General Information
Zion National Park is found in southwest Utah and was designated as the state's first national park in 1919.  Zion National Park is a thirty mile long series of deep canyons and dramatic cliffs that were carved by Virgin River and other tributaries. The park is is nearly 230 square miles and is approximately 15 miles across at it's widest point.  Zion National Park is the certainly the most popular national park in Utah.  Ancestral Puebloan people inhabited the Canyon and in more recent times, a small band of the Paiute tribe called the canyon "Mukuntuweap".   Mormon settlers (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) were inspired by this narrow maze of sandstone canyons and gave it the name Zion, meaning "the heavenly city of God" or "a place of refuge." Protected within the borders of Zion National Park are rough areas of breathtaking natural beauty.

Tunnel
There are size restrictions on vehicles (mostly large RV's or trailers) traveling through the 1.1-mile (1.7 km) tunnel on the Zion National Park - Mt. Carmel Highway (SR9). The tunnel height at its east entrance is 11 feet 4 inches (3.5 m). A $10 fee may be required for escort service for large vehicles through the narrow tunnel. Parking of large vehicles is regulated in various locations throughout the Park during the summer

Geology:

Zion is a series of layers of sediment that were deposited over time and each layer brings something different to the canyon. Scientists claim that the tan to orange-red sandstone of the Navajo Formation is 170 million years old. The oldest rock layers in Zion National Park is the Triassic Moenkopi formation. Zion is known for its majestic towering rock mountains which rise thousands of feet above the valley floor.

Water / Snow Melt / Rain: The waters of the Virgin River and captured rain waters that seep into the canyon sandstone make Zion a lush green oasis. Sheer, milky-white cliffs and pristine gorges are accented and stained by enormous curtained waterfalls. During rain storms the water gathers on plateaus at the top of the park and this is funneled into narrow slot canyons before being jettisoned over precipices and into the majestic valley below.   Zion, simply put, is one of the most beautiful places in the west. It would be hard to find a place in America that compares with the grandeur and beauty that Zion National Park possesses. Here in Southern Utah, where the sky is usually clear, and the landscape is breathtaking, lies an unsurpassed masterpiece of nature. The vertical topography of Zion National Park seems to reach to the heavens show-casing some of the worlds highest and most beautiful monoliths.

Zion is home for a large variety of animals with 60 different mammals been found in the park, including mice, rabbits, coyotes, foxes, porcupines, skunks, ringtail cats, mountain lions, bobcats, and bighorn sheep.  Elk and black bears are occasionally seen on the upper reaches of the park. Visitors commonly see mule deer, squirrels, and a variety of bats. About 271 varieties of birds are found in the park, ranging from hummingbirds to eagles. Canyon Wrens, Black-headed Grosbeaks, and Common Flickers are easily found in Zion Canyon. During summer, almost every visitor will see lizards; there are about 13 types in the park. Snakes are more shy and much harder to see. Of the 12 species, only the Western Rattlesnake is poisonous.

The Park is accessible from the west and east with western access through the town of Springdale and the the community of Zion Mountain on the east side.

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