In this guide to eloping in Zion National Park, I will go over everything you need to know about getting married in Zion. Including best times of the year, what to do, where to stay and eat, and the locations you can choose from to have your ceremony.
Zion National Park is one of the most popular parks in the country, and rightfully so! Located in Southwest Utah, Zion boasts some of the most beautiful steep red cliffs. Zion is also at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert regions, so the park has a unique geography and a variety of life zones that allow for unusual wild diversity. Zion National Park includes mountains, canyons, buttes, mesas, monoliths, rivers, slot canyons, and natural arches. There’s so much to see in this park that you won’t need to worry about every being bored!
Also, make sure to check out my blog post about eloping in Utah’s national parks for some more tips!
Best Times for Eloping in Zion National Park
Zion National Park is open year round, but the most popular times to visit is between April-October. However, for your elopement I suggest visiting in the spring or fall, for a few reasons. Firstly, summer is the most popular time to visit the park, which means that you may not have much privacy for your ceremony and photos. Second, it gets incredibly hot during the summer months, sometimes surpassing 100 degrees! Undoubtedly, you probably don’t want to hike around the park in your wedding attire, sweaty profusely.
But if summer is your only option, I highly suggest picking a weekday so there won’t be as many tourists around. We’ll just make sure to leave time to dip our feet into the Virgin River and hang out in some slot canyons if weather permits to beat the heat! If you choose the winter, you’ll have about half the crowds (if not less) than you’ll see in the summer. And you might even get a beautiful dusting of snow on the red rocks!
Locations to Consider When Eloping in Zion National Park
Despite having to pick designated ceremony spots, there are many great choices within the park to choose from, depending on the size of your group. If you are having your ceremony in the park, there is a $100 permit fee you’ll have to pay regardless of the size of your group. But hey, that’s much less expensive than a wedding venue! With this being such a popular elopement destination, I highly recommend applying for your permit as soon as you can, so you can secure the location and plan everything else around that!
Here are the spots that are approved by the national park system:
- Temple of Sinawava – Maximum of 35 people
- Menu Falls – Maximum of 10 people
- Zion Lodge Lawn – Maximum of 75 people
- Nature Center North Lawn – Maximum of 50 people and only available November-early April
- South Campground Amphitheater – Maximum of 100 people
- Timber Creek Overlook – Maximum of 20 people, 4 cars
You can find this list along with how many people you can have at each location, regulations within the park, and permit information, here.
Things to Do In and Near Zion National Park
During your stay and for your wedding day, there is an endless amount of things that you could do in this beautiful area of Southern Utah. So surely you won’t be bored! Below are a list of things to consider on your wedding day:
- Hiking to Canyon Overlook at sunrise
- Jeep Trails
- Horseback Riding
- Rent some ATV’s or sand boards and head over to Coral Pink Sand Dunes
- Explore one of the many slot canyons in and near the park
- Visit Snow Canyon
- Swim and rent jet skis, paddle boards, or kayaks and go play at Sand Hallow State Park
- Stargazing (Zion, along with all of the Utah national parks, is an international dark sky park!)
- Helicopter tour
Places to stay near Zion
- Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort
- Zion Mountain Ranch
- Zion Canyon Lodge
- Zion National Park Lodge
- Zion White Bison
Example Timelines for Eloping in Zion
12-Hour Timeline:
| Time | Event |
| 6:00 AM | Meet at Zion Canyon Overlook trailhead |
| 6:00 AM – 6:30 AM | Hike to Zion Canyon Overlook |
| 6:30 AM – 7:30 AM | Portraits at Zion Canyon Overlook during twilight and sunrise |
| 7:30 AM – 8:00 AM | Hike back to trailhead |
| BREAK | |
| 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | I come to where you’re staying to get some getting ready/detail photos |
| 1:00 PM – 2:00PM | Drive to Timber Creek Overlook trailhead |
| 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM | Hike to Timber Creek Overlook |
| 2:30 PM – 3:00 PM | Ceremony |
| 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM | Hike back to trailhead |
| 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM | Drive back down to Kolob Canyon visitors center, taking photos along the way |
| 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Drive to where helicopter tour starts |
| 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM | Helicopter tour with private butte landing experience |
| 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM | Head back to where you’re staying |
| 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM | Eat dinner that’s been prepared by a private chef and celebrate with cake and champagne |
| 9:30 PM – 10:00 PM | Hang out around the the fire relaxing from your full adventurous day, enjoying a drink together |
| 10:00 PM | My coverage ends |
8-Hour Timeline:
| Time | Event |
| 11:00 PM – 12:00 PM | I come to where you’re staying to get some getting ready/detail photos |
| 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Drive to Visitor Center |
| 1:00 PM – 1:30 | Take shuttle bus to Temple of Sinawava |
| 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM | Ceremony and photos at Temple of Sinawava |
| 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM | Take shuttle bus back to Visitor Center |
| 2:30 PM – 2:45 PM | Drive to horse corral |
| 2:45 PM – 4:00 PM | Guided horseback ride |
| 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Walk across the street and enjoy a picnic dinner on Zion Lodge lawn |
| 5:00 PM – 5:20 PM | Drive to Zion Canyon Overlook, taking photos along the way |
| 5:20 PM – 5:50 PM | Hike to Zion Canyon Overlook |
| 5:50 PM – 6:30 PM | Photos at Zion Canyon Overlook at sunset |
| 6:30 PM – 7:00 PM | Hike back to trailhead |
| 7:00 PM | My coverage ends |
4-Hour Timeline:
| Time | Event |
| 4:00 PM | Meet at Visitor Center |
| 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM | Take Shuttle Bus to Temple of Sinawava |
| 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM | Ceremony at Temple of Sinawava |
| 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM | Take Shuttle back to Visitor Center |
| 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM | Drive to Zion Canyon Overlook |
| 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM | Hike to Zion Canyon Overlook |
| 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM | Photos at Sunset at Zion Canyon Overlook |
| 7:30 PM – 8:00 PM | Hike back down to car. Coverage ends. |
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