Zion has the richest diversity of plants in Utah—almost 800 native species. Differences in elevation, sunlight, water, and temperature create "microenvironments," like hanging gardens, forested side canyons, and isolated mesas. Spring wildflower displays can be magnificent; look for sand buttercup, Indian paintbrush and chorispora in March and April. The lowlands are austere, with beavertail cactus growing in the dry areas and box elder, willow, ash and cottonwood cropping up where water lies close to the surface. In the higher elevations, the climate is more moist and a mixed conifer forest predominates, with birch and aspen growing in pockets.

As for fauna, 75 species of mammals, 271 birds, 32 reptiles and amphibians, 8 fish make Zion their home. Commonly seen animals include mule deer, rock squirrels, lizards and many species of songbirds. Rare or endangered species include peregrine falcons, Mexican spotted owls, mountain lions, and some species, like the Zion Snail, found nowhere else on earth.

Bighorn sheep were an important member of the environment until poachers wiped them out. In 1973, eight bighorns were reintroduced into Zion. The estimated herd size of their descendants now stands at more than 70. A lucky few visitors to Zion actually spot these shy denizens of the highlands. The entrance to the tunnel is one place to keep your eyes peeled: in winter 1996 there were six reported sightings of bighorns there.

Current environmental concerns include automobile congestion, noise pollution, damage to vegetation near roads, litter, human waste, impacts on solitude, and increasing area development.

Today, well over 2 million people visit Zion National Park every year. On a typical summer day, 4-5,000 vehicles enter the park. 2,000 or so drive the six-mile scenic drive up Zion Canyon, for which there are only 400 designated parking spaces. The canyon walls act like an echo chamber, reverberating the sound of traffic, disrupting the sense of tranquil grandeur so central to the natonal park experience.

The park has taken positive steps to make visiting the park the soul-filling experience it should be. Already in place is the first part of a greenway trail, the Pa'rus, that shields bicyclists and hikers from traffic. Since May 2000, the Zion Canyon has been closed to private automobiles. Visitors can catch a shuttle from the nearby town of Springdale for a spin through the the canyon, and the shuttle stops at all trailheads and scenic viewpoints.

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