The Zion – Mount Carmel Highway was proposed by the Utah Parks Company, which managed tourist concessions in Zion National Park, as a means to link Zion with Grand Canyon National Park and other attractions in northern Arizona. The road runs from the entrance to Zion eastward to Mount Carmel Junction with US 89 as a portion of Utah State Route 9. The road became part of a loop tour of Zion, Bryce Canyon, Cedar Breaks and the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.