19 Nov 7 Things To Do in Zion National Park Besides Hiking

People from all around the United States and all around the world visit Zion National Park. For example, the Angels Landing hike attracts hundreds of thousands of hikers each year. However, what if you are only interested in one hike or not interested in a hike at all? Are there things to do besides hiking in Zion National Park? Yes, of course! While Zion is known for beautiful and strenuous hikes, it also offers a variety of other activities. Examples include stargazing, camping, and so much more. Let us now dive into seven things to do in Zion National Park besides hiking.

The United States is full of breathtaking national parks. Time to start checking them off your bucket list! For example, Glacier National Park is full of hikes that lead to glacial lakes. Additionally, Acadia National Park has trails right along the coastline as well as the nearby (and cute) little town of Bar Harbor.

Contents:

1) Zion Canyon Visitor Center

2) Mount Carmel Highway

3) Stargazing 

4) Bike Riding

5) Camping

6) Horseback Riding

7) Human History Museum

1) Zion Canyon Visitor Center 

• Location: south park entrance
• Hours of operation: 8:00am to 7:00pm in the summer

First on the list of things to do besides hiking in Zion National Park is the Zion Canyon Visitor Center. It is located on the right immediately after the south entrance to the park. The shuttle runs from right outside the Visitor Center, so this is thus a perfect first stop before you begin or last stop as you are heading home.

Opening Hours

It is open every day with opening hours based on the season. For example, summer hours are 8:00am to 7:00pm. On the other hand, hours are slightly reduced in spring, fall, and winter. Check their website for current opening hours information. 

Looking down into the canyon below at Zion

Information Available

Outside of the Visitor Center is a bunch of information about the park and hiking trails as well as maps. Inside is a store with every souvenir you could ever desire. They sell postcards, t-shirts, magnets, books, and so much more.

Have a question? Approach employees and park rangers with questions, especially those related to weather conditions and trail closures. Additionally, obtain hiking or camping permits here. For more information about the park, stick around for a discussion with a ranger outside the Visitor Center. They normally have around three ranger talks daily. 

Energy Efficiency 

A fun fact about the Visitor Center is that it is energy efficient. They cut down on electricity usage as well as cost by utilizing natural daylight for 80% of the building. More information can be found on the visitor center site. 

Some of the rock formations in Zion

2) Mount Carmel Highway  

• Estimated visit time: 1 hour, not including stops
• Highway length: 25 miles (~40 kilometers), with 10 miles (~16 kilometers) inside of Zion

Second on the list of seven things to do in Zion National Park besides hiking is the Mount Carmel Highway. It might be the most popular scenic drive in Zion National Park as well as the southern Utah area.

Another national park in the US with a stunning scenic drive is Glacier National Park. The scenic drive is called the Going to the Sun Road, and it runs all the way from the eastern edge of the park near St. Mary and Virginia Falls to the western edge near Avalanche Lake.

Driving Directions

There are two directions from which to begin the drive. First, you can start from Springdale in the west. Second, you can start from Bryce Canyon in the east. Due to the fact the highway passes through Zion, there is a $35 entrance fee for a private vehicle. 

Highway Description

Throughout the drive there are canyons, tunnels, rock formations, and more. The Zion-Mt.Carmel Tunnel is 5,000+ feet (~1500 meters) long and just wide enough to allow two-way traffic for passenger vehicles. If driving an RV or trailer, however, you will need an escort to stop traffic and allow you to pass through. One unique thing about this tunnel: it has windows throughout so visitors can still see the beauty of Zion. 

A variety of scenic pull offs as well as hiking trails are right off the highway. While you can see the beauty of Zion from your car along this drive, it does not compare to being outside, walking along a trail, and experiencing it for yourself. Some examples include: (1) Canyon Overlook Trail (2) Checkerboard Mesa (3) East Rim Trail.

View along the trail to Angels Landing

3) Stargazing

We already touched upon the visitor center and a scenic drive, which are two typical activities within national parks. What else is within this list of seven things to do in Zion National Park besides hiking? Well, grab a jacket and prepare to be amazed at the night sky with stargazing in Zion. While the darkness within Zion makes it the perfect location for stargazing, it can also make it more dangerous. You should thus watch your surroundings and exercise greater caution when out and about at night. 

Zion has many prime locations for stargazing, for instance: 

• Kolob Canyon and Kolob Terrace
• Desert Lowlands
• Checkerboard Mesa
• Zion Human History Museum patio
• Pa’rus Trail

Check out the forecast on clear dark sky to see the current conditions for stargazing. Furthermore, other beautiful places nearby to stargaze as well as to view the sunrise are Monument Valley in Utah and Arches National Park.

Looking over the edge at Angels Landing

4) Bike Riding

Fourth, there are ample opportunities to explore Zion on a bike. All roadways as well as the Pa’rus Trail allow bikes. Unfortunately, no other trails allow biking. You will thus have to conquer those on foot. Additionally, biking is prohibited within the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel for safety reasons. There is one bonus when entering the park (by yourself) on a bike compared to a car. It is cheaper at only $20 per person! 

