There could be changes afoot that may affect RVers with big rigs at Utah’s Zion National Park. Park staff say they’re “consulting neighbors” and others over concerns of the safety of the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway. The long and winding road doesn’t lead to your door, but rather between U.S. 89 at Mount Carmel Junction, and on through the national park. Along the way, the highway runs through a magnificent tunnel, and has enough twists and turns to delight a mystery novel reader. But it’s those twists and turns that are causing concern.
Centerline crossings at 18 spots
A news release from the Park Service highlights the main issue: “While driving on the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway, for example, large vehicles like buses cross the centerline in 18 locations where the road’s turning radius cannot accommodate long vehicles – which becomes problematic when they exceed 35 feet 9 inches.”
Zion staff want to reduce the likelihood of those centerline crossing incidents from turning into collisions. A simple way for this, of course, would be to simply close down the highway. The Service recognizes that’s a no-go option. “We want to collaborate with members of our community to address these safety and operational concerns,” says Jeff Bradybaugh. He’s the park’s superintendent. “We need to work together to protect drivers, meet safety parameters and ensure the integrity of the road and tunnels so that we continue to enjoy scenic drives on the historic Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway.”
Another non-starting option is widening or straightening the highway out. Such construction would be out-of-reach for several reasons. From a financial perspective, the cost would be completely out the window. Even if the money were available, the impact on park plants, wildlife, and landscapes would make it out of the question. Built in the 1920s and 1930s, the highway is a historic landmark, both on the National Register of Historic Places and a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. Who wants to tweak with history?
Zion-Mount Carmel Highway “collaboration”
“To reduce the likelihood of collisions and fulfill our responsibly to take care of the historic road,” says a press release, “Zion has been actively collaborating with community stakeholders so that we can present solutions that improve driving conditions and reduce the likelihood of structural damage.” After listing a host of things that make the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway unique, and a treasure in its own right, park staff conclude, “These design elements make the road more compatible with the landscape but also hard for modern, larger vehicles to travel safely.”
It’s far too early to know what the specific outcome of the consultations among Zion staff, neighbors, lawmakers, and other “stakeholders,” will be. But it’s a sure bet that somewhere down the road, RVers with big motorhomes, and possibly those towing long trailers and fifth wheels, may find travel on Zion-Mount Carmel Highway restricted—if not off limits. We’ll keep you posted.
##RVT1143b
I do not live there or had trouble driving the winding road when we visited and drove through Zion and the restricted tunnel. When we visited Zion and drove through the park both directions, our 24-foot class C lead the traffic behind us giving us a clear traffic free view as we drove the tunnel both directions. It seemed the park rangers preferred a larger vehicle in the center to keep other vehicles from passing in the tunnel since they were only allowing one-way traffic in either direction when we visited in 2020. 40-feet or longer, forget about it.
Been thru the tunnel a few times with 38-foot class A and towing. No problem staying in lane. One way traffic is because tunnel roof is U shaped and you need to stay in the middle to keep your roof intact.
Thank you, Russ and Tina! 🙂 That’s not a road I’ve driven, but, from the sounds of it, it’s one I won’t be driving. Our New Aire is 35′ 10″. Missed it by … this much. 😉 Nah, I don’t care much for heights anyay, so probably wouldn’t do it if our RV were short enough. Safe travels! 🙂
Although not this road specifically, this was a consideration when choosing the RV we purchased. We deliberately chose a small rig for the convenience and number of travel opportunities open to smaller rigs that bigger rigs find restrictive. We want to ensure we can travel those backroads less traveled.
When we visited in 2021, we had to pay a $15 large vehicle fee for our DRW truck. Fee was for the tunnel, they stop traffic both ways to allow ‘large’ vehicles to drive down the center of the road.
Thank you! It made me verify the route we are taking to Utah next year (via RV Trip Wizard – not necessarily infallible). Appreciate it.
What’s there to talk about. Last paragraph of this article is the only solution if you’re discussing safety issues.
Yes. We have driven this route. Just like the length maximum on Going to the Sun road in Glacier National Park, this road needs a length limit.
Exactly! Here are the current length restrictions:
Prohibited:
Stay safe and turn on your headlights in the tunnel, Joe
Drove this route back in 2018. While there are a number of switch backs, they are pretty well designed. Most drivers do not know how far their long motorized RV, or long 5er/bumper pull swing in a corner.
As a son of a trucker driver, who taught me ‘how’ to corner with a long trailer, this road is not very challenging, if you keep the nose of the vehicle to the outside of the corner, allowing the trailer/back axle to stay inside of the double yellow lines.
Honestly, I believe it’s time for a serious discussion about training for RV drivers, and a mandatory DMV driving test, and issue a RV license endorsement. My home state has an endorsement RVs with trailers over 10K pounds.