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.
The East Rim Trail is often considered one of the "best hikes in Utah." This trail begins at the east entrance of Zion National Park, just off the Zion-Mt. Carmel Hwy, and ends in Zion Canyon. The photo shows the Echo Canyon walkway. Middle Echo Canyon is a fun slot canyon hike with a few obstacles to climb over. Often the slot is filled with water adding to the difficulty of the hike.
East Mesa
Drive instead of hike to Observation Point. This East Zion Trail is a shortcut to this popular Zion View Point.
Optional side hikes
A half mile past Stave Springs there is a sign directing the way to finish the East Rim Trail and giving the mileage for two options at the top of the mesa:
Cable Mountain 6 mile round trip, with incredible views of the Great White Throne, Angels Landing, Observation Point, and the West Rim of Zion.
Deertrap Mountain 8 mile round trip, with nice views of Mountain of the Sun, the Twin Brothers and the Court of the Patriarchs.
Hidden Canyon This trail is located toward the end of the East Rim/Observation Point trail. From the canyon entrance its .5 miles to the 20' freestanding arch and then it is possible to continue about .6 more miles through the canyon.
Observation Point
This trail
is about 4 miles round trip from the Observation Point//East Rim junction. Marvelous views of Zion Canyon can be seen along much of this this hike as well as at the view point at the end of the trail.
Echo Canyon Going through the slot canyon usually involves getting wet and always requires climbing past obstacles.
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.
East Rim Trail
Some of Zion's greatest landmarks remain in constant view on the downhill trek: Angels Landing, the Organ, Great White Throne and in the distance, Cathedral Mountain. To the left is the huge Cable Mountain and the alcove of Weeping Rock. From the parking lot look up to the top of Cable Mountain for a perspective of the mesa the East Rim Trail descends from.
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 or Zion National Park backpacking guide. A commercial or car shuttle makes this a more enjoyable hike.
East Rim at a Glance
Photo Album: East Rim Pictures Trail Map: East Rim Map Day Hike: Yes, but can also be done as a backpack. Distance: 10 miles/16 km round trip Average Hiking Time: 6 hours from trailhead at the east entrance to the trailend at the Weeping Rock parking lot. Difficulty: strenuous Sun Exposure: Full Sun on most of the hike. Begin this hike early in the morning since the start of the hike is hot and sandy. Bring plenty of water! Permits: Not needed for day hike. If you plan to backpack, an overnight a permit is required. Trail Conditions: Maintained, dirt and rocks the first miles. Paved the last miles. Trail gets muddy in the winter at times due to snow melting. Trailhead: 150 yards west of the east entrance to Zion National Park. Trailend: Weeping Rock parking lot. Trail Access: April to October: For a one way hike park a car at the trailhead near the east entrance of the park or use a commercial shuttle. At the end of the trail catch the Zion Canyon Shuttle at the parking lot back to the Zion Canyon Visitor Center, or Canyon Junction where you are parked. If hiking from November to the first part of April, park the second car at the Weeping Rock parking lot in Zion Canyon, since the shuttles do not run at this time of year. Off the Beaten Path: No Classic Zion Hike: Yes Elevation Gain: 2148'/655m
Moderate steady climb, but steep downhill descent the last 2 miles. Peak: 6500'/1981m Hazards: Long drop-offs along the last part of the trail, but the path is nice and wide for the most part. In the winter it may be icy and dangerous. Water Availability: Stave Springs is an unreliable water source and the water must be treated. During wet years there is a waterfall at Jolly Gulch some of the year. Restrooms: Restrooms are located at the trailhead near the east entrance fee booth and at the trailend at the Weeping Rock parking lot.
East Rim Trail
The sign at the start of the trail says: Weeping Rock 10 miles. This 6 hour, 10 mile/16km trail is spectacular. The East Rim is said to be "one of the most scenic in all of Zion National Park," and is on many lists as the "one of the best hikes in Utah." With all the classic trail competition in Utah, like the Zion Narrows and Angels Landing, that is saying a great deal! This hike begins with a backdoor view of Checkerboard Mesa as it runs along (intermittent) Clear Creek and steadily climbs through a juniper forest and then a ponderosa pine forest. Up on top of the mesa the scenery gets interesting as a spectacular view of Echo Canyon takes center stage. Throughout much of the rest of the hike, the trail drops into Zion Canyon, where some of the most spectacular scenery in the park is seen and towering Zion National Park landmarks steal the show.
