If you are entering Zion National Park through the East Entrance
on the Zion- Mt.Carmel Highway you will go through a 1.1 mile long tunnel.
There are size restrictions on vehicles. The tunnel height at the east entrance
is 11 feet 4 inches (3.5 m). Cars may proceed on their own when directed to,
but a fee is required for escort service for large vehicles through the narrow tunnel.
The tunnel has several very tight turns so it is not recommended for large campers etc.

Archeologists believe that Anasazi people first lived in Zion about 1,500 years ago.
They were known for the fine baskets that they crafted.
Their lifestyle changed several times through the years-
they changed the way that they built their houses and what foods they ate.
Eventually they lived in cliff dwellings and were know for their pottery
instead of their baskets. They started growing and storing crops
produced painted pottery and decorated the cliff faces with 'rock art'-
which survives to this day. They left the Zion area about 800 years ago.

The Southern Paiutes were the next Native Americans who lived in Zion.
They were nomads and moved around as the seasons changed.
They grew corn and squash in the summer, which they irrigated (watered)
during dry periods. The Paiutes also gathered the seeds,
roots and leaves of native plants. Pinyon pine nuts were a favorite.
They hunted for mammals, birds, insects and reptiles.
They were skilled weavers and made hunting nets and baskets from plant fibers.
They wove warm robes from straps of rabbit pelt.
Today, the Paiutes still live in southern Utah and northern Arizona.

Two Spanish priests named Dominguez and Escalante were the first Europeans
to explore the region. This was around 1778. Mormon pioneers began to settle
in Southern Utah in the 1850's. A scout named Nephi Johnson ventured into Zion Canyon.
The mormons grew crops, planted fruit trees, and raised livestock.
They made their homes in dugouts and small log cabins.
Issac Behunin, a Mormon settler living in Zion Canyon in the 1860's,
thought that it was a "peaceful resting place" or
"a heavenly place" and named it Zion. Many people today feel the same way.

You find colorful sandstone canyons, hot rocky deserts,
and cool forested plateaus in Zion National Park.
Zion Canyon is the largest and most visited canyon in the park.
The Virgin river has carved a spectacular forge into the red and white sandstone.
The floor of the canyon is very picturesque. It is covered with trees and grasses.
The canyon walls loom 2,000 to 3,000 feet high.
Emerging from of the Zion-Mt. Carmel tunnel, you can see fascinating shapes
and patterns at the top of the sandstone layers.
The southern part of the park is lower and therefore a desert area.

Zion Canyon has hot summers with temperatures often over 100 F during July and August.
Afternoon thunderstorms are common from mid-July through mid-September.
Winters are fairly mild, with average temperatures in the 20's and 30's at night
and in the 40's and 50's during the day. Winter precipitation often comes
as rain in the canyon and snow in the plateaus of the higher elevations.

The rocks of Zion formed over millions of years,
and erosion has carved them into the formations we see today.
Water from springs, streams, and rivers, has sculpted the rock formations
into canyons, mesas, and cliffs.

About 800 species of native (not brought by people) plants have been found in Zion.

Zion is visited by millions of people every year.
There are a variety of activities available.

If you want to spend a night in the park you can stay at the lodge
or you can rough it and camp in the campground of your choice.

There are hiking and walking trails.They range from short, easy walks
to long, strenuous hikes. There's something for everyone.
Horseback riding and bicycling are popular activities, too.

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