The main canyon of Zion is a narrow, north-running gorge fifteen miles long and at points less than a mile wide, with sandstone cliffs that rise nearly two thousand feet from the river bed. The cliffs are streaked vermilion and white, the canyon floor is densely wooded with cottonwood and box elder, and the Virgin River winds slowly along the bottom. From late spring to early autumn the canyon is reached by free shuttle bus only — no private vehicles.
A paved scenic road runs eight miles from the visitor centre to the Temple of Sinawava at the canyon's end. Several short trails branch off the road, and the famous Narrows hike begins by wading upstream from the road's end. The canyon is best in the early morning, when the eastern light catches the western wall and the air is cool.