Planning a stay in Zion National Park resorts in 2023? There’s a lot of planning that goes into a visit. After choosing lodging near Zion National Park, you have to draft an itinerary and make your travel plans. Then, there are flights to book, packing lists to make, and more.
Much of this doesn’t come with a timeline. But if you want to save your family a little money or are dreaming of hiking Angels Landing during your visit to Zion Wildflower Resort, there are a few important dates you’ll need to know.
Keep reading to learn the dates to add to your calendar for 2023.
Dates to Know if You Want to Hike Angels Landing
Angels Landing is perhaps the best-known trail in Zion National Park. This challenging hiking trail has over 1,500 feet of elevation change. It has a few famous features, like the narrow ridgeline that has hikers facing down 1,000-foot drops on either side with only a chain handrail to help keep their balance.
Thanks to social media and plenty of word of mouth, the trail has exploded in popularity in recent years. To help curb the crowds, the National Park Service launched its PIlot Permit Program in April 2022. Under the program, anyone hoping to hike Angels Landing past Scout’s Lookout must enter one of two lotteries to get a permit.
Seasonal Lottery
The first is the Seasonal Lottery. This lottery opens up four times throughout the year. Each Seasonal Lottery awards permits for the following season. If you’re planning a trip to Zion at least a few months out, you’ll want to make sure to enter this lottery to increase your chances of getting a permit. Here are the dates you’ll need to know to enter the lottery:
- For hiking dates between March 1 and May 31, 2023, the lottery ran from January 1 to January 20, 2023, with permits issued on January 25.
- If you want to hike Angels Landing between June 1 and August 31, 2023, you’ll need to enter the lottery between April 1 and April 20. Permits will be awarded on April 25.
- For hiking dates from September 1 to November 30, 2023, the lottery will be open from July 1 to July 20, with permits awarded on July 25.
- If you want to hike Angels Landing between December 1 and February 29, 2024, you’ll need to enter the lottery between October 1 and October 20. Permits will be issued on October 25.
Day-Before Lottery
If you don’t get a permit in the Seasonal Lottery or miss the dates, you have one more chance. The Day-Before Lottery opens daily, and awards permits for the next day. You can enter either lottery here.
Dates to Know to Enter Zion National Park for Free
Want to save a little money on your next visit to Zion National Park resorts? One option is to plan your visit around a Free Entrance Day
Every year, the National Park Service designates a few days as Free Entrance Days. As the name suggests, all entrance fees are waived for visitors to all national parks, monuments, and other National Park Service properties on these days.
The first Free Entrance Day of 2023 already passed on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on January 16. But there are still four more dates this year:
- April 22: The first day of National Park Week
- August 4: The anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
- September 23: National Public Lands Day
- November 11: Veterans Day
Visiting on one of these days can save you the normal $35 entrance fee to get into Zion National Park. But there may be a better way to save. These Free Entrance Days give you free entry for one day. But if you want to visit Zion multiple days in a row, or multiple times a year, you’ll wind up paying the entrance fee later.
Purchasing an annual pass for the national parks allows you to enter any national park or other National Park Service property free of charge for a full year. Click here to learn more about how to save with an annual pass.
Dates to Know to Save on Your Stay in Zion National Park Resorts
There’s one last date that you need to know if you’re planning a stay in Zion National Park resorts in 2023; the last chance to save big on your booking at Zion Wildflower Resort.
Book your 2023 visit of three or more nights before March 31, and you could save 20 percent on your booking. This includes stays in our bungalow cabins, a luxury wagon, or a canvas glamping tent. Whether you want to take advantage of a Free Entrance Day in the park or hope to secure a permit to hike Angels Landing, now is a great time to start planning your 2023 visit to Zion National Park. Book today to take advantage of these big savings.