Zion Canyon
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Zion Canyon
Many Zion National Park trails are located in Zion Canyon. The canyon is spectacular and is a must visit area. Angels Landing vies with the Zion Narrows for title of the most incredible trail in Zion. Angels Landing with its thin rock fin of a trail challenges hikers and rewards them at the end with a 360 degree view of Zion Canyon. The Zion Narrows is no less adventurous. Hikers begin at the east rim of the park and make their way into Zion Canyon. The Zion Narrows however can be explored from the bottom, at the end of the Riverside Walk Trail. This makes it a hike that most can accomplish. Simply wade into the water at the end of the Riverside Walk Trail and hike, wade, swim as far upstream as you desire, then turn around. The scenery around both trails is unbelievable!
Zion National Park Lodging
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Plan your trip with our "Canyon Country"
Vacation Itinerary
For the trails on this page, plan to ride the Zion Canyon Shuttle, from mid-March to late October. The rest of the year the canyon road can be traveled in your private vehicle.
Weeping Rock - .5 miles round trip: A short and beautiful, must do hike to a charming alcove decorated with an abundance of healthy green moss and delicate maiden hair fern. Water seeps down through Navajo sandstone, dripping into the alcove, making a hot summer's day delightfully cool. The trip up the trail is marked with interpretive signs pointing out the large variety of flora along the short, but steep path. Look and listen for the cliff side springs. The Canyon Grape, with its vines twisted around nearby flora, is common. This hike is probably the most popular hike in the park. The walking path is mostly in the shade so the trail can be done any time of the day.
Emerald Pools - This is one of the more popular, moderate hikes in Zion Canyon. There are four spring-fed pools (Lower, two Middle, Upper). The path is lined with junipers, big tooth maples, gamble oak, canyon grape and box elders. The pools are distinctly different.
Hidden Canyon - 2 miles round trip: This hike is a steep ascent, but the views from halfway up are breathtaking, looking down onto Big Bend, Angels Landing, Cathedral Mountain and the Organ. The trail leads to a small capture of water in the rocks and a hidden canyon. Be sure to find the large arch within the canyon. The drop-offs and path carved into the side of a sandstone cliff makes this hike difficult (even dangerous) for children and exciting for adults.
Sand Bench - 3.6 miles round trip: This is a sandy trail used mostly for horseback rides offered in Zion Canyon. Get off the Zion Canyon Shuttle at the Zion Lodge. Look for the horse corral at the trailhead.
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Zion Canyon Hiking
Riverside Walk - This 2 mile, round-trip, smooth dirt path that runs along the Virgin River, leading to the Zion Narrows, is one of the most popular trails in Zion Canyon. Interpretive signs describe many areas along the trail. The riparian zone supports a variety of microenvironments.
Zion Narrows - It is only 3 miles to the narrowest sections of the Zion Narrows from the Temple of Sinawava, so this trail can be enjoyed without the need of a permit. Much of this hike is through water and is considered one of the best hikes in the National Park System and it is without a doubt the most famous trail in Utah. National Geographic Online Magazine, lists the Zion Narrows as the fifth greatest adventure in the US!
Angels Landing - Angels Landing is a difficult, 5 mile round-trip hike, ascending 1488' to an impressive view of Zion Canyon from the top of the enormous monolith. The first two miles of the trail are considered the West Rim Trail. Along the path is Refrigerator Canyon and the winding switchbacks of Walters Wiggles. The Angels Landing Trail is the last half-mile.
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Zion National Park Vacation: Canyon Country
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 Nature Notes
Weeping Rock ends in a charming alcove with water seeping from above from Echo Canyon, a slot canyon found along the East Rim trail. The floor of Echo Canyon is Kayenta stone. Kayenta is an impermeable shale that does not let the water through. The water follows the paths that are open and penetrates through the porous Navajo Sandstone above Weeping Rock. In the barren dryness of the desert, the constant water seepage gives life to the hanging gardens thriving in the alcove.
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