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Zion National Park
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The Ultimate Southwest Vacation includes Zion National Park, Utah!

Stay in Mount Carmel Junction, the heart of the parks, and visit the treasures of the Southwest.

Zion Park 12 miles
Grand Staircase 9 miles
Sand Dunes 11 miles
Dixie Forest 22 miles
Cedar Breaks 45 miles
Red Canyon 47 miles
Coyote Butte 57 miles
Bryce Canyon 60 miles
North Rim 85 miles
Toroweap 90 miles

In these pages you will find insiders information on Zion National Park lodging, adventures and hikes. This detailed guide includes road maps, park maps, pictures, trail beta, backpacking, history, fees, geology, flora, fauna, campgrounds, things for kids to do and even information on Zion's hidden treasures.

Making summer memories in the Utah National Parks and National Monuments.

Utah!

Zion National Park Map

Directions to Zion National Park
From Salt Lake City: Travel I-15 south, past Beaver. Exit on Hwy 20. Follow US-89 to Mount Carmel Junction. Take U-9 to Zion's east entrance.
From Arizona: Travel 89A through Fredonia, Arizona and Kanab Utah. Follow US-89 to to Mount Carmel Junction. Take U-9 to the east park entrance.
From Las Vegas: Travel I-15 north. Take exit 16 and travel through Hurricane. Make a right on U-9 at the second traffic light in LaVerkin. Continue on U-9 to the south entrance of the park. U-9 through Zion National Park is always open and is also called the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway.

Oversized Vehicle Information
Zion Canyon Shuttle Information

The narrows section in Mineral Gulch is spectacular.

GPS Coordinates
WGS84 Datum

Meadow Creek Parking
37°15.674 N
112°47.141 W

Mineral Gulch Parking
37°13.995 N
112°44.136 W

Twin Arches in Meadow Creek
37°13.364 N
112°47.175 W

Caves and petroglyphs in Mineral Gulch
37°10.680 N
112°47.629 W

Beta: Coordinates and other trail and canyoneering information by Zion Park search and rescue veteran team member Bo Beck and www.zionnational-park.com author Tanya Milligan.

To post trip reports, offer corrections, updates, or for more information please visit the Zion National Park Forum

Suggested Gear: A sturdy pair of shoes are recommend to hike the trails in Zion National Park. Many quality shoes will help grip the rocks and prevent injury. Experienced Zion hikers and canyoneers like the La Sportiva Exum Ridge. This shoe is great for hiking, bouldering and canyoneering.

Meadow Creek to Mineral Gulch

Meadow Creek and Mineral Gulch offer the hiker a variety of terrain, natural features and archaeological viewing with the feeling of total isolation. Most of the hiking is done on BLM land, however some private property is crossed during this hike. Please be respectful and remove any trash found and leave only footprints. The hiking is mostly easy wash walking, however there may be steep scrambling involved depending on the course taken. The easiest route is to drop into Meadow Creek from Highway 9 (not where Meadow Creek passes under Highway 9, but just to the west), and bypassing the two waterfalls downstream.  A secondary option is to park at Mineral Gulch where it passes under Highway 9, entering private property and skirting on the southeastern rim until a weakness allows entry into Mineral Gulch several miles downstream. Total hiking distance for either route to the petroglyphs, near the East Fork of the Virgin River, and back is 14 to 16 miles. The Meadow Creek out and back is 16 miles (add 3 miles for the side trip to 7 Arch). After hiking Meadow Creek to Mineral Gulch and the caves and petroglyphs an optional exit up 7 Arch Canyon and out to the Mineral Gulch parking area can be done. This would shorten the 16 mile hike trip by 2 miles, however this would require a car spot.

