Mount Carmel Junction

Mount Carmel Junction, Mount Carmel and the other small towns (Mount Carmel, Orderville, Glendale) form a rural community known as East Zion, which is located in Utah's Canyon Country, near the east entrance to Zion National Park. Mount Carmel is less a destination in its own right and more a convenient stopover between the many national parks in the area.

Get in
Mount Carmel Junction sits at the junction of US Highway 89, which heads north toward Bryce Canyon and south towards the Grand Canyon, and the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway (UT 9), which runs the length of Zion National Park before continuing east and terminating at US 89.

Private vehicles and tour buses are the only way to travel in this area. There is no public transportation. The Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway, through Zion National Park, never does close, but large vehicles like RVs can only travel from 8AM to 8PM when there is an escort at the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel. The escorts stop all traffic on one side to allow the bigger vehicles like RVs and tour buses to travel in the center of the tunnel. On the immediate east side of Zion National Park and Mount Carmel Junction is a tourist stop. One mile north is the small town of Mount Carmel, which is mostly a farming community. Another four miles is Orderville, which is the town with the most population in the area. Another mile past Orderville is Glendale, where you will find an entrance to the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

See
There's very little to see in the town proper; Mount Carmel acts mainly as a gateway to other attractions, namely Zion National Park and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, with others passing through on their way to Bryce Canyon or the Grand Canyon.


 * The towering White Cliffs of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument are visible from the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway and along US 89 north of town.

Do

 * The Zion Ponderosa Resort and the Zion Mountain Ranch (see below under Sleep) offers lots of recreational activities, like horseback rides, ATV tours, and more.
 * The Zion Ponderosa Resort and the Zion Mountain Ranch (see below under Sleep) offers lots of recreational activities, like horseback rides, ATV tours, and more.

Drink
The Buffalo Bistro, Thunderbird Restaurant, and Broken Arrow Restaurant (see above under Eat) all serve beer and wine.

Backcountry camping
There is a ton of Bureau of Land Management land in the White Cliffs east of Zion, south of the main road, some of which is free, beautiful accommodations right next to the expensive national park!

Go next



 * Zion National Park, 12 miles to the west. Utah's most visited national park, with visitors in the millions each year. Zion is a hikers mecca and even those just out for scenic drives will be in awe.
 * Bryce Canyon National Park, 60 miles to the northeast. So close to Zion National Park that many that visit it also come to Bryce. Bryce Canyon has jaw dropping beauty.
 * The Grand Canyon, 85 miles to the south (North Rim). One of the seven wonders of the world and one of the most visited parks in the USA. The North Rim however only gets a small percentage of the total visitors.  This rim is the more spectacular of the rims but its rustic setting keeps visitors to a minimum when compared to the commercial and populated South Rim.
 * Cedar Breaks National Monument, 45 miles to the northwest. This is a spectacular monument that rivals Bryce Canyon National Park. It gets less visitors but its beauty certainly does not pale with the other parks.
 * Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument 9 miles to the east. Two million acres of wilderness to hike and enjoy. There is nothing commercial about this place, but if you want to hike in beauty and solitude, it's magnificent.
 * Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park 11 miles to the south. A great little park of sand dunes located nearby. There is hiking and ATV and 4WD trails. Most people come to the dunes to walk out on the boardwalk and play a bit in the sand.
 * Cedar Mountain, 22 miles away in Dixie National Forest.
 * Red Canyon, 47 miles away in Dixie National Forest. Red Canyon is by Bryce Canyon and as with Bryce its loaded with unique hoodoos and hiking. Cedar Mountain is a whole different world of hiking, fishing and fun in an aspen and spruce forest.  Both are in Dixie National Forest.
 * Paria Canyon, 60 miles away. Home to the popular rock formation known as the Wave. A hot spot for photographers and hikers alike.
 * Lake Powell, 95 miles to the east. Scenery and water galore.