SpringdaleUnited States of America

Use Springdale as your home base to explore Zion National Park. Find the picturesque town at the park’s southwestern entrance. Springdale has less than a thousand permanent residents, but welcomes millions of visitors annually.

Explore Springdale on foot or by bike. It’s truly a one-street town, with everything clustered along the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway. Browse for hiking gear or book a guide for your visit to Zion National Park. Shop and dine in town. Despite its small size, Springdale has over three dozen restaurants.

Glimpse the iconic red rocks of Zion National Park around the bend. Hop on the complimentary shuttle, which stops in Springdale, and explore the park’s famous sandstone cliffs, emerald pools and tumbling waterfalls.

Discover some of the biggest attractions in Zion National Park just outside Springdale. Visit Watchman Peak around sunset, when it appears to glow as the sun sets behind it. Make a rugged hike through the backcountry around Mount Kinesava. Photograph Bridge Mountain, a unique rock formation that arches out like a graceful bridge.

Splash in the Virgin River. The 162-mile (261-kilometer) river skirts around town and through Zion National Park. Rent an inner tube in town and spend a few lazy hours floating in its current.

Relax in front of the big screen at Zion Canyon. Catch the showing of Zion: Treasure of the Gods, a documentary about the history and splendor of Zion National Park, which is shown daily on the theater’s massive screen. See a play that will entertain the whole family at Springdale Utah Theater, located in the Bumbleberry Inn.

Walk in the footsteps of early settlers in Grafton, a ghost town about 20 minutes west of Springdale. The remarkably preserved picture-perfect town has been featured in several films, such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Whether you stay overnight, stop for a meal or just pass through, don’t miss Springdale. It is known as a gateway to Zion National Park, but it has plenty to see and do in its own right.