Zion Canyon Shuttle System

 
 

Shuttle Schedule

Every year, the National Park Service (NPS) makes seasonal adjustments to its shuttle schedules and campground availability. Here is what you need to know to plan your visit:

  • You do not need a ticket or reservation to ride the park shuttle or enter the park.
  • During the shuttle season visitors cannot drive personal vehicles on Zion Canyon Scenic Drive.
  • Shuttles arrive about every 15 minutes on the Springalde Line (outside the park) and about every 5-10 minutes on the Zion Canyon Line (inside the park).

Current & Future
Zion Canyon Line Shuttle Schedule

March 3 to May 18 May 19 to September 15 September 16 to November 2 November 3 to December 1
First shuttle leaves the
Zion Canyon Visitor Center (Stop 1)
7 a.m. 6 a.m. 7 a.m. 7 a.m.
Last shuttle leaves the Visitor Center to the Temple of Sinawava (Stop 9) 5 p.m. 7 p.m. 5 p.m. 4 p.m.
Last shuttle out of the canyon from the
Temple of Sinawava (Stop 9)
7:15 p.m. 8:15 p.m. 7:15 p.m. 6:15 p.m.
 

Shuttles take about 45 minutes to drive between the Zion Canyon Visitor Center and the Temple of Sinawava. This means a round trip takes about an hour and a half.

Be mindful of the time you board the shuttle back to the Zion Canyon Visitor Center at the end of the day. You should not wait for the last shuttle of the day. If the last shuttle is full, or if you miss the last shuttle, you may have to walk nine miles back to the Zion Canyon Visitor Center.

Current & Future
Springdale Line Shuttle Schedule

March 3 to
May 18
May 19 to
September 15
September 16 to
November 2
November 3 to
December 1
First shuttle leaves the
Majestic View Lodge (Stop 9)
8 a.m. 7 a.m. 8 a.m. 8 a.m.
Last shuttle leaves
Zion Canyon Village (Stop 1)
7 p.m. 8 p.m. 7 p.m. 6 p.m.
 
Shuttle
Zion Canyon Shuttle

When they run, both shuttles are free to ride. The Zion Canyon Line, or park shuttle, runs from the Zion Canyon Visitor Center to destinations including the Zion Lodge and trailheads for hikes to Angels Landing, Emerald Pools, West Rim Trail, and the Narrows. Download our Information Guide or scroll lower on this page to see a map of the park shuttle route.

The Springdale Line, or town shuttle, provides service in the Town of Springdale. It stops at 9 locations in town and picks up and drops off visitors at the park's pedestrian/bike entrance at Zion Canyon Village.

Background
The National Park Service began operating shuttles in 2000 to reduce traffic and parking problems, protect vegetation, and restore tranquility to Zion Canyon. In 2017, park shuttle drivers recorded more than 6.3 million boardings.

When The Shuttle Is In Operation

Zion Canyon Scenic Drive (the road that starts north of Canyon Junction) is closed to private vehicles when park shuttles are operating. The park is a large place and, even when shuttles are running, you can drive a private vehicle on the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway (which connects State Route 9 through the park), the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel, the Kolob Terrace Road, and Kolob Canyons Scenic Drive.

During most years, shuttles run:

  • Daily from March through November.
  • For the holiday season near the end of December.
The National Park Service posts updated schedule information on this webpage every season. We also update the shuttle schedule and a map of other roads in our park information guide. If you would like to visit the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive without riding a shuttle, you can use a bicycle or visit during the winter.
 
Map identifying all 18 stops in Zion Canyon Shuttle System
Zion Canyon Shuttle System Map

How to use the shuttle system

The Zion Canyon Shuttle connects the Zion Canyon Visitor Center to stops on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. Shuttles leave every few minutes and go either north or south. You can exit the shuttle at any open stop.

Check the map to see what to expect in the park. You may get on and off at any open shuttle stop. Most visitors start shuttle trips at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center, but if you are staying at the Zion Lodge, you can board the shuttle there. You cannot board a shuttle to go up canyon (north) at Canyon Junction.

Read our Park Information Guide to see updated information about the stops that are open or closed now.

If you drive to Zion, remember that National Park Service parking lots often fill early in the day. Paid Parking is available in the town of Springdale. If you leave your car in Springdale, you can ride the free Springdale Line shuttle to enter the park.

Learn more Traffic and Travel Tips before you arrive and tune your radio to 1610 AM for more information.

Rules of the road

Do your part to keep Zion National Park's shuttles clean. Remember:

  • No eating or smoking on the bus
  • Only capped bottles of water are allowed.
  • Pets are not allowed on the shuttle buses.

Shuttle Narration

Listening to the Zion Canyon Shuttle Narration is a great way to learn about Zion Canyon Scenic Drive if you visit when shuttles are not running or if you want to learn more when you are not in the park.

 
 

Zion Canyon Shuttle Frequently Asked Questions

No. Shuttles are free to ride.

You can get on or off of the shuttle at any open stop.

The park shuttle will only stop at Big Bend (Shuttle Stop 8), Canyon Junction (Shuttle Stop 3), and the Zion Human HIstory Museum (Shuttle Stop 2), when they are going down canyon (south).

