Biking Through Zion – The Best Way to See Zion National Park

Post Topic: Why Biking Through Zion National Park Needs to be on Your Bucket List

Zion National Park is one of those “top-tier” parks that I love to visit again and again. It’s landscapes are so majestic and picturesque. Recently, Randy and I spent a Saturday biking through Zion. After the day was finished, we both agreed that it was hands-down our favorite day we’ve had on our adventure through the American West.

Hiking is by far one of my favorite ways to experience America’s National Parks. But every once in a while, it’s refreshing to see the park in a different way. Biking is a great way to do that.

When researching ways to see & experience Southern Utah, I stumbled upon this incredible idea to see Zion National Park by bicycle. Biking through Zion seemed like such a neat way to see the park. I knew we needed to try it out.

When to Visit Zion

Zion National Park is absolutely beautiful all year round. There’s no bad time to visit. But there are a few things to keep in mind.

• The most crowded time in Zion is March – October.
• Shuttle Tickets are required for entering Zion Canyon (the most popular portion of the park) starting in March through the fall. If you visit in the winter, you’ll be able to drive your own vehicle into the canyon.
• The best weather is March – April when mornings are very cold (sometimes below freezing) and afternoons are warm & pleasant.
• If possible, avoid holiday weekends & spring break as these times are very packed.

Obtaining a Shuttle Ticket During Peak Season

For years, due to the heavy traffic in Zion National Park, park authorities haven’t allowed private vehicles to drive the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. I would imagine it’s mostly due to very little parking available at the trailheads along the road.

In the 2020 season, due to COVID, the park began requiring visitors to obtain ticket reservations ahead of time in order to improve social distancing on the shuttle buses. Previously, the Zion shuttle buses would be filled to capacity and in 2017 the buses transported over 6 million park visitors. Not only are tickets now required, they’re also very limited in number.

Tickets times are for each hour 7 AM – 1 PM and you MUST board the shuttle bus during your hour. If you book a 9 AM shuttle ticket, you have from 9 – 10 AM to board the shuttle. Don’t be early or late.

Tickets for the Zion Canyon Shuttle are only $1 but can be very difficult to obtain but here are a few suggestions for how to secure a shuttle ticket. All of this information was gathered from Zion’s nps website, check here for most up-to date information.

Sign-Up for a Recreation.gov Account Ahead of Time

Recreation.gov is the National Park Service’s website for obtaining tickets & reservations for just about anything. You’ll need an account to secure your Zion Shuttle tickets. Do this ahead of time so that you don’t miss your chance when you go to reserve spots.

Purchase an Advance Ticket Right When Released

Advance tickets for daily shuttle service will be released twice a month, on the 16th and the last day of the month. Generally, tickets are released 2-4 weeks before their date.

For example, May 1 – 15, 2021, advance tickets are released on April 16, at 9:00 a.m. MT.

After signing-up for Recreation.gov, be online & ready to go right at 9 AM MST because they will go fast.

Purchase a Ticket at 5 PM MST the Day Before

If you had no luck obtaining an advance ticket, your next option is to again, be ready with your Recreation.gov account and log in EXACTLY at 5 PM the day before you wish to ride the shuttle to snag your ticket. This is how I was able to get our tickets for the shuttle.

Find a spot with good internet connection, set an alarm so you don’t miss it, know ahead of time which time you wish to reserve, and don’t blink!

Board the Shuttle between 2-4 PM

If all else fails, the shuttle buses operate on a First-Come, First-Serve basis between 2-4 PM. I don’t have any knowledge or experience with how many passengers they’ll allow during this time. I don’t know if you could be turned away if there are too many people.

So, I suggest getting in line early. Be the First-Come to secure a spot. Speak with a park ranger ahead of time to see what is the likelihood of getting on the shuttle.

You Also Don’t NEED a Shuttle Ticket to Enjoy the Park

Yes, a shuttle ticket is required to ride the shuttle through Zion Canyon but there are other parts of the park to explore and other ways to enjoy Zion Canyon. Renting a bike is one of those ways.

Why You should Consider Biking Through Zion

I mentioned earlier that Randy and I both agreed that biking through Zion was definitely our favorite thing to do since leaving home – and we’ve done a lot of really neat things!

I don’t know if I can explain it any other way than both exhilarating and peaceful at the same time. By opting to bike through the canyon, we were able to distance ourselves from others to enjoy the peace and beauty of the canyon. But at the same time, while biking down the hill with the wind in our hair and on our faces while looking up at the majestic walls of the canyon, you can’t help but feel alive.

Biking Through Zion is Very Safe

Being the Enneagram Type 6 that I am, I was a bit cautious about the idea of biking through the canyon. At first, I imagined us biking down a very steep hill with busses and cars whirling past us. Steep hills with distracted drivers and I’m on a bicycle? Yeah, no thanks.

