The highway climbs out of the eastern side of Zion Canyon in a series of dramatic switchbacks, passes through a 1.7-kilometre tunnel blasted through the cliff in the late 1920s, and emerges into a high desert landscape of slickrock domes called Checkerboard Mesa. The drive takes about half an hour and connects to Highway 9, which continues east to Bryce Canyon.
Tall vehicles — RVs, large pickups, oversized trailers — need a paid permit and traffic-control escort to pass through the tunnel because of its narrow profile. Stop on the way at the Canyon Overlook trailhead and at the wide gravel pullouts on the upper switchbacks for views back across Zion Canyon and the West Temple.