May in Zion National Park is a best window month: highs around 83°F, lows around 52°F. Crowds: peak crowds — #1 busiest of the park's 12 months. Ideal temps — and near-peak crowds; book lodging early. The editorial best window here is April–May & October. You get about 14h 10m of daylight. To finish The Narrows (Bottom-Up) (3h 20m) before dark, leave the trailhead by about 5:15 PM.
Month data reviewed · how we check this
| Verdict | Best window The editorial pick — weather, access and experience line up. |
|---|---|
| Temps °F | 83° high / 52° low |
| Crowds | peak crowds · #1 busiest of the park's 12 months |
| What May is like | Ideal temps — and near-peak crowds; book lodging early |
| Best window (whole year) | April–May & October |
| Peak crowds (whole year) | May–Jul, Sep |
CROWDS: RELATIVE SEASONALITY FROM NPS VISITATION STATISTICS · TEMPS: APPROXIMATE NOAA NORMALS AT MAIN VISITOR ELEVATION — HIGH COUNTRY RUNS 10–20°F COLDER
DAYLIGHT ON MAY 15 · LOCAL PARK TIME (MDT)COMPUTED FROM THE PARK'S OWN COORDINATES FOR THE 15TH — THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH STANDS FOR IT, AS IT DOES FOR CLIMATE NORMALS. WITHIN A MONTH THESE TIMES SHIFT BY UP TO AN HOUR
LEAVE THE TRAILHEAD BY — TO FINISH BEFORE DARK ON MAY 15WALKING TIMES ESTIMATED FROM EACH TRAIL'S MEASURED DISTANCE AND ELEVATION GAIN — A PLANNING FIGURE, NOT A PACE. ADD YOUR OWN MARGIN FOR PHOTOS, REST AND CROWDS. WATER AT THE COOL-WEATHER RATE, BECAUSE THIS MONTH AVERAGES 83°F. TRAILS WE HAVE NOT MEASURED ARE LEFT OUT RATHER THAN GUESSED
WHAT MAY ASKS OF YOU HEREZion National Park in June — Good, highs around 93°F, crowds: peak crowds (heat builds fast — start hikes at dawn).
Our verdict for May is "Best window". The editorial pick — weather, access and experience line up. Expect highs around 83°F and lows around 52°F, with crowds at the "peak crowds" level. Temperatures are approximate NOAA normals at the main visitor elevation; crowd levels follow published NPS visitation statistics.
Across the full 12-month review, the best window is April–May & October, and the peak-crowd months are May–Jul, Sep. May itself we rate "Best window".
June we rate "Good" against "Best window" for May, with highs around 93°F and crowds at the "peak crowds" level.
About 14h 10m on May 15: the sun rises around 6:23 AM and sets around 8:33 PM local park time (MDT). Computed from the park's own coordinates, so it is the light you actually get at the trailhead, not the nearest city's.
The Narrows (Bottom-Up) takes about 3h 20m of walking, so on May 15 you would need to leave the trailhead by about 5:15 PM to finish before dark — the sun sets around 8:33 PM local park time (MDT). Walking times are estimated from each trail's measured distance and elevation gain, so treat them as a planning figure and add your own margin for photos, rest and crowds.
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