Below are descriptions of all the maintained trails in Zion National Park, though there are also numerous off-trail routes, mostly along the dozens of deep, narrow canyons for which the park is famous. See the Zion National Park slot canyons listings for a selection of possible hikes.
The Zion National Park map and Zion Canyon map indicate the location of each trail.
|
Trail |
Length
(one way)
(miles) |
Elevation Change (feet) |
Trail Description |
| Angels Landing |
2.5 |
1,500 |
One of the most spectacular trails in any national park, the route to 5,785 foot Angels Landing climbs steeply up the cliffs on the west side of Zion Canyon for a panoramic view over the surrounding landscape. Most of the path is the lower end of the West Rim Trail; the Angels Landing Trail is a 0.5 mile spur to the summit. |
| Cable Mountain |
2.5 |
500 |
The trail to the top of Cable Mountain, a less-visited alternative to Angels Landing and Observation Point for views of Zion Canyon, begins along the East Rim Trail 4.5 miles from its western end at Weeping Rock. The path is an easy traverse of wooded, gently hilly land, ending right at the edge of the sheer cliffs above Echo Canyon and the Virgin River. The total elevation gain if starting from Zion Canyon is 2,500 feet. |
| Canyon Overlook |
0.5 |
160 |
This easy, popular trail offers hikers a grand view down the deep valley of Pine Creek, which joins the Virgin River near the lower end of Zion Canyon. The route is through interesting, rocky scenery, past the upper end of the Pine Creek slot canyon. |
| Chinle |
8 |
600 |
The Chinle Trail is named after the predominant rock layer found along the way - the colorful Chinle Formation, and is also known as the Petrified Wood Trail on account of the small pieces of fossilized logs that may be found. The little used path crosses the low elevation southwest corner of Zion National Park, still in sight of high red and white cliffs to the north though passing across open, flattish land with bushes, cacti and yucca. The start point is along UT 9 south of Springdale, and the path ends besides Coalpits Wash, though continuation hikes up or down the wash are possible. |
Deertrap
Mountain |
2.5 |
500 |
Like Cable Mountain, Deertrap Mountain is a little-visited summit on the east side of Zion Canyon, providing spectacular views over the Virgin River gorge. The summit is reached by first hiking along the East Rim Trail, starting either from the west end (4.5 miles) or the east end (5.5 miles), then a mile along the Cable Mountain Trail, then a final 2.5 miles over more wooded land to the cliff edge. The hike is normally done as a backpacking trip with one night camping along the way. |
| East Mesa |
4 |
1,000 |
The lower end of the East Mesa Trail forms part of the popular route to Observation Point and is also used to reach Mystery Canyon, a mile to the north. Beyond here the path is less used, as it bends eastwards and crosses wooded land, exiting the park and meeting a rough vehicle track that links with the Chamberlain Ranch Road. The other end is along the East Rim Trail in Echo Canyon, from where the path switchbacks up the rocky slopes to a forested mesa then is mostly level. The turn-off for Observation Point is reached after 1.5 miles. |
| East Rim |
10 |
2,600 |
The East Rim Trail is a candidate for the best hiking path in Zion National Park, passing varied scenery of high mountains, narrow canyons, forests and meadows. The east end is along UT 9 next to the east entrance station while the west end is at the Weeping Rock parking area along the scenic drive through Zion Canyon. En route are several junctions, with the Cable Mountain, Observation Point, East Mesa and Hidden Canyon trails. |
| Emerald Pools |
1.5 |
350 |
Another of the more popular paths in Zion Canyon is the route to the upper, middle and lower Emerald Pools - three pretty ponds beneath sheer sandstone cliffs, formed by seasonal streams that flow from Heaps and Behunin canyons high above. Beside the pools, the trail offers nice views up and down the Virgin River Valley, and of the cliffs opposite, including Great White Throne and Red Arch Mountain. There are two separate trails to the ponds, and a third route (the Kayenta Trail) links the pools with the West Rim Trail a short distance north. |
| Grotto |
0.5 |
level |
Running alongside and just east of the park road, the flat Grotto Trail links Zion Lodge with the Grotto picnic area - shuttlebus stops 5 and 6. The route can be used as part of a three mile loop to the Emerald Pools (also using the Kayenta Trail), or just to experience a little of the canyon away from the highway. |
| Hidden Canyon |
1.1 |
800 |
The cool, shady narrows of Hidden Canyon are reached by a short though quite strenuous trail, part of which involves a traverse of a sheer cliff face with the aid of chains. |
| Hop Valley |
7 |
1,000 |
The Hop Valley Trail connects the Kolob Reservoir Road with the La Verkin Trail and hence the Kolob Canyons Road, running through an open, sandy valley with good views of the Kolob Canyons though the immediate surroundings are not that interesting. |
| Kayenta |
1 |
150 |
Starting at the Grotto picnic area, the Kayenta Trail is an alternative route to the Emerald Pools, running alongside the Virgin River for a while then turning away up a side ravine to the middle of the three main ponds. |
| Kolob Arch |
0.6 |
150 |
