Alternative Fueled Shuttle – Moving In the Right Direction

Twenty-one years ago Zion National Park’s shuttle system revolutionized park transportation. The visionary system connects park visitors to trailheads, nearby hotels, restaurants, and businesses in the adjacent gateway of Springdale. This project was the result of collaboration between the mayor of the town and the park Superintendent.

Today, Zion’s iconic shuttles continue their tireless duty of shepherding millions of visitors in and out of the park. In 2019 alone, Zion shuttles accommodated more than 6 million passenger boardings. Riders were greeted with creaking doors, cracked seats, and broken windows, as decades-old propane powered engines lumber their way between towering canyon walls.

Zion Forever supporters were critical in lobbying for a recently awarded $33M grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation giving new life to this time-honored fleet. Beginning in 2021, the shuttles will gradually be replaced, becoming the first fully electric park transportation system.

While the new grant enhances the shuttles themselves, your continued support provides finish-line funding for charging stations, specialized tools, maintenance equipment, as well as road and signage updates that must be complete as the new system is put into place.

This town-to-park model has sparked a larger vision, developing a similar alternative fuel powered transportation system throughout Southwest Utah. Leaders from Kane and Washington Counties, the National Park Service, Zion Forever Board Members, nonprofits like Utah Clean Cities, regional stakeholders, and academic voices from Dixie State University meet weekly, focused on designing the next-generation of regional transportation.

Their shared goal is to create a seamless and sustainable experience, connecting visitors and the local communities. One that transports riders in whisper quiet, pollution free, alternatively fueled shuttles across this awe-inspiring landscape. With your help Zion Forever will continue seeking solutions that encourage alternative transportation, provide excellent park experiences, and preserve the sanctity of the lands we endeavor to conserve.