A couple of biking rules to keep in mind while in Zion:

• Helmets are strongly recommended
• No groups of seven or more bikers allowed – split into smaller groups if necessary 
• Bike on the right side in single file
• You can transport your bike on the Zion shuttle – however, you need to be able to lift it on and off yourself 
• Yield to pedestrians at all times  
• Pull off the road and stop to let shuttle buses past 

Bike Rentals

Bike rentals are available from Zion Outfitters, which is a short walk from the park entrance. They offer appropriately-sized bikes for children and adults as well as e-bikes. E-bikes have a motor to provide an extra boost when pedaling. However, if you are in the market for a bike, check out the best road bikes for women. BONUS: they are all under $500.

Check out Zion’s FAQ about biking as well as a biking map.

Beginning of The Narrows in Zion

5) Camping

Fifth on the list of seven things to do in Zion National Park besides hiking is camping. One of the best ways to get up close and personal with nature in Zion National Park is camping. 

Zion has 3 campgrounds:

(1) Watchman Campground

• Watchman is the most popular campground in Zion and is full almost every single night. Reservations are thus highly recommended. You can reserve a campsite up to six months in advance of your stay. Moreover, it is right next to the Visitor Center, just inside the south entrance to the park. It is open all year round.
• 176 sites
• $30 electric sites; $20 tent only sites; $50 group sites; $10 wheelchair accessible sites 

(2) South Campground

• South campground is less popular than Watchman, though reservations are still highly recommended. The campground is full almost every single night, and you can make reservations two weeks in advance. Moreover, it is close to the Watchman site, just about half a mile (~1.6 kilometers) down the road from the Visitor Center. It is open from March to October.
• 117 sites
• $20 tent sites; $50 group sites 

Panoramic view from the top of Angels Landing

(3) Lava Point Campground

• Lava Point is a little further down the road than the previous two campgrounds. It is about an hour and a half drive from the south entrance of Zion. Drive 25 miles (~40 kilometers) on the Kolob Terrace road and then pull off to the campground. Reservations can be made through recreation.gov. Furthermore, it is open from May to September.
• 6 sites
• $20 for all sites 

Campground Rules

The following rules apply to all three campsites within Zion.

• Two vehicles allowed per site – however, only one RV / trailer allowed 
• Up to two tents allowed per site
• Up to six people allowed per site
• Maintain quiet hours from 10pm to 8am
• Maximum of 14 nights for March to mid-November 
• Maximum of 44 nights for mid-November to February 

Camping in Zion is quite popular, so you should thus start thinking about reserving your campsite today! If you are not able to book a campground inside of Zion, consider a campground or luxury tent just outside the park borders. 

More of the interesting rock formations in Zion

6) Horseback Riding 

East Zion Adventures is the main company offering horseback riding tours. They have tours running all year round. Children eight years and older can participate. Additionally, they do impose a weight limit of 200 pounds. However, do not worry if you have no prior experience, for they will give a brief lesson before you depart. 

If you are interested in exploring other tours in the area, then I recommend looking into canyoneering tours in Kanab Canyon.

They offer a variety of tours, including the following:

(1) White Mountain 

• Price: $59
• Time: 1 hour
• Destination: slot canyon 

(2) Zion Sunset

• Price: $89
• Time: 1.5 hours
• Destination: wherever they can take you for the best sunset views

(3) Pine Knoll

• Price: $99
• Time: 2 hours
• Destinations: Pine Knoll summit; views of Southern Utah and Zion

Gathering the courage to conquer the chains at Angels Landing

(4) Twin Knoll

• Price: $79
• Time: 1.5 hours
• Destinations: Twin Knoll summit; views of Zion, Elk Heart Mountains, Kaibab Mountain Range

(5) Pine Grove

• Price: $59
• Time: 1 hour
• Destination: Pine Grove trail 

(6) Little Wrangler Ride

• Price: $15
• Time: 10 minutes 
• For children ages three to seven that cannot participate in the full tours

Recommended Items to Bring

• Long pants, preferably jeans or those with a thicker material 
• Close toed shoes, preferably ones with a nice grip
• Water
• Sunscreen and/or a hat 
• Warm clothing in the winter months 

View from the switchbacks of Angels Landing

7) Human History Museum 

• Price: free (after you pay the entrance fee to the park)
• Hours of operation: 9am to 5pm, with slightly longer hours in the summer

We have come to the last activity on the list of seven things to do in Zion National Park besides hiking. Need an indoor activity for a break from the sun? The Human History Museum is perfect. It is located a half mile (~0.8 kilometers) from the south entrance and 11 miles (~17.7 kilometers) from the east entrance.

Exhibits

The Museum has been around for almost 60 years, yet the exhibits are constantly changing. Some exhibits, for instance, highlight the history of Zion, Southern Paiute culture, and water. Yes, you read that right: water. Water is the resource that drew settlers to Zion in the first place. Additionally, it continues to have huge impacts on the park today. They also offer a 20-minute long video on the history of the park. 

That concludes the list of seven things to do in Zion National Park besides hiking!

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Get ready to hike the Kanarra Falls Creek Trail: Hiking to Kanarra Falls Outside of Zion.

Head to Salt Lake City to explore more natural wonders: Bonneville Salt Flats: Rest Area Westbound.