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
Plan your Zion National Park Vacation with our Utah Maps and
Information
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.
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.
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.
Zion's east side is dominated by nameless domes, hoodoos and valleys. Works of art, patiently provided by natures insurmountable havoc. In its wake, it turned lofty piles of sand into a magnificent gallery of textured slickrock. Water-filled potholes, twisted rock and alabaster stone dot the arid landscape. The signature landmark on the east side of the park is the vertically and horizontally striated Checkerboard Mesa.
Checkerboard Arch at a Glance
Photo Album: Checkerboard Arch Pictures
Map: Checkerboard Arch Map
Day Hike: Yes Distance: 4 miles Average hiking time: 5 hours Equipment: USGS 7.5 Minute Topographic Map "The Barracks" At least 3 quarts of water per person, Clothing appropriate for the weather, emergency medical supplies, and emergency equipment. Difficulty: Moderate. Route finding skills required. Sun Exposure: Full sun in most places Permits: Not needed Trail Conditions: Unmaintained route, rather than an actual trail. The path goes through a wash and along slickrock to an arch in Zion's backcountry. Trailhead: The second pullout headed south, past the main Checkerboard Mesa Parking Trailend: Same as trailhead. Trail Access: Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway is open year-round Starting Elevation: 5530' Highest Point: (Saddle) 6100'
Checkerboard Arch Viewpoint: 5800' Off the Beaten Path: Yes Classic Zion Hike: No Best Season: Year-round Restrooms: Across the highway from the east entrance station, but they are usually closed in the winter. Water: No reliable water source.
See our vacation planning section for classic Zion National Park trails or glance at our favorite Zion National Park trails list or choose from a complete Zion National Park hiking guide. Don't get on the Zion Canyon Shuttle to hike the trail on this page.
Checkerboard Arch
The path to Checkerboard Arch has a little bit of everything including: slickrock scrambling, bushwhacking, route finding, soft sand hiking and arches. Blind arches, as seen along the trail, are common on the east side of Zion, but there are only a dozen or so freestanding arches in the park. Beauty abounds along the trek with Checkerboard Mesa to the east, "Quilt Mountain" to the west and expansive vistas above Parunuweap Canyon emerge ahead.
Park at the second pullout which is located just southwest of the main Checkerboard Mesa viewpoint. Cross the highway, to the south, and look for the path of use along the narrow drainage.
Follow the drainage that is west of Checkerboard Mesa and east of "Quilt Mountain". (The locals call the unnamed mountain to the west of Checkerboard Mesa, "Quilt Mountain.") There are actually two drainages, however the drainage closer to "Quilt Mountain" affords easiest travel. This is not a maintained trail so be prepared to climb obstacles such as fallen trees. Follow the wash until the beaten dirt path becomes obvious on the left. The trail will cross the drainage several times, but it is generally easy to find on either side of the wash. Travel directly in the water course when possible to prevent soil erosion. The trail gets steep at the one-mile mark where the head of the canyon is approached. The short climb (.35 miles) ends at a saddle (6100'). Looking to the south yields a magnificent view of the plateau above Parunuweap. Leave the saddle, hiking to the south, headed down hill. It's about .35 miles and 150' vertically to the bottom and into the wash below.
From the wash, turn to the east (left), and look for the beaten path. (Going straight is the approach to Fat Man's Misery and Parunuweap Canyon) Continue walking in an easterly direction for a short time, hugging the southern tip of Checkerboard Mesa. While rounding the tip and looking east and north, three mountains will come into view. The center mountain is topped with juniper trees. We will call this unnamed mountain "6273," since this is how it is identified on some USGS 7.5 minute topographic maps. The large freestanding arch is on the left edge (west) of this mountain. Continue toward the arch, going up and over the saddle. Cross the main wash between Checkerboard Mesa and "6273" for a close up view of Checkerboard Arch.
Return the same way hiked in or take the (more difficult) optional exit.
Exit Option
For hikers that want to loop rather than double back there is an option, but it's not an easy path to take. Continue north up the drainage between Checkerboard Mesa and Checkerboard Arch. Most of the route is steep, with a slippery downhill descent on the north side of the saddle. Bushwhacking could be a problem except in the winter. This alternate exit is 2 miles long (same distance as primary exit). Using this route to begin the hike would allow an early view of the arch.
The History
Checkerboard Arch was spotted along a hike to Parunuweap Canyon and is now called Checkerboard Arch by the locals. Even though the arch does not sit on Checkerboard Mesa, the route runs along both sides of the famous Zion landmark.
Best Trail Features Trail access without getting on the Zion Canyon Shuttle. A remote hike, showcasing some of the unique beauty of Zion's east side and of course a look at one of the rare freestanding arches in Zion National Park.
Note: The main route to Checkerboard Arch is also part of one entrance to the magnificent Parunuweap Canyon route that leads through Fat Man's Misery and to the East Fork of the Virgin River.
What is the difference between a free standing arch and a blind arch?
A blind arch is an indentation in the side of rock that was formed by jointing. Blind arches are common in the park, but few are named. The Great Arch on the north side of the tunnel and Red Arch Mountain by the Zion Lodge are two exceptions.
A natural arch is formed when natural forces cause rock to fall creating a natural or freestanding arch. The Kolob Arch in Zion is one of the world's largest natural arches, with a span of unsupported rock measuring 294'.
There are a few other natural arches in Zion National Park including Bridge Mountain Arch which can be seen at a distance from the Par'us Trail or the Zion Human History Museum. A natural arch on the floor of the canyon is also found along the Hidden Canyon Trail (and another high in the canyon few get to ever see) and a unique jug arch is found at the end of the Hidden Arch Trail. For those that venture into Zion's slot canyons there is an arch in the Subway (look up in the chamber where the log rests and another that can be swam through) and there is a unique arch in Fat Man's Misery along the Parunuweap Canyon Route.
my hands open. I want to look down into a canyon dusted in white With birch trees rising among the pine Like plumed arrows shot from the ridge. I want to live on the river and hear ice coming. I want to slow into the hollows of logs, smell The cold woods, bark and glacier. I want to hear Storms shake sound from the sky, let it boom around me! I want to hear the trees speak of snow While I stand in my doorway, listening.
--Nancy CheeryI
