Wilderness Information

What is Wilderness?

The Zion Wilderness is a spectacular network of colorful canyons, forested mesas, and striking deserts. In 2009, over 124,000 acres of Zion National Park was designated as wilderness. This designation ensures that 84% of the park will continue to be a place where nature and its “community of life are untrammeled by man, a place where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.”

Wilderness is a rare, wild place where one can retreat from civilization, reconnect with nature, and find healing, meaning and significance. Knowledge, respect, and understanding for these wild and undeveloped places will ensure that they remain spectacular for years to come.

To learn more about the importance of Wilderness areas, check out these resources:

• Establishment of the Zion Wilderness: Signed into law on March 30, 2009 by President Barack Obama.
• National Park Service - Wilderness: From Alaska to Florida, Wilderness protects some of the most diverse and sensitive habitats in our country.
• Interagency Wilderness Connect: Connecting federal employees, scientists, educators, and the public with their wilderness heritage

 

Wilderness Permits

 

Wilderness Permits

Permits are required for all overnight backpacking trips, overnight climbing bivouacs, through-hikes of the Virgin River Narrows and its tributaries, trips into Left Fork of North Creek (The Subway), watercraft river trips, and all canyons requiring the use of descending gear or ropes. Visit our Wilderness Permit page for more information on when and how to get a permit.

Explore the Wilderness

Visit the pages below to learn more about recreational opportunities within Zion's Wilderness. Guides and maps are available at the bottom of this page.

 

 

Zion Wilderness Stewardship Plan

Wilderness parameters, including the permit system, are managed according to guidelines established in the Wilderness Stewardship Plan (formerly titled the Backcountry Management Plan, November 2007). From page 33 of the plan:  Wilderness Permit and Reservation System
Zion's Wilderness Permit System allows the park to maintain levels of wilderness use consistent with a high quality visitor experience, safety, and resource protection by: 

• regulating use through a quota system, 
• providing education concerning resource protection and Leave No Trace techniques,
• providing education concerning safety issues,
• providing a means to track visitor use, and
• identifying a starting point for search and rescue efforts.