ZION NATIONAL PARK, Utah — New restrictions are set to be implemented on one of the most popular roads used to explore Zion National Park and the surrounding areas.
Beginning June 7, the National Park Service said large vehicles will be restricted on the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway in hopes of preserving the scenic drive and improving driver safety.
Once put in place, the following vehicles will no longer be permitted on the highway between Canyon Junction and Zion National Park's east entrance:
- Vehicles larger than 35-feet, 9 inches
- Vehicles wider than 7-feet, 10 inches
- Vehicles taller than 11-feet, 4 inches
- Vehicles weighing more than 50,000 pounds.
- Combined vehicles exceeding 26 feet from hitch to rear axle and 50 feet overall
The restrictions come after two safety studies were conducted on the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway, which is nearly a century old and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. When it was completed in 1930, the road was built for smaller, lighter vehicles.
“Many of today’s large touring vehicles and RVs simply couldn’t have been envisioned when the road was built,” said Zion National Park Superintendent Jeff Bradybaugh. “This decision comes after years of careful study and collaboration with our neighbors, transportation agencies, and the tourism industry.”
Taking alternate routes other than the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway is expected to add between 10 and 45 minutes of drive time.
Officials hope the vehicle restrictions will also reduce traffic on the highway.
Large vehicles will still be able to access Zion through its south entrance, but only if there is room to park in the large vehicle lot next to the visitor center, have a Zion Lodge pass, are driving up the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive during shuttle off-season, or camping in either the Watchman or South campgrounds.
