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- Zion National Park will restrict large vehicles on Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway starting June 7.
- Vehicles exceeding specific dimensions and weights will be prohibited to improve traffic flow.
- The decision aims to preserve historic road features and accommodate increasing park visitation.
SPRINGDALE, Washington County — Zion National Park remains about as busy as ever, but park officials are reminding visitors in advance of a big change coming to one of its iconic routes that will be implemented this summer.
The park plans to move forward with its plan to move large vehicles off of Zion–Mt. Carmel Highway, which was first announced in 2024 and brought up again last year.
Beginning on June 7, vehicles larger than 35 feet and 9 inches in length; 7 feet and 10 inches in width; 11 feet and 4 inches in height; or 50,000 pounds will be prohibited from entering the highway between Canyon Junction and the park's east entrance. The same applies to trucks with trailers and other combined vehicles that exceed 26 feet from hitch to rear axle or 50 feet in length.
The change isn't expected to impact most vehicles that enter the park, but will affect recreation vehicles and motor coach buses. It will prohibit them from any of the highway's bridges and tunnels. It also applies to vehicles with roof racks and tire adjustments.
That's because vehicles of the outlined sizes aren't able to remain in their highway lane safely, including at the famous Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel, where larger vehicles need an escort to pass because the road is too narrow to pass through in one lane, park officials say. Vehicles over 50,000 pounds also exceed the weight limits on four bridges.
"Many of today's large touring vehicles and RVs simply couldn't have been envisioned when the road was built," said Zion National Park Superintendent Jeff Bradybaugh, adding that the decision was crafted after years of study and collaboration with transportation agencies and the tourism sector.
Park officials believe the change will help improve park traffic without damaging any of the historic highway's features. The road was initially completed in the early 1930s, and it was widened in 1960. Any additional work could impact the history of the road, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
A 2016 park study found that free-flowing traffic near the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel only lasted for about a third of the time every hour because of the efforts to allow larger vehicles to cross.
Zion officials said they're reminding visitors of the upcoming change now, so it gives them time to review their vehicle's dimensions and weight.
Last year will end up being close to a record-breaker for Zion visitation. The park logged over 4.7 million visits by the end of November, less than 300,000 shy of its all-time busiest year in 2021. This year might be especially busy as people celebrate the nation's 250th birthday, which could drive traffic into its parks.
While large vehicles will no longer be allowed to use Zion's east entrance beginning on June 7, they will still be allowed in through Zion's south entrance, as long as they don't plan to enter the Canyon Junction area. There will still be access to the Zion Canyon Visitor Center, Zion Lodge, Zion Canyon Scenic Drive (during the shuttle offseason), as well as the Watchman Campground and South campgrounds when they are open.
Drivers can still navigate to nearby Bryce Canyon and Grand Canyon national parks by using the "Grand Circle" tour route, although alternate routes are expected to add 10 to 45 minutes of travel time.
