Zion National Park

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Welcome to Utah's first National Park, the magnificent Zion National Park located in the southwestern part of the state. Zion boasts towering canyon walls and beautiful sandstone cliffs that one must see with their own eyes to appreciate. The cliffs range in color from pink, to cream, to red and have been described as sandcastles in the desert.

Park History: The first human inhabitants of Zion National Park date back over 12,000 years. They were nomadic hunter-gatherers who hunted the lands giant slothes, and mammoths which have since been hunted to extinction. As the animals dwindled people had to change their ways and one culture centered on Zion began a farming tradition known as Virgin Anasazi that lasted for over 1,500 years. The landscape of Zion provided the farmers with a rare desert opportunity by boasting wide landscapes for crops, a river for watering those crops, and an adequate farming season. In the Colorado Plateau region the best farming conditions are between 5,000 and 7,000 feet ASL in elevation. Zion's elevations range from as low as 3,666 feet to as high as 8,726 feet making it the ideal place for farming. About 800 years ago the Anasazi moved southeast and the Paiutes moved into the region.

In the 1860's the first Mormon Pioneers arrived and John Wesley Powell visited Zion on a scientific expedition. Both the Native Americans and the white settlers had to deal with hardships such as droughts and flash floods.

Flora and Fauna: Zion's high elevations help protect the home of numerous plant and animals species. Some of the more than 900 species of plants that grow inside the park boundaries include aspens, Ponderosa pines, maidenhair ferns, and western columbines. Some of the wild animals who call this place home include mule deer, foxes, squirrels, kangaroo rats, bighorn sheep, bats, beavers, badgers, skunks, mountain lions, Peregrine Falcons, and California Condors. Please treat their home with respect.

For the lover of the outdoors Zion National Park boasts over 30 miles of trails, guided horseback rides, and so much more. Come on out and explore!