EAST ZION LODGING, RECREATION, & DINING
Zion National Park
WELCOME TO EAST ZION
Located just outside of Utah's Zion National Park the East Zion Plateau and Long Valley offer a breathtaking backdrop of forests and mountain panoramas. This setting with southwest Utah is home to locally managed hotels, B&B’s, restaurants, farmer’s markets, art galleries, tour guides, outfitters, gift shops, hiking, bike trails, and more. The east side of Zion National Park is full of outdoor activities with sunshine year-round. Historically this area has been rich in agriculture and now has the added benefits of great hotels, lodges, vacation rentals, and several restaurants for various types of dining
EAST ZION UTAH - UNPACK ONCE
This area encompasses the east side of Utah's Zion National Park. This region offers a central location to unpack once and explore world-class destinations such as Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Cedar Breaks National Monument, the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, and much more.
EAST ZION PLATEAU
Just outside the east gate of Zion National Park is the East Zion Plateau, an unincorporated area that offers guest travel services such as campgrounds, cabins, glamping, vacation rentals, hotels, motels, and outdoor adventure guided excursions for jeep tours, slot canyon exploration, canyoneering (rappelling), horseback riding, UTV tours, and much more.
LONG VALLEY
Align the scenic Highway 89 corridor, near the junction of Scenic Byway 9, you'll find the communities of Mt. Carmel Junction, Mount Carmel, Orderville, and Glendale. These communities offer lodging, dining, shopping, and guided adventures for visitors wishing to explore the area. Visitors who make this side of Zion National Park their home-base will experience the quiet side of the park, and will enjoy much closer day-trip access to Bryce Canyon, North Rim of the Grand Canyon, and the Grand Staircase. The eastern side of Zion National Park is best accessed via Highway 89 or Utah State Route 9, which is a scenic highway that passes through Zion National Park. Elevations in the East Zion area are generally between 5,200' to over 6,500'. This means the summer temperatures are cooler than on the west side of the park in communities such as Springdale. The east Zion communities of Mt. Carmel Junction, Orderville, Glendale, and the east Zion Plateau are all much cooler and more quiet during the summer months.
WHERE TO STAY
Destination guest ranches such as Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort and Zion Mountain Ranch are conveniently located on the eastern border of Zion National Park. In Mt. Carmel Junction (approximately 13 miles from the park) you'll find a hotel, motel, and campground. Cabins and vacation rentals, campgrounds, along with glamping are available in Orderville or Glendale. Dining services are found at the destination ranches, or at Mt. Carmel Junction or Orderville
WHAT TO SEE
Zion National Park is cut into the Colorado Plateau and ranges in elevation from 4,000' to 8,700'. When accessing the main canyon of Zion National Park from the east side, there is a mile long tunnel in the park along highway 9 through which guests will pass through. Prior to the tunnel guests will enjoy the upper sandstone layers of the park with various side canyons to explore off highway 9. Formations such as Checkerboard Mesa and scenic hikes to viewpoints such as Observation Point, Cable Mountain, and Canyon Overlook are all found on the east side of the park. The main canyon of Zion (west of the tunnel) is accessible most of the year via shuttle which is accessed at the west entrance visitor center. This area is filled with unique formations and terrain, some of which is natural and others are more recently created. Coral Pink Sand Dunes, Belly Of The Dragon, The Sand Caves, Dinosaur Tracks, Slot Canyons are just a few of the area attractions that you'll find in the above drop-down menus.
NEWS
New Visitor Center coming to East Zion. Zion National Park officials, along with representatives of the Bureau of Land Management. commissioners from Utah's Kane County, and private parties have been cooperatively working for several years on a plan to construct a visitor center at a location two miles from the east entrance of Zion National Park. We'll keep you posted on these on-going efforts.