Private vehicles and tour buses are the only way to travel in this area. There is no public transportation. The Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway, through Zion National Park, never does close, but large vehicles like RV's need to travel from 8am to 8pm when there is an escort at the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel. The escorts stop all traffic on one side to allow the bigger vehicles like RV's and tour buses to travel in the center of the tunnel. The immediate east side of Zion National Park and Mount Carmel Junction are a tourist stops with a population close to zero. One-mile north is the small town of Mount Carmel which is mostly a farming community. Another four miles is Orderville. This is the town with the population. It has an elemantary school and a high school. In 7th grade kids are sent to high school. Another mile past Orderville is Glendale which is where an entrance to the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is.
