Most people experience one narrow slice of Zion. They park, ride the shuttle up the main canyon, walk the Riverside Walk, and head home. That slice earns its reputation. It is also the most crowded ground in the park by a wide margin. The Zion National Park attractions that stay quiet sit outside that corridor, and most visitors never reach them.
For RV travelers, 2026 made this question sharper than it used to be. In June the park closed the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway to large vehicles. The escort system that walked oversize rigs through the tunnel for 37 years ended with it. If you drive a long rig, one whole side of the park is now off the table unless you plan around it.
This guide covers what sits beyond the main canyon and who can actually get there. We will work through Kolob Canyons, the Kolob Terrace high country, and the east side of the park. We will also be straight with you about which areas your rig can reach and which ones need a tow vehicle.
What Changed for Zion National Park Attractions in 2026
The park announced the change in January and put it into force on June 7, 2026. Vehicles above a set size can no longer drive between Canyon Junction and the East Entrance. That stretch of road runs 10.7 miles and includes the tunnel. The restriction applies to the entire segment, not only the tunnel itself.
Here are the limits for a single vehicle:
- Length over 35 feet 9 inches
- Width over 7 feet 10 inches
- Height over 11 feet 4 inches
- Weight over 50,000 pounds
Combined rigs carry their own numbers. A truck and trailer together cannot exceed 50 feet. The trailer alone cannot exceed 26 feet from hitch to rear axle. Every measurement includes mirrors, tires, and anything else mounted to the vehicle.
The park based the decision on safety studies from 1989 and 2019. The Federal Highway Administration validated those findings. In peak summer, roughly 50 escorts ran through the tunnel daily, and each one stopped traffic in one direction. No permit or exception brings the old system back.
Kolob Canyons Is the Quietest Corner of Zion
Kolob Canyons occupies the northwest corner of the park at Exit 40 on Interstate 15. It sits 40 miles north of Zion Canyon and 17 miles south of Cedar City. From the Washington and St. George corridor, you simply drive north on the freeway. You never touch the main canyon, the shuttle, or the tunnel.
Every visitor stops at the Kolob Canyons Visitor Center first. You show an interagency pass there or pay the Zion entrance fee. Past that point, a five mile scenic road climbs into a set of narrow parallel box canyons. These canyons cut into the western edge of the Colorado Plateau. Cliff walls rise roughly 2,000 feet above the road, and pull-outs let you stop as often as you want.
The district holds more than 20 miles of hiking trails, along with canyon streams and small falls. Timber Creek Overlook is the short walk, and it is the only trail here open to groups larger than 12 people. Kolob Arch is the long haul at seven miles each way. It ranks among the largest free-standing arches in the world. Plenty of visitors skip both, drive the road, stop at the viewpoints, and leave happy.
The bigger draw is what Kolob Canyons does not have. There is no shuttle to catch and no reservation to book. You drive your own vehicle to every viewpoint on the road. In summer that lets you start early, get ahead of the heat, and be back at camp by afternoon.
Timing deserves one caution. The Kolob Canyons Road closes frequently in winter when snow or ice arrives. Call the visitor center at 435-772-3256 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to check before you commit to the drive.
Kolob Terrace Road and the High Country Above Zion
Kolob Terrace Road leaves Highway 9 at the town of Virgin and climbs north into the backcountry. This is the least visited of the three areas covered here. It also shifts the most from season to season, because the road gains elevation quickly.
Lava Point Overlook sits 25 miles north of Virgin at 7,890 feet. The view takes in country that most Zion visitors never see from any angle. Temperatures up there run far cooler than the canyon floor. That gap matters in July and August, when the valley pushes past 100 degrees. The access road to Lava Point Campground closes to any vehicle over 19 feet, so the rig stays parked for this one.
Access is seasonal and the window is short. Lava Point is generally reachable May through September, as weather allows. Kolob Terrace Road itself closes for several months between fall and spring, with the gate shutting at Maloney Hill. A single storm can close it early, so check conditions the same day you plan to drive up.
Reaching East Side Zion National Park Attractions by RV
The east side has a different character from the main canyon. Slickrock domes and open sandstone replace the sheer canyon walls. Checkerboard Mesa is the landmark most people stop for, a rock face scored with cross-hatched lines. The Zion-Mount Carmel Highway runs right past it. Parking out here is limited to paved pull-outs and marked spaces, so plan to be patient.
Canyon Overlook is the signature short hike on this side. The trailhead sits just east of the tunnel, and the route runs about one mile round trip. It carries real elevation change for its length. The reward is a wide view down into Pine Creek Canyon toward the main canyon below.
Here is the catch for RV travelers. This is exactly the stretch the 2026 rule closed to large vehicles. If your rig clears the limits listed earlier, you can drive it through as before. If it does not, you need a different approach.
The straightforward answer is a tow vehicle. Leave the rig at your base camp and take the car through the tunnel. The other option is to skip the east side this trip and route around the park instead.
Large vehicles can still enter through the South Entrance in several situations:
- Parking in the large vehicle lot at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center, space permitting
- Staying at Zion Lodge with a confirmed reservation
- Driving the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive during the shuttle off-season
- Camping at Watchman Campground or South Campground
If you are continuing to another park, the detours are long but simple. Bryce Canyon runs roughly 150 miles by way of Highway 20 north of Cedar City, or about two and a half hours. The Grand Canyon North Rim runs roughly 128 miles on Highway 59 toward Jacob Lake. Budget three hours or more for that one.
Matching Zion National Park Attractions to the Rig You Drive
A few practical numbers help before you go. Park entry runs $35 per private vehicle and covers you for up to seven days. A motorcycle costs $30, and entering on foot or by bike costs $20. An annual Zion pass is $70. That entrance fee also covers Kolob Canyons, so the northwest corner adds nothing to your cost.
Zion offers eight free entrance days in 2026, including Veterans Day on November 11. International visitors aged 16 and older pay an added $100 nonresident fee. Remember that the main canyon runs on the free shuttle from early spring through late fall. No ticket or reservation is required, but the scenic drive stays closed to private cars during those months.
Two safety items deserve real attention right now. The park advises avoiding contact with water in the Virgin River because of toxic cyanobacteria. Summer highs regularly clear 100 degrees, and monsoon storms raise flash flood risk in every narrow canyon. The Narrows closes when river flow tops 150 cubic feet per second. Check the park’s current conditions page the morning you head out.
Two well-known trails also remain closed long term after rockfall. Hidden Canyon is one. Observation Point by way of the East Rim Trail from Weeping Rock is the other. Plan around both rather than driving out and finding a barricade.
Basing outside the park solves most of the rig problem. Settlers Point sits in Washington, Utah, with full hookups and both pull-through and back-in sites. You leave the big vehicle plugged in and take the car wherever the road rules allow. You can look through our resort amenities and current nightly rates to see what the setup includes. For logistics inside the park, our complete guide to visiting Zion goes deeper on permits and shuttle timing.
The resort side matters on the days you are not in the park. There is a year-round heated pool, a hot tub, and lighted pickleball courts. A fenced dog park with agility equipment and a pet wash station handle the four-legged travelers. Those become the whole afternoon when the canyon is too hot to enjoy.
Still unsure whether your rig can reach what you want to see? Send your dates and rig dimensions through our contact page and we will map out which areas work for you. Sorting that out now beats discovering it at the tunnel entrance.