The short spur path to Kolob Arch begins along the La Verkin Creek Trail - a short walk up a tributary of the creek to a viewpoint beneath the arch, which is one of the largest in the world with a span of 287 feet. The arch is 6.5 miles from the Lee Pass trailhead on the Kolob Canyons road, so can be reached on a day hike. |
|
| La Verkin Creek |
11.5 |
1,200 |
This lengthy backcountry route begins at Lee Pass, about half way along the paved Kolob Canyons Road. It follows the wooded valley of Timber Creek southwards, beneath the towering cliffs that characterize this section of the park, then turns east along the larger drainage of La Verkin Creek. 6.5 miles from the start is the turn-off for the short path to Kolob Arch, then soon after is another junction, with the Hop Valley Trail. The main path, now less used, continues eastwards through a narrowing, overgrown canyon, then up the tributary gorge of Willis Creek as far as the park boundary. Although a trail goes on and eventually meets the Kolob Reservoir, it crosses private land to which access is currently closed. |
| Middle Fork of Taylor Creek |
2.7 |
450 |
This is the main trail in the Kolob Canyons region, in the northwest corner of Zion National Park. The path follows a narrow canyon alongside a small stream, to a curious waterfall and a colorful alcove in the cliffs. |
| Northgate Peaks |
2 |
100 |
The Northgate Peaks are a pair of rounded, smooth-sided summits at the edge of Pine Valley, along the Kolob Reservoir Road. An easy trail crosses the forested valley to a viewpoint between the peaks of cliffs and canyons to the south, including the Left Fork of North Creek. |
| Observation Point |
4 |
2,150 |
The actual Observation Point Trail is only 0.25 miles long - a spur off the East Mesa Trail - though the hike to the viewpoint is a 4 mile trip beginning at Weeping Rock on the floor of Zion Canyon. The first part of the route is the same as for Echo Canyon, followed by an steep ascent above the canyon to the plateau (on the East Mesa Trail), then the short walk west to the 6,508 foot viewpoint. This rivals Angels Landing on the opposite side of the canyon for the best views in the park. |
| Pa'rus |
1.7 |
level |
The paved Pa'rus Trail (built 1995) runs alongside the Virgin River, mostly on the east side, between Zion Canyon Visitor Center and Canyon Junction. The surroundings are grassy meadows with bushes and yucca, surrounded by the high red cliffs of the canyon. Hikers share the path with cyclists, and it is also well suited for wheelchairs. |
| Riverside Walk |
1 |
70 |
Formerly known as the Gateway to the Narrows, this shady, paved path leads northwards from the end of Zion Canyon Drive at Temple of Sinawava, following the east bank of the Virgin River to the point where the water first covers all the canyon floor - the start of the famous Zion Narrows. Many people walk a short distance further upriver though a deep section of the river after a few hundred yards tends to stop most of the casual hikers. |
| Sand Bench |
3.5 (loop) |
500 |
The Sand Bench trail loops around a partly bushy, partly open plateau beneath The Sentinel on the west side of the Virgin River, and offers impressive views of the surrounding cliffs. The trailhead is at the end of a short side road next to Birch Creek and the Court of the Patriarchs. The path is mostly used by horses. |
| Telephone Canyon |
1.8 |
750 |
The far upper end of Telephone Canyon provides a route for a short path that begins and ends at junctions with the West Rim Trail, cutting about a mile off that route though encountering less spectacular scenery - the valley is wooded and distant views are limited. |
| Watchman |
1.4 |
450 |
From the Zion Canyon Visitor Center near Watchman Campground, this path climbs into a small ravine then bends back westwards to a promontory overlooking the Virgin River valley. There is no shade along the path so it can be hot in summer. The viewpoint has excellent views over nearby peaks including Bridge Mountain, the West Temple and the distinctive spire of the Watchman. |
| Weeping Rock |
0.25 |
60 |
Weeping Rock is one of Zion's most photographed places - a curved cliff face that continually seeps water at the junction of two sandstone strata (the Kayenta and Navajo layers), sustaining a curtain of ferns, moss and wildflowers. The short, paved path to the rock begins beside the Zion Canyon Drive, at the same trailhead for Hidden Canyon, Observation Point, Echo Canyon and the East Rim. |
| West Rim |
14.5 |
3,600 |
The longest trail in Zion National Park, this begins in the high country along the Kolob Reservoir Road, beneath 7,890 foot Lava Point. The first few miles are across the fairly level land of Horse Pasture Plateau, through sparse pine forest then more bushy, open ground as the path gradually descends. The views become more spectacular as the trail approaches the rim of the high cliffs above Phantom Valley in the west, which is followed for 2 miles, until a steep descent to a saddle between the upper ends of Behunin and Telephone canyons. The final section is down into Telephone Canyon, on to Refrigerator Canyon, where it passes the spur path to Angels Landing, then to Zion Canyon near the Grotto picnic area. |
| Wildcat Canyon |
8.7 |
1,000 |
The Wildcat Canyon Connector Trail links Lava Point with the Kolob Reservoir Road opposite the trailhead for the path through Hop Valley, so providing an alternative to the road for backpackers crossing the north section of the park. It is also used to reach upper Wildcat Canyon and Russell Gulch, the start of the canyoneering route down North Creek. |
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