Zion National Park got its name from Mormon pioneers who arrived in the area in the 1800s and dubbed the region “Zion,” which translates to “sanctuary” or “refuge” in ancient Hebrew. But the path to its final name was as meandering as its beautiful canyons.
Nomadic American Indian groups visited the area for thousands of years and likely had many names for the landscape. The Southern Paiute called it “Mukuntuweap,” which means “straight canyon.”
In 1909, President Taft set aside about 16,000 acres for Mukuntuweap National Monument. In 1918, the monument was renamed Zion National Monument. In 1919, the name changed again to Zion National Park.
On January 22, 1937, President Roosevelt established a second Zion National Monument, preserving over 36,000 acres. The second Zion National Monument, now called Kolob Canyons, was incorporated with Zion National Park in 1956.
