Will a Sprinter Van be allowed at Zion National Park?
Starting June 7, 2026, Zion National Park in Utah will enforce strict size and weight restrictions for vehicles on the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway between Canyon Junction and the East Entrance.
Vehicles exceeding
35'9" length,
7'10" width
11'4" height
or 50,000 lbs
are prohibited from using this route due to safety, with combined vehicle lengths restricted to 50 feet.
What does that mean for Sprinter Vans?
The largest Sprinter Van (The L4) in a 2WD has a total:
Length at 7367mm (24.2ft)
Width (w/ mirrors) at 2345m (7.7ft)
Height at 2913mm (9.6ft)
As a stock 2WD van, even the largest van is fine. It fits within the guidelines and is not too big for the main set of tunnels.
Now if you were towing a trailer then you could be in trouble and likely rejected if the trailer is over 26ft long. As an example, the standard Flying Cloud (dual axle) Airstream camper trailer can run up to 30ft long. With the longest Sprinter Van at 24ft you’re at 54ft combined. This is technically over the limit. We run a 144 wheelbase van and know that’s not a problem width and length wise. Now with the height, because of the tunnel in the route you must stay under 11’4” (3.5m).
There’s now a little nuance to this as builds are all a little differnt. Our 144 wheel base Sprinter van with 4x4 comes in at 114in tall, add a roof rack or AX up top and you’re likely in the 135” or 11.25ft. coming in just under the 11.4ft limit. So you Revel, StoryTellerOverland and Thor Sprinter Vans are fine.. but just barely at the limit as to not hit the edge of the tunnel and still stay in your lane.
Key Details on Restrictions (Effective June 7, 2026):
Prohibited Vehicles: Large RVs, trailers, tour buses, and some dual-rear-wheel trucks ("duallys") that exceed the dimensions above. Not Sprinter Vans
Affected Area: The entire 10.7-mile Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway (Highway 9) between the east entrance and Canyon Junction.
Reasoning: The restrictions aim to enhance safety, reduce significant traffic congestion caused by tunnel escorts (which previously caused 44 minutes of stoppage per hour), and protect the historic infrastructure, including narrow tunnels and bridges.
Alternative Routes: Large vehicles must use alternative routes, such as U.S. Route 89 or State Route 20, to bypass the affected section of the park. This is not ideal as you will have to go down and around through Arizona and back up into Utah on the other side of the tunnel.
Visitors driving large vehicles should plan to take alternative routes or use different access points to the park. The Zion Canyon Scenic Drive remains accessible by shuttle only.