East Rim Trailhead
The 10 mile hike starts at the east entrance of Zion National Park (park a vehicle here and another at the Weeping Rock parking lot or at Canyon Junction if the shuttles are running) in a wide open flat area. Watch for the small "trailhead" sign along the Zion-Mt. Carmel Hwy, immediately west of the east entrance booth. From the first section of the hike, the view looking back towards the road frames the geological wonder, Checkerboard Mesa. It's deeply etched crossbedding showcases the White Cliffs. The old wagon road trail (Winder Stock Trail) ascends gradually the next 5 miles/8 km through Junipers, Pinyon Pines, shrubs and some small Ponderosa Pines. Some places are sandy along the trail, but the steady climb to the top of the mesa is moderate trek. The (intermittent) creek bed of Clear Creek and the line where BLM land begins will be to the right.
Jolly Gulch
Jolly Gulch is the first signed area the trail passes and is located 2.8 miles/4.5km into the hike. It's a nice view down into a canyon, but when the water is flowing in Jolly Gulch the waterfall is magnificent. Layered rock is evident along much of this section of the trail.
Stave Spring
Continue the uphill climb to Stave Spring. The spring is not much more than a pipe in the ground during years of drought, but during wet years there are streams flowing about Stave Spring. Look for the remnants (old posts) left over from the logging. This is the 5.7 mile/9.2km mark . Another half mile and there is a sign directing the way to finish the East Rim Trail and giving the mileage for other options at the top of the mesa.
The turnoff to Deertrap and Cable Mountain is just past Stave Spring (5.8 miles/9.3km from the trailhead) and it is signed.
Echo Canyon
With 4.3 miles/6.9km left in the hike, the East Rim Trail begins to flatten. At the top of the mesa the scenery gets impressive as the trail edges the incredible Echo Canyon slot canyon. To the west the immense Cathedral Mountain looms. The view down into Echo Canyon is incredible, with the massive West Temple straight ahead. The slickrock of East Zion is abundant here, where patterns of ancient twisted and uplifted sand dunes steal the show.
A gradual descent will now begin into what must be the most sensational section of Zion National Park. The trail is now a charming, rock lined, narrow path that winds around natures towering obstacles. The East Rim Trail shows off the incomparable magnificence of Zion National Park's geology. Crossbedded sandstone cliffs reveal themselves. Little stacks of rock (cairns) are now all that mark the trail as it meanders over wind swept slickrock slabs. Fossilized sand dunes glitter in the sun. Giant monoliths are in every direction. Scenery does not get much better than this.
East Rim and Observation Point now combine as the East Rim Trail joins with the lower portion of the Observation Point Trail. (elevation 5584'/1702m ) Less than a half mile is the entrance to Echo Canyon and the charming Echo Canyon Walkway.
(The hike to Observation Point from the spur, is a 2 mile/3.22km, steep (strenuous) climb up and downhill hike back down the same way)
Echo Canyon Walkway and Entrance
The walkway allows for a nice close up view of Echo Canyon and leads to the entrance to Middle Echo Canyon. When conditions are dry this is a fun and easy slot canyon to explore.
From the walkway, the trail descends steeply for 1.5 miles/km into Zion Canyon. To the right of the trail is another section of Echo Canyon where a visible water carved slot canyon winds below and during the winter and wet years there is water flowing.
East Rim, Cable Mountain, Deertrap Mountain Backpack
Backpackingoption. Camp at Stave Spring. Day hike to Cable Mountain then back to the Cable Mountain/ Deertrap Mountain junction (not Stave Springs) then to Deertrap Mountain, back to Stave Springs and end at the Weeping Rock parking lot. Total mileage: 20 miles
Trail History: The East Rim Trail follows a Paiute route, the John Winder Trail, to the top of a high mesa. Winder was a Mormon rancher with a goal to link Zion Canyon to the east. in 1923, Winder led surveyors to where the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel was built.
Big Bend
Farther down the trail, the panorama of Zion Canyon and Big Bend takes center stage. This panorama is one of the best views in the entire park. The Virgin River is forced around the Organ and the outline of the Angels Landing Trail is seen from its broad side. The Great White Throne and Cathedral Mountain loom in the background. The extremely steep path continues to switchback, while descending down past the spur to Hidden Canyon and finally to the Weeping Rock parking lot.
Many years ago, I climbed the mountains, even though it is forbidden. Things are not as they teach us; the world is hollow, and I have touched the sky.
