As winter weather sets in, national parks across the U.S. are shifting gears. For many national parks, that means winding things down as visitation dips and weather limit access to certain parts of the park.

In Zion National Park, Utah , the end of the busy season means the beginning of a unique, limited-time opportunity for visitors. From now through February, visitors can drive their own vehicles into Zion Canyon .

For nine months of the year, Zion Canyon is closed to private vehicles, except those staying at the Zion Lodge. Instead, visitors must use the free shuttle service, known as the Zion Shuttle, which was created by Zion National Park and the Zion Forever Project, the same nonprofit group that kept the park funded through the government shutdown .

With the Zion Shuttle o

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