Ranger Rick AZ
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FYI, the park is STRICTLY enforcing the maximum length restrictions (I'd gone thru 1-2x/year the past few years). My fifth-wheel rig was "officially measured" as being 6 inches over the limit, and I was turned around to backtrack and take the long way around today. No tolerance allowed, no quarter given. Be advised.
Ranger Rick
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maddogrdhg
Deer Park, Texas Birthplace of Texas
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what is the maximum limit?
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bukhrn
Lanexa, Va
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We haven't been to Zion,(Yet), but I've heard of this restriction before, and I still don't understand it, is there a restriction on the road on either side of the tunnel? If not, then what the hell difference does it make how Long your rig is, unless there's a 90 degree turn in the middle of the tunnel. I understand height & width restrictions, but not length.
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chuckster11
Idaho
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bukhrn wrote:We haven't been to Zion,(Yet), but I've heard of this restriction before, and I still don't understand it, is there a restriction on the road on either side of the tunnel? If not, then what the hell difference does it make how Long your rig is, unless there's a 90 degree turn in the middle of the tunnel. I understand height & width restrictions, but not length.
I would bet that has to do more with the number of hairpin turns west of the tunnel than the tunnel itself. I don't know the reason for the length restrictions but having driven my MH on that stretch of road, I can see why the Park Service would not want overlong rigs traveling it.
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Litch
Truckee, CA
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The poster is 100% correct, I too have been told no go on the tunnel, and more than one time.
* This post was
edited 11/04/09 05:32pm by an administrator/moderator *
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rolnhome
Pacific Northwest / Mexico
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I had to unhook the towed when we went thru. The tunnel is a mile long and has a couple of turns. The road on the West side is very windy with sharp switchbacks. The one way traffic is only thru the tunnel a long rig 5er or TT might easly get hung up in those turns. Somewhere a line has to be drawn. Not much "swing room" on the turns in the tunnel.
We're in Arizona
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Busskipper
Arnold,Md
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Busskipper wrote:
This sort of says it all – most will fit, but with many of the new high ends Coaches often being 13’6”, they now have to drive around.
Personally, had my Coach built a year earlier, (12’ 8”) so I could drive thru the Tunnel – Love the Windows and the Checkerboard’s on the west side, having driven this road a few times we have never had an issue with the drive – just not enough places to pull off to enjoy the view.
Glad you were able to at least drive the route with the Toad – most important part is that YOU enjoyed the drive.
So much to see and do – and never enough time,
Busskipper
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JT
out west
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Read about the Zion tunnel here:
http://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/the-zion-mount-carmel-tunnel.htm
"Escort" is a misleading term; there's no "escort" as such. Traffic is controlled by traffic rangers from each end of the tunnel, i.e., traffic on one side is lined up and held while traffic from the other end passes through, using the whole width (both lanes) of the roadway and traveling down the middle. The process is repeated for traffic from the other side. Going through the tunnel is $15.00; I've always paid the fee (the *only* "entrance" fee, since I have an "old people's pass") upon entering the park.
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R-D
Arroyo Grande, CA.
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The max limit for this section of road is 50 feet. We were over by 4 feet and had to turn around making our trip to the west side of Zion about 3 hours long, considering we were only 12 miles from campsite it made for a long day. We were just under the height limit which I believe is 13'2". Rangers told us due to the many switchbacks on the west side of the tunnel they are being very strict. So we saw part of Arizona we hadn't seen before.
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h2guy
Ain't seen a sign yet!
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I've been through the tunnel twice with my 35' 5vr & Ford F350 dually and had to have an escort (pay the kid with the smoky hat $10), stop traffic coming at you, proceed down middle of tunnel (w/o an escort), and on about your business.
My gripe is theres no way to reconcile how many vehicles go through and how much money they have to turn in at the end of the day.
* This post was
edited 11/04/09 05:35pm by an administrator/moderator *
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