Zion National Park (435/772-3256, www.nps.gov/zion, $25 per vehicle, $12 per person for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists) is a magnificent park, with stunning, soaring scenery. The story here is really just all about rocks and water. Little trickles of water, percolating through massive chunks of sandstone, have created both dramatic canyons and markedly un-desertlike habitats, enabling an incredible variety of plants to find niches here.

When you visit Zion, the first thing to catch your attention will be the sheer cliffs and great monoliths of Zion Canyon reaching high into the heavens. Energetic streams and other forces of erosion created this land of finely sculptured rock. The large park spreads across 147,000 acres and contains eight geologic formations and four major vegetation zones. Elevations range from 3,666 feet in lower Coalpits Wash to 8,726 feet atop Horse Ranch Mountain.

The highlight for most visitors is Zion Canyon, which is approximately 2,400 feet deep. The Zion Canyon visitors center, at the mouth of Zion Canyon, is on Hwy. 9 about midway between I-15 and U.S. 89. Visitors short on time usually drop in at the visitors center, travel the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, and take short walks on Weeping Rock or Riverside Walk Trails. (During the spring, summer, and early fall, a shuttle bus ferries visitors along this route.) Hiking trails branch off to lofty viewpoints and narrow side canyons. A stay of two days or longer is better to take in more of the grand scenery and hike other inviting trails.

Kolob Canyons Road, in the extreme northwestern section of the park, begins just off I-15 Exit 40 at the Kolob Canyons Visitors Center and climbs to an overlook for great views of the Finger Canyons of the Kolob; the drive is 10 miles round-trip. Motorists with more time may also want to drive the Kolob Terrace Road to Lava Point for another perspective of the park; this drive is about 44 miles round-trip from Virgin (on Hwy. 9) and has some unpaved sections.

Zion’s grandeur extends all through the year. Even rainy days can be memorable as countless waterfalls plunge from every crevice in the cliffs above. Spring and autumn are the choice seasons for the most pleasant temperatures and the best chances of seeing wildlife and wildflowers. About mid-October–early November, cottonwoods and other trees and plants blaze with color.

Summer temperatures in the canyons can be uncomfortably hot, with highs hovering above 100°F. It’s also the busiest season. In winter, nighttime temperatures drop to near freezing and weather tends to be unpredictable, with bright sunshine one day and freezing rain the next. Snow-covered slopes contrast with colorful rocks. Snow may block some of the high-country trails and the road to Lava Point, but the rest of the park is open and accessible year-round.

Zion National Park is 43 miles northeast of St. George, 60 miles south of Cedar City, 41 miles northwest of Kanab, and 86 miles southwest of Bryce Canyon National Park. There are two entrances to the main section of the park: from Springdale you enter the south end of Zion Canyon, right near the visitors center and the Zion Canyon shuttle buses; from the east, you come in on the Zion–Mount Carmel Highway, pass through a long tunnel, then pop into Zion Canyon a couple of miles north of the visitors center. Large RVs and bicycles must heed special regulations for the long tunnel on the Zion–Mount Carmel Highway.

There’s a separate entrance for the Kolob Canyons area, in the park’s northwest corner. A far-less-traveled part of the park is accessed by the Kolob Terraces Road, which heads north from Hwy. 9 at the tiny town of Virgin and goes to backcountry sites. (There’s no entrance station on this road.)

Kolob Canyons Road, in the extreme northwestern section of the park, begins just off I-15 Exit 40 at the Kolob Canyons Visitors Center and climbs to an overlook for great views of the Finger Canyons of the Kolob; the drive is 10 miles round-trip.

People traveling with their dogs are in a bit of a dilemma when it comes to visiting Zion. No pets are allowed on the trails (except the Pa’rus Trail) or in the shuttle buses, and it’s absolutely unconscionable to leave a dog inside a car here in the warmer months. Fortunately, the Doggy Dude Ranch (800 E. Main St./Hwy. 9, Rockville, 435/772-3105, www.doggyduderanch.com) provides conscientious daytime and overnight pet care.

The Best of Zion National Park

• Zion Canyon Visitors Center
• Court of the Patriarchs Viewpoint
• Weeping Rock
• Emerald Pools Trails
• West Rim Trail to Angels Landing
• Riverside Walk