East Zion

East Zion is the quiet, high-country gateway to Zion National Park, tucked near Orderville, Utah along scenic Highway 89. At 5,200 to 6,500 feet, the air is cooler, the crowds thin out, and you can drive straight to the park's east entrance without the shuttle lines of Zion Canyon near Springdale. Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort has been East Zion's basecamp from the start, just minutes from the entrance.

Tucked along Highway 89 on Zion's eastern edge, East Zion is a quieter world of ponderosa forests and open sky, wrapping the small communities of Orderville, Mt. Carmel Junction, and Glendale, Utah. From Mt. Carmel Junction, Highway 9 winds west through the East Zion Plateau, past Checkerboard Mesa and through the historic Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel, before dropping down into the main canyon.

Unpack once at Zion Ponderosa, and it becomes your basecamp for far more than Zion alone, with Bryce Canyon, the North Rim, and the Grand Staircase all within easy reach.

Perched at 6,500 feet on Twin Knolls Road in Orderville, Zion Ponderosa sits just minutes from the park's east entrance, and puts an entire region of red rock and forest within easy reach:

• Bryce Canyon National Park, about 75 minutes

• Cedar Breaks National Monument, about 65 minutes

• Coral Pink Sand Dunes, about 25 minutes

• Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, about 20 minutes

• Lake Powell, about 1 hour 45 minutes

• Pipe Spring National Monument, about 45 minutes

• The Grand Canyon's North Rim, about 2 hours, open seasonally

And if you're road-tripping in: about 3 hours from Las Vegas, 1 hour 45 minutes from St. George, or 4.5 hours from Salt Lake City.

Most first-time visitors head straight for Springdale, on Zion's west side, and spend their trip navigating shuttle lines, hunting for parking, and sharing every trail with a crowd. East Zion is the same national park, just without the bottleneck.

East Zion

Springdale (West Side)

Crowds

• A fraction of the park's traffic

• Zion's busiest entrance

Elevation

• 5,200' to 6,500', noticeably cooler

• About 4,000' at the canyon floor, hotter in summer

Driving in

• No shuttle needed on Highway 9

• Shuttle required on the Scenic Drive, March through November

Observation Point

• The only open route starts here

• Classic route closed since 2023

Nearby parks

• Bryce Canyon, Cedar Breaks, and the North Rim all close by

• Farther from Bryce Canyon and the North Rim

Signature scenery

• Checkerboard Mesa, the tunnel, quiet slot canyons

• Zion Canyon's main floor, Angels Landing, the Narrows

Zion welcomed nearly 5 million visitors in 2025, and most of them still start their morning waiting for a shuttle in Springdale. From East Zion, you skip that entirely: drive straight through the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel and you're already inside the park, no lot to circle, no bus to catch. That's often the difference between an hour spent hiking and an hour spent in line, and it's part of why East Zion is quietly becoming the smarter way in, including to one of Zion's best views, more on that below.

Checkerboard Mesa is one of the most photographed formations in Zion, its surface etched by wind and water into a crosshatched pattern that looks almost man-made. You'll see it right from Highway 9 on your way into the park, no hike required, though a short trail lets you get closer for an even better view.

Few views in Zion rival Observation Point: the entire main canyon spread out below you, Angels Landing and the Great White Throne rising from the valley floor, all from a perch 2,000 feet up.

Right now, this view belongs to East Zion. The classic route up from Weeping Rock, on the Springdale side, has been closed since a 2023 rockfall, with no reopening in sight. The only way up today is the East Mesa Trail, which starts on East Zion's side, on a road that runs right past Zion Ponderosa on its way to the trailhead. Come this way, and you're not just avoiding the crowds. You're taking the only path there is.

The hike itself is approachable: about 7 miles round trip, a gentle 700 feet of elevation gain, and 2.5 to 3 hours out and back. Just note that the trailhead road is unpaved and can get rough after storms or snow, so a high-clearance vehicle is a smart call.

Entering Zion from the east means driving straight through the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel, a 1.1-mile passage blasted through solid sandstone back in 1930. It's a landmark in its own right, and the pull-offs just outside it offer some of the best canyon overlooks anywhere in the park.

When you're staying in East Zion, you want to be close enough that you're spending your time on adventure, not in the car, and Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort is the closest full-service resort to Zion's east entrance, just minutes away on Twin Knolls Road.

Skip the shuttle lines and parking scramble of Springdale. At Zion Ponderosa, your adventure starts steps from your door: guided Jeep tours, canyoneering, horseback riding, and hiking, plus a resort pool, dining, and activities the whole family can enjoy without ever getting back in the car.

Whether you're bringing the whole family for a week or a group for a retreat, our lodging ranges from camping and RV hookups to glamping, cabins, and full vacation homes, so however you want to experience East Zion, there's a place here for you.

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Thanks to the elevation, East Zion's seasons have their own personality:

• Spring: Warmer days bring families back, with Zion and Bryce Canyon both easy day trips away, the full "Two Parks. One Vacation." experience.

• Summer: Sitting a mile higher than the canyon floor near Springdale, East Zion stays noticeably cooler, making June and July the season to beat the heat without leaving Zion behind.

• Fall: Crisp air, golden color along Highway 89, and quiet trails make this one of East Zion's best-kept secrets.

• Winter: A slower, quieter season built for relaxation, retreats, and off-season adventure, with a fraction of summer's crowds.

Is Zion National Park's east entrance open?

Yes, year-round. The east entrance never closes for the season, though staffed hours at the entrance station shift with the time of year. Current hours are posted at nps.gov/zion.

Is the east side of Zion National Park less crowded than Springdale?

Yes. Zion welcomed nearly 5 million visitors in 2025, and most of them enter through Springdale to catch the main canyon shuttle. East Zion sees only a fraction of that traffic, even with the same access to the park.

Can you drive into Zion National Park from the east side?

Yes. Highway 9 carries you straight in from the east, through the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel and into the main canyon, no shuttle reservation required, unlike the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive further inside the park.

How far is East Zion from Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon's North Rim?

Bryce Canyon is about 75 minutes from Zion Ponderosa. The Grand Canyon's North Rim is about 2 hours away and open seasonally, typically mid-May through November.

Where's the closest full-service resort to Zion's east entrance?

Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort, right on Twin Knolls Road in Orderville, Utah, just minutes from the park's east entrance.