Zion National Park to Ban Large RVs on Popular Highway in 2026

A significant access change is coming to Zion National Park, affecting one of the park’s most traveled roads.

Beginning in the summer of 2026, oversized vehicles will no longer be allowed to travel the Zion–Mt. Carmel Scenic Highway. Park officials finalized the decision after years of traffic data and safety studies tied to the historic route.

The Zion–Mt. Carmel Scenic Highway connects the park’s South Entrance near Springdale with the East Entrance. The 10.7-mile road includes steep grades, sharp turns, multiple bridges, and the Zion–Mt. Carmel Tunnel. Construction on the route was completed in 1930, long before modern RVs, buses, and heavy trucks reached their current size and weight.

Under the new rules, vehicles exceeding any of the following limits will be prohibited from traveling the highway between Canyon Junction and the East Entrance:

• Longer than 35 feet 9 inches
• Wider than 7 feet 10 inches, measured mirror to mirror
• Taller than 11 feet 4 inches
• Heavier than 50,000 pounds
• Combined vehicles over 26 feet from hitch to rear axle or more than 50 feet overall

The restrictions apply to large RVs, tour buses, trailers, and some heavy-duty trucks, including certain dually configurations that exceed the width limit.

So what prompted the change? Multiple studies conducted in 1989 and 2019, later validated by the Federal Highway Administration, found that oversized vehicles cannot safely remain within a single lane on much of the route. The tunnel and bridge clearances also fall below modern standards for larger vehicles, increasing the risk of infrastructure damage.

Traffic flow played a major role as well. When oversized vehicles previously used the tunnel, rangers were required to stop traffic in both directions and escort each vehicle individually. A 2016 traffic study found that this process reduced free-flowing traffic to an average of 19 minutes per hour. On peak days, free-flowing traffic dropped to as little as eight minutes per hour.

Park officials also confirmed that the existing permit system for oversized vehicles will be discontinued once the new restrictions take effect. That system allowed large vehicles to pay for escorted passage through the tunnel, but it contributed to long delays during busy periods.

Access to Zion for large vehicles will still be possible in limited situations through the South Entrance. This includes cases where space is available in designated large-vehicle parking areas near the Zion Canyon Visitor Center, access to Zion Lodge during approved periods, shuttle off-season travel on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, and campers staying at Watchman Campground or South Campground when it reopens.

Alternate routes around the park will remain available for travelers heading toward Bryce Canyon National Park, the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, and other destinations on the Grand Circle. Depending on the route, those detours add approximately 10 to 45 minutes of driving time.

Visitors planning trips to Zion are advised by park officials to measure their vehicles carefully and plan travel routes ahead of arrival. The new restrictions are intended to remain in place permanently, reflecting the physical limitations of a road that was never designed for today’s largest vehicles.