Zion’s east side is getting its own front door. The forthcoming East Zion Discovery Center, designed by Overland Partners with architect of record Place Collaborative, will serve as an orientation hub for travelers approaching the park from U.S. 89 near the East Entrance. Sited at the Zion East Gate in Mt. Carmel, the campus is envisioned as an accessible place to learn, plan a day, and step straight into nature without the west-side congestion.
Overland lists the project at 25,000 square feet on a 30-acre campus and “in progress.” The client team includes private stakeholders, the National Park Service, Zion National Park Forever Project, and the Zion Mountain Local Service District. That collaboration reflects the project’s core promise: a public-facing space built around conservation, education, and smart visitor flow.
Program highlights include an indoor-outdoor education space, exhibits, a café and small retail, plus a transit hub with EV shuttles intended to reduce traffic pressure in Zion Canyon. The design is pursuing Living Building Challenge certification and emphasizes locally responsive materials, daylighting, and an experience corridor that extends learning into the landscape.
Trails are a major part of the east-side story. As the Discovery Center advances, the Zion Forever Project continues phasing in a purpose-built trail network on adjacent lands. Current plans call for more than 45 miles of mountain bike trails, with connections designed to link riders and families to the Discovery Center and surrounding communities. donate.zionpark.org
Public and philanthropic partners have also supported the broader East Zion effort, including state investments for roads and infrastructure that will help the center function as a true gateway.
Inside the park boundary, a separate National Park Service project is underway to redesign the East Entrance area with a resilient landscape and a new interagency visitor center funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Together, these east-side additions give visitors clearer choices and more ways to engage with Zion year-round.
The Discovery Center is under construction now. Final opening timelines and operating details will be shared as the project nears completion. For updates, follow the Zion National Park Forever Project and the National Park Service.
Caption(s): Overland Partners’ rendering of the Zion National Park Discovery Center, courtesy of Overland Partners.