But after a bit of research, I learned that isn’t at all how it is. For one, only shuttle busses are allowed on the road during peak season. Two, shuttle busses are not allowed to pass bicyclists unless the bicyclists are stopped on the side of the road with one foot on the ground. And three, the road isn’t steep at all, it’s fairly level most of the way. Perfect for coasting on the way back to the visitor center.

Biking Can be the Best Way to See Zion

Biking through Zion Canyon gives you the time and space to take in areas of the park that you wouldn’t be able to stop to enjoy when on the shuttle bus. If you’re relying solely on the shuttle busses, you’re only able to stop at designated shuttle stops and don’t get to pause and appreciate the other views along Zion Canyon Road.

On our ride, Randy noticed a wooden staircase off the road that led to the waterfall pictured above. We never would have been able to stop and see this spot if we weren’t exploring the park on bikes! Keep your eyes out for this wooden staircase of the east side of the road to see this beautiful waterfall, too.

If you’re looking to escape the crowds of people, biking is a terrific option for that. We were able to stop along the road as many times as we wished to take pictures or just to simply enjoy the scenery with no one around. I was so peaceful and quiet.

You can still check out the hiking trails in Zion while biking. Keep reading for a couple of hiking trails that I recommend you add on to your bike ride.

Biking Routes in Zion

There are 3 main options for biking though Zion Canyon.

Pa’ Rus Trail

The Pa’Rus Trail is only 3.4 miles out-and-back and is a biking & pedestrian only trail. The trail is mostly flat but does have a lot of foot traffic – meaning a lot of hikers that aren’t paying attention. This trail is a great option if you’re not feeling up to the entire Zion Canyon trip.

Zion Canyon Round-Trip

Biking from the Visitor’s Center to the top of the canyon (Temple of Sinawava) and back to the Visitor’s Center is a round trip of 15 miles. The road climbs 300 feet from the Visitor’s Center to the top of the road. The road is mostly flat but does have some climbing areas on the way up. The way back down is very gentle and enjoyable.

Zion Canyon One-Way

I cannot recommend this option highly enough (although it does require a shuttle ticket). For the most enjoyable option, consider taking your bike onto the shuttle, ride the shuttle to the top of the canyon, and take the gentle ride back down to the visitor center. This route is 7.5 miles total and loses 300 feet in elevation, meaning it’s a gradual descent. So expect lots of coasting.

Taking Your Bike on the Shuttle

If you have a shuttle pass, I highly recommend hoping on the shuttle WITH your bicycle. By taking the shuttle to the top of the canyon, you’ll be able to simply coast downhill your entire ride. All of your energy can then be spent taking in all of the wonderful sights and sounds.

If you don’t have a pass, that’s ok, too. The 7.5 mile one-way road only climbs 300 feet in elevation. It’ll be a workout but not impossible. I’m sure you’re up to the challenge!

Each shuttle bus has a bike rack on the front that can accommodate 3 bicycles. If you’re travelling in a group larger than 3, you’ll have to split up and wait for the next bus.

Don’t Just Bike, Hike the Trails, Too!

Your bike ride through Zion wouldn’t be complete if you stayed on your bike the whole time. Make sure you get off the bike and check out some of the incredible trails in Zion, too.

Each of the trailheads in Zion Canyon are equipped with a bike rack to leave (& lock) your bike.

Here are a couple of shorter trails that I’d recommend you check out on your biking adventure:

Narrows Riverside Walk

The Narrows is one of the most iconic hikes in all of Zion National Park, we decided not to do it on this trip but we did walk the Riverside Trail that leads to the Narrows section. This gentle stroll along the river had terrific views of the surrounding canyon walls. Definitely check this part of the park out when you make it to the Temple of Sinawava.

Lower, Middle, Upper Emerald Pools

About half-way down the canyon is the trailhead for the Emerald Pools. This hike can be done as an out & back or loop. Start on the trail to the Lower Emerald Pool and from there you can head back or continue on to the Middle & Upper Emerald Pools. If you see all 3 pools, the round trip mileage for this hike is 3.0 miles with 620 feet of elevation gain.

Where to Rent a Bike

There are many places to rent bicycles in the city of Springdale, right outside the entrance of Zion. We chose to rent from Zion Outfitter, which is located immediately outside the entrance to the park. There’s even a pedestrian bridge that enters the park from the parking lot of Zion Outfitter.

Due to the decreased number of shuttle passes available this year, more people are electing to rent bikes to see the park. This influx does mean that bike rental shops are running out of bicycles to rent out. I’d suggest arriving by 9 AM to ensure they’ll have a bicycle for you.

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