Intimate wedding ceremony at the Zion nature center north lawn

The Ultimate Nature Center North Lawn Guide

The Nature Center is an interactive children's museum where kids can learn about the geology, animals, and history of Zion. During the off-season, the Nature Center closes and the Park opens availability for wedding permits on the North Lawn. The Lawn provides an easily accessible, tranquil place for weddings under Zion's towering red rock cliffs. If you're planning to get married during Zion's off-season and you'd like an easily accessible yet beautiful location for your ceremony, the Nature Center North Lawn may be the perfect fit for you! Read on for a local Zion wedding photographers take on weddings at this location!

Nature Center North Lawn Weddings

Since it's only open during the Park's off-season (November - early April, roughly), we often find the Nature Center North Lawn offers some of the best combinations of views and privacy. With fewer people in the Park and the Nature Center closed, we typically see fewer people wandering around here. Many couples love the views from the Lawn and it's easy access, especially for those who may have mobility challenges. Like all of Zion's approved wedding locations, you'll need to apply for a permit and abide by the rules and regulations.

Permit Details

bride and groom pose together after nature center ceremony

Only Available November - early April, specific dates change year to year. Contact the park for the more details for the current year.
Maximum Number of People: 50 People. This number includes everyone present, including the couple and any vendors, like your officiant, photographer, and videographer, for example.
Shuttle Required?: No. Limited Parking Lot on site, parking not guaranteed with permit
Are chairs permitted: Yes. 25 chairs maximum allowed only if the chairs do not require penetrating the grass (e.g. straight legged chairs).
Delivery of chairs allowed: Yes. Parking lot is accessible to vehicles year round. Parking for vendors not guaranteed.
Permit Application Fee: $100
Permit Application Date: At least three weeks prior to the requested date.
Permit Application Open Date: 1 year in advance
Get all the details for the permit from Zion National Park HERE

Regulations

As a part of the permit, all weddings in Zion much abide by the regulations. Here are a couple of examples of regulations you'll find on the permit:

Non-exclusive: Permits do not provide exclusive access to the permitted location. The general public may not be barred from watching the ceremony.
All decorations and props must be expressly approved in advance during the permit process
You cannot put signs or banners up anywhere in the Park, this includes signs showing guests where to go.
Amplified sound is not allowed in the Park, this includes speakers of any size for music or public addresses. Make sure you have an officiant with a loud voice! If you'd like to have music, you'll need an acoustic artist for that.
No electricity is available for use and generators are not allowed.

Make sure you read all of the rules and regulations included in the permit thoroughly, following these are your responsibility.

About the Nature Center North Lawn

During the busy season, the Nature Center provides kids programming to Zion's visitors. When it closes for the season in November, the Park opens availability for weddings on the North Lawn. The North Lawn sits below Bridge Mountain and offers a beautiful view of Zion Canyon's west wall. The West Temple, the Sentinel and the other east wall peaks are visible across the road from the Lawn as well. We'll commonly see white tail deer around the Lawn adding to the tranquil scenery the lawn offers.

Where is the Nature Center North Lawn located?

bride and groom walk together out of ceremony at nature center in zion

The Nature Center is located right off of SR-9 by the South Campground entrance (currently under construction), roughly half a mile from the Visitor's Center. As the name implies, the North Lawn sits north of the Nature Center building, mere feet from the parking area.

How do you get to the Nature Center North Lawn

Since the Nature Center is located off of SR-9 and not the Scenic Drive, it's accessible by personal vehicles year round. During the busy season, this parking lot often fills with visitors intending to walk back to the Visitor's Center for shuttle access. However, the shuttles do not run for most of the time the North Lawn is open for weddings, so we often can find a handful of spots available here throughout the day.

If the parking lot is full for some reason, the Nature Center North Lawn can be accessed by walking from the Visitor's Center via the Pa'rus Trail. This walk is about 1 mile.

What amenities are at the Nature Center North Lawn?

Since the Nature Center North Lawn is only open when the Nature Center is closed for the season, you shouldn't expect any amenities at this location. The South Campground has bathroom facilities roughly 1000ft from the Nature Center's parking lot. (Note: The South Campground is currently closed for construction, so these bathroom facilities are unavailable.

Planning your wedding at the Nature Center North Lawn

We've had the privilege of working with a number of couples who opted to get married at the Nature Center North Lawn. From that experience, we've compiled some general recommendations for planning a wedding at this location. All of our couples get specialized recommendations tailored to their desired experience, wedding date, and location. So if you need help planning your wedding, reach out and let's get started!

Getting to the Nature Center North Lawn for your Wedding

Most couples who get married at the Nature Center North Lawn will be able to drive right to it. The parking lot is limited but often not very busy during the off season. If you are getting married during the holidays when the shuttles run (see the Park Shuttle schedule for dates [NpsZion Canyon Shuttle System - Zion National Park (U.S. National Park Service) ]), then the likelihood of the parking lot filling up increases pretty significantly. If the parking lot is full, you'll need to find alternative parking. The most likely option is in the town of Springdale, where you can then take the town shuttle to the Pedestrian Entrance and walk the 1 mile to the Nature Center North Lawn.

The Best Times of Day for Wedding Ceremonies at the Nature Center North Lawn

Choosing the best time of day for your ceremony involves a careful balance between what's most important to you. From a lighting perspective, the best time of day for photos at the Nature Center North Lawn is from sunrise until a couple of hours before high noon and from a couple of hours after high noon until sunset. Morning ceremonies benefit from the shade of the west wall, making the light soft and even until the sun crests the wall. In the evening, you'll have bright, directional light that will make it easy to show off the color of the rock walls but can make it harder to keep from squinting. Often, we'll build the ceremony timeline around the other events of your wedding day, like portraits around the park and/or a reception. You can get a detailed timeline with additional location recommendations all tailored to you and your wedding day by becoming one of our clients!

Recommendations for your Nature Center North Lawn Wedding

Make sure you and your guests are prepared for variable temperatures: The off-season can see wildly different temperatures throughout the day. If you choose a morning ceremony, the air will be quite cool until the sun comes up over the west wall. If you choose an afternoon ceremony, the sun can be quite warm.
Carpool: The parking at the Nature Center North Lawn is limited, so bring in the fewest number of cars possible to maximize your chances of getting to park.
Look up sunrise, sunset, and high noon times for your wedding day: Knowing these times as you start planning will help when you start applying for your permit and planning the other activities for the day.
Apply for your permit as early as you can: While off-season weddings are far less popular, you still should apply for your permit as soon as you have the pertinent info to ensure you get the day and time slot you want!
Hire a local to help with planning the logistics: find someone who has experience with weddings in the Park, like us!

wedding ceremony at zion nature center north lawn

Is the Nature Center North Lawn the right location for your Zion wedding?

The Nature Center North Lawn might be the right fit for you if any of the following are true:

You want to get married during Zion's off-season [Link to Winter in Zion post?]
You love the photos you've seen at the Nature Center North Lawn
You have a special connection with the Nature Center
You want a location with nearby parking
You have fewer than 50 people attending and don't need more than 25 chairs

Alternatively, you may want to look into other options if any of the following are true:

You want a place with guaranteed parking
You have a group larger than 50 and/or you need more than 25 chairs
You don't want to be limited to getting married during the off-season
You want to hold your ceremony and reception at the same place
You need close and easy access to restroom facilities or other amenities

Consider checking out some of the other locations available in and around Zion!

Feeling overwhelmed at planning a wedding or elopement in Zion? That's what we're here for! Shoot us a message and we can help you with the whole process!