So you want to Elope in Zion National Park?
Hi! My name is Kalli Baker, I grew up in Hurricane, Utah (yes it is pronounced Hurr-i-kin) and Zion is not ZionS. I have loved being outdoors, being active, and taking pictures for as long as I can remember. Now that I'm a mom, I've made it my career capturing the happiest and most memorable days of people's lives and I couldn't be more grateful. I live in Northern Utah now but still consider Southern Utah my home. My first job was in Springdale Utah and I had the blessing of seeing Zion National Park sunrise and sunsets throughout my shifts at the deli, and now I get to capture them with my very expensive camera gear, what a dream! Here are some things I thought may be useful to anyone wanting to elope there!
Peak park times & weather- June through August is the busiest time (and hottest!) Flash floods peak July through September and if you want to hike a water-based hike in Zion then you will also want to avoid going March to April while the snow is unthawing causing high water levels. So the best time to go is usually October-February.
Shuttle Route- The shuttle arrives about every 10 minutes starting at 7am and the last one departing at 5pm. Parking a private vehicle at the front of the park can be extremely challenging especially if you don't get there before the park opens or within an hour of opening. The lines can also be extremely long EVEN during off-season (we waited 1.5 hours after getting there only 2 hours after the park opened and barely found a spot). The shuttles close down usually at the end of Thanksgiving week. Once the shuttle is closed you are able to drive private vehicles through the scenic loop and stop and park. The shuttle service re-opens for a holiday service December 23- early January and then resume normal service in March.
Permit- According to the NPS you are required to have a wedding permit regardless of the group size for all weddings, vow renewals, or elopement. This permit covers photography use but it is always good to double check for your exact ceremony.
Location-There are certain locations you are allowed to photograph in and have an elopement at. Currently that list includes 6 spots within the park taken directly from the NPS website:
"Zion Canyon Area
- Temple of Sinawava (up to 35 people)
- Menu Falls (up to 10 people)
- Zion Lodge Lawn (up to 75 people)
- Nature Center North Lawn (up to 50 people) — available November through March only
Kolob Canyon Area
- Kolob Viewpoint (up to 20 people, 4 cars)
South Campground
- South Campground Amphitheater (up to 100 people)
A few things worth knowing: permits will not be approved for any location other than those listed above, and the park does not grant exclusive use — other visitors may watch or be present during your ceremony. The application fee is $100 and must be submitted at least three weeks in advance. You and your partner must submit the application yourselves; photographers or planners cannot apply on your behalf.
The full details and the application are on the Zion weddings page
. For questions, rangers are reachable at
from 10 am to 5 pm Mountain Time, or by email at zion_park_information@nps.gov"
Alternative Ideas:
If you love the look of the park but don't want to have to deal with eloping in a public and extremely packed park, an idea you may want to consider is to get your bridal photos in Zion National Park at sunrise (somewhere like Canyon Overlook), and elope somewhere outside of the park.
There are multiple places you can consider eloping like Pine Valley, Kolob, Snow Canyon State Park, Gunlock State Park, Sand Hollow State Park, New Harmony, Red Reef, & more. These may be more private especially mid-day.
Favorite Restaurants:
Breakfast - Red River Rock & Roasting Co - has delicious food and drinks. I recommend the restaurant in Laverkin that has the overlook but I'm sure they're both great!
Dinner/Lunch: Oscar's Cafe (in the park), Bit & Spur Restaurant & Saloon (in the park), Benja's Thai Garden & Sushi (Saint George), Cliffside Restaurant (Saint George) are a few I really like!
Favorite Things To Do:
- Hiking - obviously. There are a lot of amazing hikes in zion! Make sure you're aware of which ones require a permit, a lottery, or have restrictions. The National Park Service is an amazing website full of information for this! On top of the ones you can do in the park there are multiple you can do outside of the park without the crowd and beautiful views! A few of those would be Snow Canyon State Park's Petrified Sand Dunes, Red Canyon Slot (Peek-a-boo Kanab), Kanarra Falls,
- Sand Hollow! You can go cliff jumping, boating, rent a ATV or side-by-side and go enjoy the sand dunes all in one place.
- Lake Powell is a little of a drive but amazing for boating and cliff jumping as well.
- Canyoneering, rock-climbing, and mountain biking are also super popular and so fun to do here!
Is there anything you wish I included here? Let me know!
