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All the United States Utah Hurricane Zion–Mount Carmel Tunnel
AO Edited

Zion–Mount Carmel Tunnel

A tunnel with windows, so you don't miss out on the impressive views.

Hurricane, Utah

Added By
Alan Newman
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Entrance to the Mount Carmel Tunnel   Alex Proimos / CC BY 2.0
Hete two of the galleries are visible in the canyon face   Alex Proimos / CC BY 2.0
  IvyMike / CC BY 2.0
  The Dye Clan / CC BY-SA 3.0
East Portal   Tylas / CC BY-SA 3.0
  The Dye Clan
View out from one of the galleries   Sqeegee99 / CC BY-SA 4.0
  joeypesto / Atlas Obscura User
Pine Creek Canyon under the east exit bridge of Mt Caramel Tunnel in Zion National Park, Utah   Michael Fousie / Atlas Obscura User
View from Canyon Overlook Trail   cl94 / Atlas Obscura User
  lackra / Atlas Obscura User
  lackra / Atlas Obscura User
  mocchiatto / Atlas Obscura User
Tunnel Window (exterior view)   Welby / Atlas Obscura User
  LiamY / Atlas Obscura User
Rainy Day Waterfall at Zion’s Mt Carmel Tunnel   Michael Fousie / Atlas Obscura User
  lackra / Atlas Obscura User
  Ken Lund
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About

The natural beauty of Zion National  Park is undeniable but for those with an interest in civil engineering, this 1.1-mile road tunnel is an impressive structure to admire while driving into or out of the park.

The Zion–Mount Carmel Tunnel is equipped  with six galleries, or openings that provide light, fresh air, and glimpses of the fantastic scenery just outside the tunnel. When viewed from the exterior, the galleries give testament to the imaginative design of the structure. During construction, the galleries were used as a means of disposing tunneling soil into the valley below. 

Originally, each of the galleries had parking places to allow visitors to admire the views. But these are no longer available because of a number of accidents in the tunnel.

The tunnel was constructed between 1927 and 1930, and is part of the Zion–Mount Carmel highway, the length of which is included in the National Register of Historic Places. When the tunnel was built between 1927 and 1930, it was used to help minimize the visual impact of the highway, which was intended as a direct route between Zion, Bryce Canyon, and the Grand Canyon. The tunnel maintains a constant distance of 21 feet between the road center line and the face of Pine Canyon.

When the tunnel was dedicated in 1930, it was the longest of its kind in the United States, though it has since been surpassed by the 2.5-mile Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel in Alaska.

Related Tags

Tunnels National Parks Engineering Highways Mountains Subterranean Sites

Know Before You Go

Vehicles above a certain size (such as RVs) are required to pay a $15 fee to pass the tunnel, which is temporarily  converted to a one-way system while they pass.

Bicycles and pedestrians are prohibited from entering the tunnel.

Community Contributors

Added By

Dr Alan P Newman

Edited By

Michael Fousie, brian32768, TimWh, glenntube5...

  • Michael Fousie
  • brian32768
  • TimWh
  • glenntube5
  • Welby
  • cl94
  • mocchiatto
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • LiamY
  • lackra
  • joeypesto
  • bectate67

Published

March 13, 2020

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  • https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/the-zion-mount-carmel-tunnel.htm
Zion–Mount Carmel Tunnel
Zion – Mount Carmel Hwy
Hurricane, Utah, 84737
United States
37.211305, -112.958228
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