Scenic Drives through Zion National Park

Hwy 9 from I-15 to Mt. Carmel Junction

This scenic byway runs for 54 miles.

Travel time is about 1.5 hours.

From the west, you get on the byway at the intersection of Hwy 9 and Interstate 15, about 9 miles east of St. George. On the east, the Byway ends at Hwy 89, at Mt Carmel Junction.

Hwy 9 is the major road providing access to Zion National Park. It winds past the park visitor center and museum, and past many famous Zion landmarks. It provides access to Zion Canyon (accessible by shuttle only during the tourist season) and then goes through the park's mile-long tunnel. It cuts through the park's Checkerboard Mesa area and then ends at Hwy 89 at Mt Carmel Junction.

A fee is charged to drive through the park.

The byway parallels the Virgin River in many areas. Near I-15, it provides access to Quail Creek and Sand Hollow Utah State Parks. It cuts through the towns of Hurricane, Virgin, Rockville, and Springdale before entering the Park.

Near Rockville, it provides access to Grafton ghost town, a photogenic site that was featured prominently in the movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."

Large vehicles and RVs are required to pay an escort fee to travel through the Zion Tunnel.

You can drive this byway as part of a loop, circling north and returning via Hwy 14 over Cedar Mountain, or circling south and returning via Hwy 89 through Kanab and Fredonia, and then Hwy 389 through Colorado City to Hurricane.

Many people explore Zion Park and then drive the byway as they continue their trip, heading to Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, Bryce Canyon or other area attractions.