Congrats on the Z8, its a serious piece of kit but you gotta be careful with lens choice or you wont maximize that high-res sensor. Zion is all about scale and verticality, so wide is usually the way to go or you will find yourself constantly hitting a wall, literally. I would suggest looking into these specifically:

• Nikon NIKKOR Z 17-28mm f/2.8 is probably your best bet under a grand. Its light for hiking and fast enough if you want to try some astro at night. Just be careful with the build quality since its not an S-line lens, so dont go banging it against the canyon walls.
• Make sure to check out the Nikon NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S if you care more about raw sharpness. Zion has tons of fine detail in the sandstone and this prime will outshine most zooms, tho you lose the flexibility of zooming.
• You might want to consider the Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR if you dont want to swap lenses in the dust. Zion is incredibly sandy and changing glass near the river is a recipe for a dirty sensor. Tbh, whatever you get, make sure you have a solid circular polarizer like the Hoya 67mm NXT Plus Circular Polarizer. Without it, the glare off the leaves and rocks in the Virgin River will wash out all that beautiful color. Just be careful with the Z8 weight... its a heavy body and you need a real tripod or the whole thing is gonna tip over in the wind.

Ive spent years testing glass for high-res sensors like yours. Honestly, skip the cheap zooms if you want the absolute best resolution and grab the Nikon NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S. Its right under $1000 and the MTF charts are basically a flat line. In my experience, that 20mm field of view is the sweet spot for those massive vertical walls without losing any corner sharpness.

^ This. Also, coming back to this thread because I remember my first trip to Zion with my Z gear and honestly, I was blown away by how much I used a zoom rather than a prime! I used to be a prime snob but for landscapes like that, flexibility is king. I spent a whole morning at the Watchman and realized I needed to reach way further than I thought to get the framing right.

• Nikon NIKKOR Z 17-28mm f/2.8 is amazing for those ultra-wide canyon floor shots.
• Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S is basically the gold standard for a one lens trip and fits your budget if you find a sale. Youll want to grab a solid tripod too because those morning shadows are deep! I learned the hard way that the Z8 shows every tiny shake if you arent careful... ngl it was a painful lesson to see my shots blurry on the big screen later. Have so much fun, that park is magic!