In Zion National Park, ‘the Smog Is Gone’

Beneath red temples of Navajo sandstone, the Virgin River winds through Zion National Park. Nearby, a steady current of people step into a long shuttle line. A bus quietly rolls into the stop, the door opens, 90 people swiftly board. After the bus rolls away, the line continues to lengthen. Another bus arrives five minutes later; the flow resumes.

The buses are part of the new electric shuttle system transforming the visitor experience at Zion. The park first launched its shuttle system in 2000 to address the 2.4 million annual visitors that have since grown to five million. To further reduce traffic and benefit visitors and wildlife, through reduced emissions and noise pollution, Zion transitioned to an all-electric fleet of 30 buses in 2024.

Shuttles are part of the National Park Service’s legacy of adopting innovative public transportation solutions. In 1910 the newly established Glacier National Park used horse carriages to transport 11 passengers per trip, evolving four years later to a fleet of red buses. Today, Glacier still operates 33 vintage red propane shuttles, in service since the mid-1930s, that are considered the oldest touring fleet in the world! Other overcrowding solutions utilized by NPS include peak season reservation and timed entry systems, as seen in Arches and Yosemite. Yosemite also offers a shuttle system, but unlike Zion’s, it is not mandatory. 

Prior to the shuttle system, Lisa White, Zion’s transportation manager, recalls the backlog of parking along the sides of the road, resulting in denuded vegetation. “There weren’t a lot of animals in the canyon,” she says. “I personally saw fistfights over parking spaces because it was just so congested.” Shuttles immediately relieved the traffic congestion.

And she’s seen a real impact on the ecosystem, too. “Vegetation has been able to return, native plants [are] growing again, which brings back the animals,” she says. Visitors now frequently observe mule deer, turkeys and squirrels, and they sometimes even glimpse mountain lions and endangered California condors. Desert bighorn sheep make occasional appearances in winter. Visitors also enjoy the quieter experience in the park. 

Zion’s shuttle system is simply part of the visitor experience. Within shuttle season, March through November, all visitors to Zion Canyon, the most frequently visited area of the park, are required to ride the bus. Shuttles arrive every five to 15 minutes and operate between the gateway community of Springdale and Zion Canyon. 

The buses are 40 and 60 feet in length, each eliminating 29 to 40 vehicles in the canyon. Approximately 21 to 27 buses are on the road at a time. 

Although there are ranger-guided bus rides available with a reservation, White says, “The idea is just to get people out to the canyon, right? We don’t want people just sitting on the buses all day. We want them to get out and hike!” The strategy echoes the words of the Park Service’s best-known ranger, Edward Abbey: “You can’t see anything from a car; you’ve got to get out of the goddamn contraption and walk.”

Zion’s new electric shuttles are the result of a multi-year partnership among federal, state, local and nonprofit organizations. Funds include donor support and a $33 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2021. The nonprofit Zion National Park Forever Project was instrumental in securing matching funds to ensure what it envisions as “a cleaner, quieter future for the park.”

Another $4.5 million in infrastructure changes, to accommodate a shorter bus turning radius, was funded by the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, which utilizes entrance fee dollars and alternative transportation programs.

Considering the long-term costs of the electric buses, White says, “We fully anticipate they’re actually going to cost a little more to operate per vehicle. … But we’re willing to trade off for the improved experience and increase sustainability and improved environmental situation. … It will be worth it.”

In 2017, Zion enlisted RAPT DEV, the company behind Paris’s bustling rail system, to sketch a pilot plan for an electric fleet, and RAPT DEV leased Zion a prototype bus. In 2021, NPS and operator PTI successfully piloted and selected New Flyers’ XE60 articulated electric bus for its fleet.

Charging equipment installation occurred in three phases between 2019 and 2025. As of this spring, 18 charging stations, by Rhombus (now BorgWarner), are online. Later this year, RAPT DEV will install a Sequential charger, pending software updates from New Flyer. 

Buses charge at a rate of 10 percent gain per hour. RAPT DEV staff actively monitor the overnight charging. Careful charge scheduling ensures reliability, and routine maintenance every 6,000 miles focuses primarily on battery-related diagnostics. Operation adjustments and retraining are part of RAPT DEV’s ongoing management of new bus dimensions and systems.

Systems integration is among the greatest challenges the new bus fleet has created for the park. As White puts it, “There are a lot of computers [involved] and they don’t always play well with the other company’s computers … so sorting out those issues has not always gone as smoothly as we would have hoped initially. But every time we sort through a new issue or a hiccup, then we learn something new.” A proactive recall and retrofit is also underway to replace 125 ABS battery packs in 25 buses. Eight of Zion’s original propane buses remain in rotation for backup.

Zion is the first national park to fully transition to zero-emissions electric shuttles. As of 2024, the Park Service set a goal to fully electrify its 600,000 vehicles. This was part of President Biden’s Federal Sustainability Plan, which directed federal agencies to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The outlook for that shift is uncertain amid the current administration’s federal funding and staff cuts at national parks. 

This means prioritizing larger buses with 90-passenger capacity to reduce the total number of buses on the road. During shuttle season, personal vehicles remain prohibited after transit hours, giving wildlife an additional respite from motorized traffic.

During my recent visit, I stepped out of the shuttle line and allowed other passengers to board. Then I walked away from the bus to the Virgin River. Less than a quarter mile from the shuttle station and main road, I could not hear the traffic; only birds chirping, breeze fluttering cottonwood leaves, and the river babbling on.

All scrolling images were taken by the author.