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.
GPS coordinates are only references and may or may not be accurate. Do not rely on GPS coordinates as the sole method of navigation. Always have an accurate, detailed map at hand and have the proper map reading and navigation skills before setting out on any hike. Many of the hikes listed in this guide travel into canyons where a GPS has limited capabilities. Always check your position with a detailed map before dropping into a canyon.
Zion National Park Trails with
Natural Arches along the path:
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.
Hidden Arch
The hike to Hidden Arch is just over a mile to do a round trip. It's located on the east side of Zion National Park, near the impressive park landmark, Checkerboard Mesa. The trail travels through a wash and over slickrock to a jug arch, and then returns back on the same route to the Checkerboard Mesa parking lot. Please stay on the beaten path to avoid damage to the environment.
Hidden Arch at a Glance
Photo Album: Hidden
Arch Pictures Topo Map: Hidden
Arch Topo Map Map: Zion
Backcountry Map Day Hike:
Yes Trail Distance: 1.2 miles round trip. Average Hiking Time: 2 hours round trip. Equipment: At least 2 quarts of water per person, comfortable,
sticky rubber hiking shoes, energy food, clothing appropriate for the weather,
first aid and emergency gear. Difficulty: Moderate because it's an off trail route, but the hiking is not exerting. Route finding skills required. Sun Exposure: Full sun in most places. This is a hot
trail when hiking in the summer, but its nice early or late in the day. Permits:
Not required. Trail Conditions: This is a usually dry, sandy, rocky wash with intermittent
sections of slickrock scrambling. It can be muddy if its been wet. Trailhead: Checkerboard Mesa parking lot. Located just
southwest of the east entrance to the park. Trailend: Same as trailhead. Trail Access: The trail begins just off Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway , which is open year-round, 24 hours a day, allowing access to this trail. Starting Elevation: 5700' Highest Elevation: 5900' Elevation Gain: 200' Classic Zion Hike: No Off the Beaten Path: Yes Best Season: This is a year-round hike, but take care not to hike in
the hottest hours of a summer day. Water availability: None along the route. This hike is in full sun,
do not go without plenty of water. Restrooms: Vault Toilets are located, off the road,
by the east toll booth.
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.
Hidden Arch
Drive to the east side of Zion and park at the Checkerboard Mesa parking lot.
The lot is just south of the east park entrance. The
trail begins at the far northeast corner of the rock wall.
Look over the end of the wall to locate the path of use. Follow the sandy trail
down into the usually dry waterway. Once in the creek bed, turn left (downstream).
Shortly, the creek-bed will split. Take the fork on the right (not the fork that
parallels the road).
Hidden Arch Beta
Important: To keep trails like this open, please stay in the
water course, when possible. This prevents soil erosion, stops social trails
and keeps cryptobiotic soil from being damaged.
Walk up the creek bed for .3 mile until the dry stream bed turns northeasterly.
A low angle slickrock wash enters from the left. Leave the creek bed and hike
up the slickrock wash toward the mountain on the left, staying in the water
course. After approximately .25 mile the path gets a little more difficult to
follow. Leave the shallow wash and steer left toward the ridge top. There is
some minor scrambling over the slickrock. Walk to the top of the hill and hike
to the fallen tree. From that point examine the mountain to the right. The arch
is high at the top and angled so it is not easy to see at first.
Exit Return back on the same path, staying on the trail.
This area has *crytobiotic soil that is easily damaged by straying off the trail.
Hidden Arch Although Hidden Arch can be seen from Zion-Mt. Carmel highway, it was not discovered until a Zion National Park Ranger,
Ron Kay, found it in 1998. Ron Kay is a seasonal ranger at the park and teaches
at the Zion Field Institute.
Best Trail features: The east side of Zion is characterized
by slickrock and hoodoos with a few natural arches among its treasures. This arch is one of the two jug arches in the park. From the arch, the views of the east
side of the park are spectacular.
*Cryptobiotic soil is one of the oldest living forms of
life. If damaged it can take several decades to repair itself. The crusty ground
cover is made up of mostly cyanobacteria. Algae, lichens, moss, bacteria
and microfungi are also involved in the makeup. Long ago these were responsible
for changing the earths original atmosphere - one that is filled with life sustaining
oxygen
