Zion Vacation

Exploring the park should not be the only item on a Zion National Park vacation itinerary

Preserving 229 square miles of scenic cliff and canyon landscapes, a trip to Zion National Park is a perfect family vacation any time of year. Named for an ancient Hebrew word meaning “sanctuary” or “place of refuge,” Zion is a spectacle of narrow canyons, hanging gardens, waterfalls, and towering rock monoliths. Its most-visited area, Zion Canyon, is only 45 minutes from the Abbey Inn Hotel Group’s St. George, Utah hotels. During the peak season (April-October), the only way visitors can access the canyon’s 6.5-mile scenic drive is by riding a free shuttle bus. Bus drivers provide narration that includes tidbits about Zion National Park’s geology, history, flora and fauna before passengers debark at their selected trailhead or point of interest. The shuttle ride provides an excellent preview of the park’s breathtaking scenery, but hiking the park’s many short trails provides a greater appreciation of the park’s resources. Some of the park’s most popular trails include Emerald Pools, Weeping Rock and the Riverside Walk.

The Abbey Inn Hotel group’s St. George, Utah hotel properties make an ideal lodging headquarters for your family’s Zion National Park vacation. Outdoor heated pools, hot tubs, premium cable channels, and special money-saving packages await your stay at one of our hotels. Every room in our hotels includes a refrigerator, a microwave, a coffee maker, a hair dryer, an iron and an ironing board. When you use our hotels as your springboard to Zion National Park, you do not have to leave the comforts of home behind.

Exploring the park should not be the only thing on a Zion National Park vacation itinerary. St. George offers top-notch shopping and theatrical events, as well as numerous sites of historical interest. You will be happy with the bargains you can find at the Zion Factory Stores, a group of more than 30 outlets of fine retailers such as Eddie Bauer, Polo Ralph Lauren and IZOD. Attending a Broadway-caliber production amid a backdrop of red rock bluffs at the Tuacahn Outdoor Amphitheater is like no other theatrical experience. Your children will love viewing over 1,000 dinosaur tracks and other fossilized remains at the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm and seeing over 200 species of animals from all over the world at the Rosenbruch Wildlife Museum. St. George is also home to numerous pioneer historic sites such as the St. George Tabernacle, the Jacob Hamblin Home and the Brigham Young Winter Home. When you stay at one of our hotels during your Zion National Park vacation, you will be close to Zion, but close to many other attractions the whole family can enjoy.