Zion National Park has been established in 1909 to protect varied landscape and rich environment at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert regions. It is located in the Southwestern United States, near Springdale, Utah. A prominent feature of the 590 km2 park is Zion Canyon, which is 24 km long and up to 800 m deep, cut through the reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone by the North Fork of the Virgin River. The lowest elevation is 1117 m at Coalpits Wash and the highest elevation is 2660 m at Horse Ranch Mountain. Park’s unique geography and variety of life zones allow for unusual plant and animal diversity. Numerous plant species as well as 289 species of birds, 75 mammals, and 32 reptiles inhabit the park’s four life zones: desert, riparian, woodland, and coniferous forest.
