Springdale is a one-street town pressed against the walls of Zion Canyon, and its few thousand sandstone-coloured buildings, cafes, shops and motels all exist for the national park next door. Mormon pioneers founded the settlement in 1862, drawn by springs and the Virgin River, which cuts a narrow gorge through the red rock, and they farmed orchards and fields along it. Today the main road is lined with cottonwoods, and the huge cliffs of Zion rise above the rooftops, turning from pale pink to flaming red at sunset.
Zion's rocks are layers of ancient sand dunes, cemented and carved by water into towers, domes and slot canyons. The cliffs, mostly Navajo Sandstone, are streaked with desert varnish and show the curved lines of the old dunes. The Virgin River, small and muddy most of the year, is the cutting tool, and flash floods can roar down the canyons after storms. For much of the year, the scenic drive up the main canyon is closed to private vehicles, and visitors use a shuttle bus, but the Mount Carmel Highway, which leaves the canyon floor eastward, is open to traffic.
The ride begins by climbing out of the canyon in a series of switchbacks cut into the cliff, with spectacular views down to the valley floor, and then enters the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel, a mile long, blasted through the rock and finished in 1930. Windows were cut into the side of the tunnel to let in light and views, a pleasant touch. Because of the tunnel's size, larger vehicles must pay an extra fee and be escorted, and traffic is sometimes controlled, so be prepared for waits. On the east side, the road emerges onto a plateau of slickrock domes and striped hills.
Fuel is available in Springdale, though prices are high, and the bigger town of Hurricane, about twenty-six kilometres to the west, offers more choice. Food ranges from casual cafes to restaurants with patios facing the cliffs. The park is crowded from spring to autumn, so start early and try to be at the entrance before nine. Summer heat is intense, and winters can be cold, with occasional snow. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, with comfortable temperatures and colourful cottonwoods.