also, remember to double-check the night before and the day of your visit!
One of the best ways to plan for any condition is to pack lots of layers and always have a dry, warm change of clothes ready. Packing the right clothing, along with proper planning, is crucial when hiking in winter conditions to prevent hypothermia. Be smart, and always be aware of your surroundings and changing weather conditions.
Winter weather conditions in Zion can range from sunny and 50° to total blizzards all in the same day, so it’s really important to be prepared for any weather you might encounter. Click here for current and future 7-day forecasts for each section of the park.
Make sure the car you are driving is capable of handling possible winter conditions. Check to make sure your tires have good traction and aren’t bald. If your car doesn’t have AWD or 4WD you may even want to consider bringing tire chains. It’s always better to be prepared so that you don’t get stranded in winter conditions.
Since winter weather and conditions change quickly, unforeseen snow and ice can sometimes affect your well-planned trip. Checking conditions the night before and even the day of when visiting the park is really important- on our visit, a big snowstorm the night before changed our plans for the entire day. Park rangers are an awesome resource when it comes to getting all the details of what’s going on in the park and current conditions, so it’s always worth a trip to the visitor center to make sure you are getting the best information possible. They are also a great resource for finding alternative options in case of unforeseen trail or road closures.
This is always my first stop whenever I visit any national park. You can learn more about the park before you enter, get the latest updates on road and trail conditions, and pick up a sticker for your collection at the bookstore. I also always ask the park rangers for their recommended hikes and sights – doing this has led me to some true hidden gems.
The Zion Canyon Scenic Drive and Zion-Mount Carmel Highway are both usually open in the Winter. Sadly, during my visit, the Highway was closed due to snow. However, from my research, it’s definitely worth checking out. The road climbs to impressive heights, providing magnificent views and access to some breathtaking hiking trails. Thankfully, the Scenic Drive was open. I absolutely loved this quick 20-mile round trip to some of the most iconic views and attractions in the park. Plus, there are tons of hiking trails to explore, including the world-famous Angels Landing*.
To do this loop, park at Mount Zion Lodge, where the Grotto Trail starts, and take that to the Kenayta Trail. This trail will join the Middle Emerald Pool Trail, which leads back down to the lodge. We took two side trails- the Lower Emerald Pool Overlook and the Upper Emerald Pool Trail. In the summer, the Lower Emerald Pool Overlook connects to the Lower Emerald Pool Trail which also connects back down to the lodge, but it is usually closed in Winter due to ice. The Upper Emerald Pool Trail had some of the best views from the whole hike, so it is well worth it. The trail was snow packed the entire way and was a little slick in some places. Yaktrax would have been great to have, but we were fine in well-tractioned shoes.
There are tons of trails in Zion, and we were really excited about the three I had picked before the weather conditions changed our plans (Angel’s Landing, a section of the Narrows, and Canyon Overlook Trail). But that’s Winter hiking and roadtriping for you! The most important thing is to pick several options so that you have backup plans. Also, no one knows better than the park rangers – it’s always getting their recommendations!
Only the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive was open the day we visited the park because of a massive snowstorm the night before. We were on a quick roadtrip, so we only planned for one day in the park. I had three hikes on my list for that day- Angel’s Landing, the Narrows (a small section of it at least), and the Canyon Overlook Trail. *Angel’s Landing requires a permit, which you can either apply for well in advance or apply for the day-before lottery. We planned our trip only a few weeks before we went, so we were going to apply for the day-before permit. However, we ended up not even trying because we saw the park would be getting snow and we didn’t feel like the trail would be in a safe condition. Because of weather conditions we were also unable to do the other two hikes out of saftey concerns and road closures. I had other options in mind, but we decided to ask a park ranger what their recommendations were given the park conditions. For hiking, he recommended the Grotto Trail to Emerald Pools Loop.
On our way into the park, we stopped at Zion Brewpub. Offering incredible views, a beautiful patio, good beer, and great looking food menu, I would recommend this pit stop to anyone! Because of the snow, we didn’t catch good enough conditions to enjoy our beer from the patio, but this place has the best outdoor area I have ever seen at a brewery. I could only imagine relaxing here on a warm 50° winter day while enjoying a Burnt Mountain Brown ale and taking in the scenery…
UT: 84 miles – 1 hour and 50 minutes*
Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, AZ: 90 miles – 2 hours*
AZ: 118 miles – 2 hours and 20 minutes*
*Based on taking Zion-Mount Carmel Highway, which can close for snow