Springdale Gateway Town Guide: Free Town Shuttle, Pedestrian Park Bridge & Virgin River Tubing

Unlike almost every other major U.S. National Park, where gateway towns sit 10 to 60 minutes away down a highway, Springdale, Utah sits inside the mouth of Zion Canyon itself, sharing a pavement and a pedestrian footbridge over the Virgin River with the Zion Canyon Visitor Center. Walled in on three sides by 600-metre crimson cliffs, this 3-mile town is lined with gear outfitters, art galleries, coffee roasters and brewpubs.

1. How the Free 'Springdale Town Line Shuttle' Works (Stops #1 to #9)

When the free Zion Canyon Park Shuttle operates (March to November), the National Park Service also runs a separate, free 'Springdale Line' Shuttle Bus along the 3-mile length of Zion Park Boulevard (Highway 9):

• Leave Your Car at Your Hotel or a Town Car Park: if you are staying at any hotel in Springdale, or if you arrive after the free Visitor Center car park inside the park fills up and use a paid town car park, hop onto the Free Springdale Shuttle at any of its 9 numbered stops.
• Stop #1 (Zion Canyon Village / Pedestrian Entrance): the bus drops you beside Zion Canyon Brew Pub and Zion Outfitter. Walk 100 metres across the Pedestrian River Bridge, show your park pass, and you are standing directly at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center.

2. Three Afternoon Activities in Springdale (After Your Morning Hike)

1. Inner-Tubing Down the Virgin River (Late May to July or August): after a hot morning hike, rent a heavy-duty river inner tube (including life jacket and shuttle ride back) from Zion Outfitter or Zion Guru and spend 1.5 to 2 hours floating 3 kilometres down cool mountain rapids and pools through Springdale beneath red cliffs.
2. Worthington Gallery, DeZion Gallery & LaFave Gallery: stroll past colourful wind-driven kinetic sculptures in the gardens of Worthington Gallery and fine landscape photography along Zion Park Blvd.
3. Grafton Ghost Town (15 Mins West in Rockville, Free Entry): cross the 1924 single-lane iron bridge in Rockville to visit Grafton, an 1862 Mormon pioneer adobe ghost town (filming site of 1969's Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) with a preserved 1886 schoolhouse, orchards and pioneer cemetery.