Harrisburg Junction to Zion National Park SR-9 begins at I-15, Exit 16, at
Harrisburg Junction, just north of
Washington. Immediately upon exiting I-15, SR-9 enters the Coral Canyon Development, which features an 18-hole golf course. Coral Canyon is split by the city boundaries of
Hurricane and
Washington. Upon leaving this development, SR-9 passes through two ridges and begins its descent into the aptly named Purgatory Flats, home of the County Fairgrounds and a penitentiary. The 'flats' are a relatively level area between two sharply defined ridges.
Quail Creek State Park lies about a mile to the north of the road between these two ridges. Upon passing through the second ridge, SR-9 crosses the
Virgin River and climbs a small plateau to the region of
Hurricane known as Brentwood. The road descends from this plateau into downtown
Hurricane, where
SR-59 splits to the south toward the Arizona border. SR-9 then swings north towards the town of
La Verkin, crossing an old bridge over the La Verkin River Ravine, before entering that town. In
La Verkin,
SR-17 takes off to the north, where it meets back up with
I-15. After leaving La Verkin, SR-9 heads uphill and passes several
mesas before eventually going through the small towns of
Virgin,
Rockville, and
Springdale.
Zion National Park to Mount Carmel Junction, Utah This scenic section of SR-9 twists and turns along through
Zion National Park and then another 12 miles to
Mount Carmel Junction. This section of the road is called the
Zion-Mount Carmel Highway and the section through the park is effectively a toll road requiring park access fees. The highway begins on the south side of
Zion National Park following along the North Fork of the Virgin River. The road then turns at the junction of Pine Creek and the North Fork of the Virgin River and continues up Pine Creek Canyon, up the switchbacks and into the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel. On the east side of the tunnel the highway continues through impressive scenery, past the Canyon Overlook Trailhead, the East Rim Trailhead and the unique Zion landmark,
Checkerboard Mesa. Finally the road exits the park through the east entrance and later ends at the junction of SR-9 and
US-89 in Mount Carmel Junction. ==History==