ZION NATIONAL PARK

national park of deep canyons, high cliffs, and mesas in southwestern Utah, U.S. It lies northeast of the city of St. George. The park's principal feature is Zion Canyon, which received its name from the Mormons who discovered it (1858) and settled there in the early 1860s. A portion of the area was first set aside as the Mukuntuweap National Monument in 1909. The monument was enlarged and renamed Zion National Monument in 1918 and was established as a national park in 1919. The park was enlarged in 1956 by the addition of the adjacent Zion National Monument and occupies an area of 229 square miles (593 square km). Zion Canyon was carved by the Virgin River and is about 15 miles (24 km) long and 0.5 mile (0.8 km) deep. The rocky domes and pinnacles that dot the canyon walls range in colour from rust red at lower elevations to nearly white at the summits. The walls contain an abundant fossil record, and excavation has yielded evidence that prehistoric peoples (Basket Makers and Pueblo Indians) once inhabited the area. The Great White Throne, a giant monolith on one canyon wall, rises 2,394 feet (730 m) above the canyon floor. Among the park's other notable sites are Emerald Pool, Weeping Rock, and the Temple of Sinawava. Zion's wildlife includes mule deer and mountain lions. The plants are mainly semiarid types such as cactus, but cottonwood, willow, and box elder grow along the canyon floor, and juniper and pines are found at higher elevations.