The Best Zion National Park One Day Summer Itinerary (2024)
Want to know the best Zion National Park one day summer itinerary? We’ve got you covered with everything you need to know!
Zion National Park in the summer is a must for any nature lover, even if you only have time for one day.
With its towering sandstone cliffs, lush green meadows, and sparkling river, it’s no wonder that Zion is one of the most popular national parks in the United States.
If you’re short on time here are the two hikes we most recommend:
🥾 The Narrows
🥾 Lunch at Zion Lodge
🥾 Emerald Pools – Lower, Middle, and Upper
You can see our full one day experience in this video on our YouTube Channel.
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The Best Zion National Park One Day Summer Itinerary
The best way to spend a summer day in Zion is to start by hiking the famous Narrows.
If you arrive before 9 am, you should be able to park at the visitor center.
From there, you just need to hop on the shuttle.
1. Hike The Narrows
In the summer, shuttles are required to get around Zion.
You’ll want to take the shuttle to the Temple of Sinawava stop, which is the furthest point.
If you’re ever confused, just ask the driver to make sure you’re in the right spot.
From here, you’ll take the Riverside Walk down to the river.
This portion of the trail is partially dirt, partially paved and is about a mile long each way.
Some visitors just hang out in this area of the river, while most visitors hike through at least some portion of The Narrows.
With this trail you can go as far out as you’d like up to Big Spring and then make your way back to where you started.
That distance in total is about 10 miles round trip.
To go any further requires a permit.
Most visitors don’t go past a mile or so, but it’s fun to try to make it all the way to the end if you have the time and energy.
For this particular itinerary, we don’t recommend trying to hike the whole thing.
If you have just one day in Zion and want to see multiple areas of the park, you’ll want to limit about 3-4 hours of your day here.
If you’re interested in spending the bulk of your day hiking The Narrows, check out our other Narrows itinerary.
2. Lunch Break at Zion Lodge
After the Narrows, I recommend taking the shuttle back to the lodge.
Here, you can change into dry clothes and stop for a lunch break.
JP and I brought tuna and cracker kits and it was the perfect portion size and easy to carry and throw away.
JP’s son and his friend opted to buy food at the Lodge instead.
I think they had pizza.
From the Lodge you just have to cross the street and the bridge to do the Emerald Pools hike.
3. Emerald Pools
Start off going to the right, which will lead you to the Lower Emerald Pools.
After that keep going up to the Middle Emerald Pools, and finally keep climbing higher to the Upper Emerald Pools.
JP and I had hiked to the Lower Emerald Pools on our first visit in February 2019 for our anniversary, but it was so iced over that you couldn’t go beyond the Lower Emerald Pools.
Virtually everybody passed right by the Middle Emerald Pools, and then once at the Upper Emerald Pools people just sort of camped out for the afternoon.
It was kind of a brutal hike up because there was no shade, we had already been hiking, and it’s uphill the entire way.
But once you’re there it’s completely shaded, there’s tons of places to sit, and it’s a nice break!
You have to talk yourself into the hike back down though.
Tips For Hiking The Narrows
Hiking The Narrows takes a bit of preparation before you arrive.
You have to hike through varying levels of water for the vast majority of the hike, so you’ll need to have walking sticks to keep your balance on all the rocks.
You can get these at the lodge or bring your own.
The canyon walls are high so you’ll hardly ever be in direct sunlight during the hike except maybe around noon.
The water cools you off too, so you shouldn’t be drenched in sweat like you would on most other hikes.
We’ve done this hike twice and love it.
This first time we did this hike at end of July and it was 100+ degrees outside.
The second time was the following 4th of July weekend and the expected high was only in the 70s!
We thought we were going to be freezing the whole time.
By the time we started heading back the sun was peeking through at some points so we took advantage of that to actually get some sun!
I recommend packing plenty of water for everybody, some salty snacks, maybe even a sandwich, and some sunscreen.
Additionally, you’ll want to bring a change of socks and shoes for after the hike.
Where to Stay When You’re Visiting Zion National Park
You have a few options in Zion in the Summer from camping in the park, to staying just outside of the park in the town of Springdale, or save a little money and stay in St. George.
✅ Camping At Zion National Park
The Watchman Campground would be the most ideal for a Summer visit.
These campgrounds are always booked up all Summer long, so you’ll want to plan your visit in advance if you want to camp here.
Zion’s official site also lists some campgrounds that are just outside the park.
👉🏼 Click Here to Book Your Camp Site At Zion National Park Today!
✅ Hotels In Springdale, Utah
Springdale is the town you drive through to get into Zion National Park.
