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 Riverside Walk leads to the Zion Narrows, one of the "best hikes in Utah." Be ready to get wet, the river is the trail.
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.
Riverside Walk
Once this trail was called Gateway to the Narrows, but now the popular name is Riverside Walk. This 2 mile round trip hike begins at the farthest end of Zion Canyon, the Temple of Sinawava. This well traveled path ends where the world renowned Zion Narrows Trail begins. The hike is a walk on a paved path with little change in elevation. The ease and beauty of this hike is the reason for its popularity.
Riverside Walk at a Glance
Photo Album: Riverside Walk Pictures
Trail Map: Riverside Walk Map
Map: Zion National Park Map
Day Hike: Yes Trail Distance: 2 miles round trip Average Hiking Time: 1.5 hour round trip Accessible Trail: Yes Trail Usage: Heavy Difficulty: Easy Sun Exposure: Shaded along most of the path. Permits: Not required. Trail Conditions: This paved trail is well maintained, but still it often gets covered with sand, making it harder to push a stroller or wheelchair. Trailhead: Temple of Sinawava Trailend: Same as trailhead Trail Access: The best season to hike this trail is from March to October. The trail does close at times in the winter due to icy conditions. From early April to early November park at the Zion Canyon Visitors Center and ride the Zion Canyon Shuttle. The rest of the year drive into Zion Canyon and park at the very last stop at the end of the road. Off the Beaten Path: No, this is one of the most popular trails in the park. Classic Zion Hike: Yes. Elevation Gain: 57' Restrooms: Temple of Sinawava Water Availability: Water bottles can be filled at the drinking fountain at the Temple of Sinawava.
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. Get on the Zion Canyon Shuttle to hike the trail on this page.
Riverside Walk
Trailside exhibits are located along the path that describe the plants and the microhabitats present along the riparian habitat. The strip of land between the monstrous cliffs and the Virgin River give life to a variety of plants and animals. The hanging gardens and the desert swamps are smaller zones where conditions allow certain animals and plants to thrive. The Zion Snail is endemic to the hanging gardens in the park and the tiny creature is not found anywhere in the world except Zion. There is a charming pond along the path where canyon tree frogs are often seen and heard. Other common wildlife along this trail includes the rock squirrel and the mule deer. Allow 1.5 hours to complete the loop to the start of the Zion Narrows and back to the Riverside Walk trailhead.
Trail History
The trail was made in 1925, but was realigned in 1929. This is a self guided trail with information kiosks along the path. Notice the desert swamps, the hanging gardens and seepage areas. These microhabitats provide homes for the tiger salamander, the canyon tree frog, the Zion Snail and many other interesting creatures.
Best Trail Features
The towering monoliths surrounding this hike make it special as well as a sneak peak at the most famous trail in Utah, the Zion Narrows. The added bonus is the Virgin River flowing alongside the walking path and the lush vegetation seen throughout the hike.
Options:
Zion Narrows - If you plan to continue past the Riverside walk to the Zion Narrows (a route where the Virgin River is the trail) be sure to check weather and flood conditions. Call the Zion Canyon Visitor Center or check the weather report posted at the visitor center.
The face of the water, in time, became a wonderful book - a book that was a dead language to the uneducated passenger, but which told its mind to me without reserve, delivering its most cherished secrets as clearly as it if uttered them with a voice. And it was not a book to be read once and thrown aside, for it had a new story to tell every day