Photo Album: Pictures
Trail Maps: Mineral Gulch - Meadow Creek Map
Day Hike: Yes, but it's rushed and might be impossible during the times of year that dark falls early.  This would make a nice backpack.
Distance: 16-19 miles round trip.
Average Hiking Time: 8-12 hours
Equipment: rope.
Canyon Rating: IA.
Difficulty: Strenuous hiking due to the length, but this route is lacking significant changes in elevation.
Permits: Not required since this route is outside the park boundaries. Check the weather report before hiking this trail. Do not hike if it looks like rain
Trailhead: Between Zion's east entrance
and Mt. Carmel Jct.
Trailend: Same as trailhead.
Descent/Ascent: 1100'
Trail access: Highway 9 is open year-round. If it's dry this is a good cold weather hike, but once the ground gets wet from snow it's a slippery mess. This deters most hikers in the winter months.
Off the Beaten Path: Yes
Best Season: There is water in Meadow Creek making summer hiking more tolerable. The best time to hike however is probably early fall.

Trailhead - Drive approximately 5.8 miles east from the east entrance booth of Zion National Park, or 7.3 miles to the west of Mt. Carmel Junction on SR-9. Look for a faint dirt road that leaves the highway to the south. Follow this dirt road for .25 miles as it steers onto the remnants of the original and broken pavement of Highway 9. Park your vehicle and walk south down the pinion and juniper blanketed ridge. Don't be lured into the depths of the several deepening washes, but rather stay on the fingers and you will find easier travel into the bottom of Meadow Creek.

Meadow Creek - Once in Meadow Creek, turn downstream as the travel is in a mostly open wash that deepens the further south you travel. After about a mile of hiking a 25' high waterfall is encountered. If a 50' rope is tied onto a pine tree on the left bank it can be used as a handline to easily downclimb this stepped waterfall. If no rope is available, hike left onto the ridge, and traverse until a weakness is found into the bottom. It is loose shale and could be difficult downclimbing for some. Continue downstream for another half mile and another waterfall will be encountered. Hike right and pass under an old barbed wire fence then traverse 100 yards to a descent back into the creek. Now the travel will be in the creek bottom for the next 5.5 miles without any formidable obstacles. Be sure to look high on the left to catch a glimpse of an arch perched high on the ridge and just below it at ground level another arch is passed.

Mineral Gulch - The confluence with Mineral Gulch is quite evident as it enters from the left. Follow Mineral Gulch downstream and after a mile or so the walls close in and present some stunning Slot Canyon hiking. At 7 miles into the hike look for a cave on the left, just above the canyon floor. Along the ledge are several caves that may have been used as shelter by ancient civilizations and just across the wash and slightly upstream are some nice petroglyphs.

Parunuweap - If energy levels are high, it's less than a half-mile downstream to the Mineral Gulch and the East Fork of the Virgin River confluence. This is Parunuweap. Remember that the hike out is still ahead so watch your time.

Seven Canyon - On the hike out if time and energy permits, just a short distance up "Mineral Gulch" from the confluence with "Meadow Creek" is another canyon called Seven Canyon, which enters from the left. It was given it's name because the arch itself looks like the number "7". A short hike up this canyon displays some faded petroglyphs which are located on the left, under a large blind arch. Further up this canyon (.75 miles) and at its abrupt ending at a headwall is the Seven Arch.

Exit - If a vehicle has been left at the Mineral Gulch parking area, it is possible to scramble up a ramp just before the headwall and then from the top follow a wash (right hand wash) until it meets a road and follow it back to where the dirt road intersects with Highway 9, just a short distance west of the parking area. If this choice is made, don't leave ropes at the waterfalls in Meadow Creek. If you choose to hike back out the way entered, leave in time that you have plenty of daylight as the exit up the hillside to the vehicle can be easily missed.

We do not recommend the hike down the eastern rim of Mineral Gulch as it crosses private lands and the ramp into Mineral Gulch is steep and exposed in places.

Options to explore in the area:

Parunuweap - Includes Fat Man's Misery and exits at the Powell plaque.

Parunuweap, but avoids the technical canyoneering section of Fat Man's Misery.

Parunuweap with an exit at Elephant Butte.

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Zion National Park

Zion National Park - UTAH!

Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife are in fact plans to protect man. -- Stewart Udall   Photo: Pine Creek Waterfall © Photography by Tanya

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