You’ll pass by tons of hotels, motels, inns, lodges, and more along the way.
They’re all highly rated with 8+ stars out of 10, so you really can’t go wrong with any of them.
They tend to be pricy in the Summer, so if you go by what your budget says works for you, then you can’t go wrong with any of these places in Springdale.
👉🏼 Click Here To Book Your Stay In Springdale Today!
✅ Tru by Hilton St George
St George is the nearest large town to Zion National Park and is about 45 minutes outside of the park entrance.
It’s also only about a 2 hour drive outside of Vegas.
Hilton has several properties in this area, but during our visit, this was the cheapest option since we were paying for 2 rooms.
The regular Hilton Honors rate and came out to about $110, compared to most hotels in Springdale that are $250+ minimum in Summer.
The video below is of a standard King Room.
The second room was 2 Queen beds and was essentially identical, but slightly larger to accommodate 2 beds.
We drove up the night before just for 1 night so we could get to the park earlier in the morning.
You can see a full walkthrough of our room in this video on our YouTube Channel.
👉🏼 Click Here To Book Your Stay At Tru By Hilton St. George Today!
Frequently Asked Questions
Planning a Summer trip to Zion National Park can be overwhelming.
National Parks in general are just hard to plan for because of the constantly changing weather conditions, trail closures, refurbishments, etc.
These are the most frequently asked questions we get about visiting Zion National Park.
☑️ Is Summer A Good Time To Visit Zion National Park?
Absolutely!
Summer in Zion is beautiful and all the trails are usually open.
You do have to keep an eye on the weather though because flash floods can and do happen in the Summer.
We visited the day after a flash flood and the park was nearly empty because most of Springdale washed out still.
But that’s definitely not the norm.
Summer is also perfect for hiking The Narrows because it’s mostly shaded and you’re cooling off in the water the whole time.
☑️ How Many Days Do You Need At Zion National Park?
This depends on how much you want to see and do and how much you’re able to hike.
For those that want to do it all, you’ll want at least 3 days here.
One day to hike the entirety of The Narrows, one day for Angel’s Landing (which you need a permit for), and another day for the other hikes like the Emerald Pools and Canyon Overlook.
However, if you just want to do a little bit of everything, 1-2 days is perfect.
☑️ Is Zion National Park Too Hot In Summer?
Zion National Park can see temperatures in the 100s in the Summer.
I don’t recommend hikes like Angels Landing or the Emerald Pools in that kind of heat, but it’s tolerable when you’re hiking The Narrows because of the shade and the cool water.
We’ve also been in the Summer when the temperature is barely 70 degrees, so you’ll just want to keep an eye on the forecast before your visit if the temperature will affect your itinerary.
Resources For Planning Your Trip To Zion National Park
If you need help planning your trip to Zion, check out our Tips For Planning A Trip To Anywhere (A Step-By-Step Guide) and our guide on How To Plan A National Park Trip.
Read our Best Tips For Staying Safe When Traveling During Extreme Weather if you’re traveling during the extreme heat in Summer or the snow in Winter.
Also check out our Best Tips For Staying Well While You Travel if you’re prone to getting colds or have allergies when you travel or have other ailments.
Lastly, if you’re traveling on a budget, read up on our Best Tips For Traveling On A Budget: Your Guide To Planning An Affordable Trip.
More Great National Parks To Visit In Utah
Utah has 5 National Parks that are commonly visited as part of one big road trip.
We’ve visited some of these parks multiple times as part of different trips, and these are the itineraries we recommend.
✅ Zion National Park One Day Winter Itinerary
Visiting Zion in the Winter is a vastly different experience than visiting in the Summer.
The park is nearly empty, you can drive anywhere you’d like, and the cozy cabins are the perfect Winter getaway.
✅ Zion To Bryce Canyon + The Narrows Hike
This itinerary was part of a larger road trip where we hiked the Narrows all day, then took the scenic byway toward Bryce Canyon National Park.
✅ Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Parks One Day Itinerary
This itinerary was done the day after the itinerary above.
On this road trip we hiked Bryce Canyon for the morning, then made our way to Capitol Reef National Park for even more trails and camping.
✅ Arches and Canyonlands National Parks Itinerary
Arches and Canyonlands are both right next to each other in Moab, Utah.
Pairing these for a weekend getaway or as part of a larger road trip is the best way to see these parks.
Conclusion: Zion National Park One Day Summer Itinerary
Zion National Park is a truly special place, and this one day Summer itinerary is just a taste of all that it has to offer.
With its stunning scenery, endless hiking trails, and abundant wildlife, Zion is sure to leave you wanting more.
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