Canyon Overlook Trailhead
The only marquee Zion hike you can still drive to — into a genuinely tiny lot. It sits on Highway 9 immediately east of the Zion–Mt Carmel Tunnel, open year-round with no shuttle. NPS doesn't publish a space count; it just warns you should expect several passes before finding a spot. Pit toilets on site.
New for 2026: vehicles over 35'9" long, 7'10" wide, 11'4" tall or 50,000 lbs are banned outright from the highway between Canyon Junction and the East Entrance — NPS's large-vehicle page, updated June 2026, says they "will not be permitted." It no longer offers the old $15 tunnel escort as a way through.
The facts
- Trail served
- Canyon Overlook Trail — 1 mile round trip, 154 ft gain, moderate; sandstone steps up to 18", tread as narrow as 12", overhead clearance as low as 4 ft. No pets
- Cost / pass
- Park entrance $35/vehicle (America the Beautiful accepted). No separate parking fee, no permit
- Lot size
- Small paved lot on the south side of Hwy 9 — NPS publishes no space count and tells visitors to expect multiple attempts. Visitor reports describe roughly 8–12 spaces
- When it fills
- Fills quickly through the busy summer months; earlier than you'd like on any pleasant morning. Early morning or late afternoon are the reliable windows
- Overflow option
- Several small pullouts further east on Hwy 9 — legal, but you walk back along a road with no shoulder and steady tunnel traffic
- Tow / citation risk
- Park fully in designated spaces or established pullouts; NPS cites and tows vehicles parked on roadsides and vegetation
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Road to the lot
- Paved Hwy 9 (Zion–Mt Carmel Highway), immediately east of the tunnel's east portal. Open year-round; watch for ice on the ledges in winter
- Busy season
- Year-round. Sunset is the classic time and also the second crush of the day
Getting there
Get directions →A real trailhead lot, and it's the whole problem
Canyon Overlook is the exception in Zion: it's on the Zion–Mt Carmel Highway, not the Scenic Drive, so no shuttle serves it and none is needed. You drive up, park, and walk half a mile to a railed sandstone ledge looking straight down the switchbacks into Zion Canyon. One mile round trip, 154 feet of gain, and one of the best payoff-to-effort ratios in the park — which is exactly why the parking is what it is.
The lot is a small paved strip on the south side of Highway 9 right where the tunnel spits you out eastbound. NPS does not publish a capacity figure, and we won't invent one — what the agency does say is that visitors should anticipate multiple attempts before securing a spot. Hiker accounts consistently describe something in the neighborhood of a dozen spaces. Pit toilets are at the lot. The trailhead itself is across the road from the parking, so watch for traffic exiting the tunnel.
The June 2026 rule that changed the drive
This matters if you're in anything larger than a car. As of NPS's June 2026 update, vehicles exceeding 35 feet 9 inches in length, 7 feet 10 inches in width, 11 feet 4 inches in height, or 50,000 pounds are no longer permitted on the Zion–Mt Carmel Highway between Canyon Junction and the East Entrance. Combined vehicles are capped at 50 feet overall with a 26-foot trailer. Measurements include mirrors, tires, and attachments.
This appears to replace the tunnel escort system. NPS no longer lists the escort service, or the $15 tunnel permit that used to hold traffic and walk oversize rigs through one at a time; the current page simply says over-limit vehicles will not be permitted, and offers no exception or workaround. NPS doesn't spell out the permit's retirement in so many words, so if your trip depends on it, confirm at (435) 772-3256. NPS cited a 2016 study finding the escort system left an average of only 19 minutes of free-flowing traffic per hour at the tunnel, and 8 minutes on the worst day measured. If your rig is over the limit, you cannot reach Canyon Overlook from the west, and you cannot use SR-9 as a through route; the detours are Highway 20 to Bryce (~150 miles) or Highway 59 toward the North Rim (~128 miles).
Plan B
Go east. If the lot is full, continue on Highway 9 — there are several small established pullouts further east, and people park there and walk back. Be honest about that walk: Highway 9 here is narrow, shoulderless, and full of drivers who just came out of a dark tunnel. It's fine at 7am and unpleasant at 2pm.
Or go later. The two clean windows are early morning and the hour or so before the sunset crowd arrives. Mid-morning through mid-afternoon is when the tunnel backs up and the lot gridlocks.
Or go elsewhere on the east side. The Zion–Mt Carmel Highway east of the tunnel is full of slickrock pullouts with no crowds at all, and the entrance fee you already paid covers all of it. If you're set on Canyon Overlook and it's noon in July, the realistic move is to come back at 6am tomorrow.
Frequently asked questions
Where do you park for the Canyon Overlook Trail?
In the small lot on the south side of Highway 9 immediately east of the Zion–Mt Carmel Tunnel. The trailhead is across the road from the lot. Pit toilets are available in the parking area.
How many parking spaces are at Canyon Overlook?
NPS does not publish a number — it simply warns visitors to expect several attempts before finding a spot. Visitor reports describe roughly a dozen spaces. It is one of the smallest developed trailhead lots in the park.
Do you need the shuttle for Canyon Overlook?
No. Canyon Overlook is on the Zion–Mt Carmel Highway, not the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, so it's drivable year-round and no shuttle serves it. This makes it the go-to hike when Zion Canyon's shuttle logistics don't fit your day.
Can you drive an RV to Canyon Overlook in 2026?
Only if it's under the limits. Per NPS's June 2026 large-vehicle page, vehicles longer than 35 feet 9 inches, wider than 7 feet 10 inches, taller than 11 feet 4 inches, or over 50,000 pounds are banned from the Zion–Mt Carmel Highway between Canyon Junction and the East Entrance. NPS no longer offers the $15 tunnel escort permit as a way through; confirm at (435) 772-3256 if your rig is near the limits.
What if the Canyon Overlook lot is full?
Continue east on Highway 9 to one of several small pullouts and walk back — but the road has essentially no shoulder and heavy tunnel traffic, so it's only reasonable early or late. Otherwise, come back at dawn.
Facts on this page last verified July 21, 2026. Fees, hours, and access rules change seasonally — confirm with the official source before a long drive.