Everyone must exit shuttles at the Temple of Sinawava (Shuttle Stop 9) and Zion Canyon Visitor Center (Shuttle Stop 1).

Don't wait too long to catch a shuttle out! It is a long walk back to your vehicle (up to 8 miles or more), and it will be dark out. Alternately, you can walk to the Zion Lodge (still a long walk in the dark!), where the Front Desk will have a list of companies that provide after-hours shuttle van rides. These rides are variable in price and may not be available at all times. Rangers will not give you a ride back to your vehicle.

Yes. No fat tire or e-bikes will be allowed. You will need to be able to put your bike on the bike rack on the front of the shuttle yourself. The shuttle driver will not be able to assist you due to COVID-19 guidelines.

Yes. You will need to be able to put your stroller on the bike rack on the front of the shuttle yourself. The shuttle driver will not be able to assist you due to COVID-19 guidelines.

From mid-February through late November access into Zion Canyon is by shuttle bus only. All shuttle buses are wheelchair accessible. Use of personal vehicles is restricted to those individuals requiring additional vehicle supported medical devices, those unable to ride the shuttle for medical reasons, or when the shuttle bus cannot accommodate the individual due to weight or size restrictions. The shuttle lift has a combined weight limit of 600 lbs and cannot accommodate chairs larger than 45" long or 25" wide. A special permit for personal vehicle use up-canyon must be obtained from the visitor center information desk.

2021 Update: To comply with COVID-19 public health distancing guidelines, shuttle drivers are not allowed to assist riders with wheelchairs. Visitors using a wheelchair may ride the shuttle but must be able to do so independently as drivers can only operate the lift and finish securing the chair.  Alternately you may obtain a special permit for personal vehicle use on the Scenic Drive from the visitor center information desk.  The narration that is played on the shuttle is available for download at Shuttle Narration - Zion National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) and can be used in private vehicles to provide interpretation of the Scenic Drive..

Pets are not allowed on the shuttle. Service animals are permitted. The 2010 revision to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a "service animal" as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.

Dogs that are not trained to perform tasks that mitigate the effects of a disability, including dogs that are used purely to provide comfort or emotional support ("therapy animals"), are considered pets.

Service animals in training and pets are subject to the park's pet regulations and are not allowed on shuttles or trails (except the Pa'rus Trail).

No. The Scenic Drive is closed to private vehicles during the shuttle season. Only Zion Lodge and Canyon Trail Rides guests with reservations (individuals will receive passes or codes when making reservations) are allowed up the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive to designated parking areas. Private vehicles are only allowed to drive the Scenic Drive during the non-shuttle season, usually January to mid-February.

Visitors with overnight reservations at the Zion Lodge are allowed to drive to the lodge to park in designated guest parking. Private vehicles are not allowed farther up the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, so lodge guests wanting to access other trailheads (Grotto, Temple of Sinawava) will have to walk, or board the shuttle at the lodge. Lodge guests wanting to visit Springdale should drive their private vehicles or plan on taking the park shuttle.
 

Springdale Shuttle Frequently Asked Questions

No, riding the shuttle is a free service provided by Zion National Park.

A bus should come by every 10-15 minutes. There are two buses that loop from Shuttle Stop 9 at Majestic View Lodge to Shuttle Stop 1 at the Zion Canyon Village (Zion pedestrian entrance) throughout the day. Each bus will complete 2-3 loops per hour.

Buses will only stop when there are passengers at the stop, waiting to board. If there is no one waiting, the shuttle will bypass the stop. Additionally, if the shuttle is full it will not stop to pick up more passengers until seats are open.
 

No, passengers will need to let the bus driver know at which stop they would like to be dropped off. Passengers can either inform the driver as they board or approach the stop.

The park entrance fee will be paid at the Pedestrian Entrance to the park after visitors deboard at Stop 1 (Zion Canyon Village).

To connect to the shuttle buses going up Zion Canyon, passengers must get off at the Zion Canyon Village stop and walk across the Pedestrian Entrance footbridge to the NPS Visitor Center inside the park.

There are 9 stops at various points between the Majestic View Lodge at the south end of town and Zion Canyon Village, at the north end of town, right outside of the park entrance.

Parking in Springdale is operated and enforced by the town of Springdale or local businesses. Those who park in Springdale and walk into the park will still need to pay the entrance fee upon entering the park.

Pets are not allowed on the shuttle. Service animals are permitted. The 2010 revision to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a "service animal" as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.

Dogs that are not trained to perform tasks that mitigate the effects of a disability, including dogs that are used purely to provide comfort or emotional support ("therapy animals"), are considered pets.

Service animals in training and pets are subject to the park's pet regulations and are not allowed on shuttles or trails (except the Pa'rus Trail).

Last updated: March 7, 2024

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

Zion National Park
1 Zion Park Blvd.

Springdale, UT 84767

Phone:

435-772-3256
If you have questions, please email zion_park_information@nps.gov. Listen to recorded information by calling anytime 24 hours a day. Rangers answer phone calls from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. MT, but a ranger may not answer if they are already speaking with someone else.

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