Home | Categories | National Parks | Hotels | Site Map | Photographs | QTVR | Whats New? | More... UTAH Index | Introduction | Photographs | QTVR | Driving Distances | Map | Weather | Hotels Canyon Overlook Trail, Zion National Park Sites in Utah NPS Units Arches Bryce Canyon Canyonlands Capitol Reef Cedar Breaks Dinosaur Glen Canyon Hovenweep Natural Bridges Zion Other Places Dead Horse Point Flaming Gorge Goblin Valley Grand Staircase Kodachrome Basin Monument Valley Mount Timpanogos Red Canyon Snow Canyon More Locations... Canyon Rims RA Coral Pink Sand Dunes Dark Canyon Dixie National Forest Escalante SP Goosenecks SP Little Sahara Mexican Hat Paria Rimrocks Salt Lake Desert San Rafael Swell Utah Site Map Site Search Enter your search terms this site all the web Submit search form Zion National Park > The Southeast > Canyon Overlook Trail The Great Arch is a huge arch-shaped cavity in the sandstone cliffs on the south-facing side of The East Temple, one of the mountains that tower over the Pine Creek fork of Zion Canyon. The road through this part of the canyon, approaching the west entrance to the Zion-Mt Carmel tunnel passes beneath the arch, while an alternative view awaits those who walk the one mile Canyon Overlook Trail, which starts just outside the east entrance to the tunnel. The path leads to the most easily accessible high elevation viewpoint in the national park - this faces an impressive vista of red cliffs topped by whitish domes and plateaux, while 700 feet underneath the park road twists and turns along the valley floor. Start of the Trail: The path starts with a short flight of steps cut into the rock face at roadside, opposite a parking area near the tunnel entrance. The first half mile is mostly up and along the side of a cliff; across a bridge at one point, through one huge overhang and past a cool side-ravine. Below, the canyon tapers to a thin crevice - the Pine Creek narrows, where the rock walls become only a few meters apart but still hundreds of feet deep. The Viewpoint: The second half of the Canyon Overlook Trail crosses more level, rockier land. The viewpoint at the end is right at the edge of a vertical cliff, fenced off for safety. The round trip is easy, with only a 100 foot elevation gain to the overlook and should take less than one hour. A brochure available at the trailhead describes 20 points of botanical and geological interest along the route, such as a natural water seep from the boundary between two rock strata, around which a variety of wildflowers grow. Canyon Overlook Cliff face along the trail Back to Top Arizona | California | Colorado | Nevada | New Mexico | Texas | Utah | Wyoming | Slot Canyons | Travelogue | SOUTHWEST

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