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 Kolob section of the West Rim Trail, as shown above,
is much different than the dramatic monoliths of Zion Canyon on the lower portion
of the West Rim Trail.
West Rim Campsites
Campsite 9 - Saw Mill Spring: 1 mile from Trailhead. Water is
usually available.
Campsite 7 & 8 - Potato Hollow area located about 5 miles from Lava Point.
Water is usually available.
Campsite 4, 5 & 6 are about 7-8 miles from Lava Point and offers nice views
of the West
Canyon.
Campsites 1, 2 & 3 are about 9 miles from Lava Point.
Cabin Spring: Named for a park service cabin that burned down
in the 1970s. The spring is often called West Rim Spring since the cabin burned
down.
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.
West Rim Backpack
Since the trailhead cannot be accessed year-round due to snow, hikers often begin and double back to the Grotto. The traditional West Rim backpack begins in the Kolob Terrace section of Zion National Park, at Lava Point. The trail will end in Zion Canyon across the road from the Grotto picnic area.
West Rim Backpack at a Glance
Photo Album: West
Rim pictures
Trail Map: West Rim Map
Day Hike: Long day hike or a nice backpack. Day Hike Option: Grotto to Cabin Springs Trail Distance: 14.4 miles/23.17km Average Hiking Time: 10 hours Permit: Permits are not
needed for a day hike, but are needed for an overnight backpack. Trail Usage: Heavy
Difficulty: Strenuous, but its a maintained trail. Sun Exposure: Full Sun most of the way, with shade in Little
Siberia and Refrigerator Canyon. Trail Conditions: Well maintained. November to May a
narrow upper section of the trail called "Little Siberia" is usually
snow packed and dangerous and Lava Point is usually inaccessible in the winter.
Trailhead: Lava Point - Kolob Trailend: Grotto Picnic area - Zion Canyon Trail access: The Kolob Terrace Road closes after
heavy snow in the winter. Best Season: Mid-May after the snow clears from Lava
Point and late spring when its cooler and the days are still long. November
to May there may be snow and ice past Refrigerator Canyon and at Lava Point.
The snow is usually heavy in Little Siberia even if you can get past Refrigerator
Canyon.
Off the Beaten Path: No Classic Zion Hike: Yes Elevation Loss: 3140'/957m
Starting Elevation: 7460'/2274m
Ending Elevation: 4320'/1317m Restrooms: Scout Lookout (but lately they have been closed) at the Angels Landing junction
and at the Grotto Picnic area. Water: Usually available at Potato Hollow, Saw Mill Springs the West
Rim Spring (Cabin Spring), but filter all water. Check
at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center to see if the springs are flowing at the time of your planned hike.
Lava Point: The trail begins by a meander through Horse Pasture
Plateau. The hard dirt packed trail is lined with flora and a lush forest is
seen in all directions. Ponderosa Pine fill the senses gradually replaced by
juniper and pinon pines as altitude is lost throughout the first six miles of
the hike. Coming out of the forested section are nice views of the South and
North Guardian Angel, as well as Das Boot to Zion's Subway.
Potato Hollow: 4.8 miles/7.72km - This is a grassy clearing
that is often host of a watering hole used by wildlife.
Great West Canyon: Mountain scenery bursts
into view as the trail rims Phantom Valley and Heaps Canyon. Note the grass
covered inclined Temple and nearby Ivins Mountain. 7200'/2195m
Trail Junction: 6.4 miles/10.3km - (About 3 hours hiking)
Choose here to take Telephone Canyon, a densely forested route or the more open
and spectacular West Rim Trail. 7280'/2219m
Cabin Spring: 9.25 miles/14.9m - Cabin
Spring is just a little mud hole, but it does offer drinking water. The water
seeps up from the ground and must be filtered. The spring is also called West
Rim Spring.
Switchbacks: The
trail continues down on two long switchbacks hugging
the tall sandstone wall. The head of the slot canyon, Behunin Canyon is seen on the
left. Note the views of Mystery Canyon along the way.
Little Siberia and Mount Majestic: Little Siberia is an open
valley that gradually ascends into a small canyon north of Mount Majestic and
eventually reaches the saddle between the West Rim and Mount
Majestic. The saddle separates Little Siberia to the east and Behunin Canyon to
the west. The dense vegetation that thrives in this cool valley includes bigtooth
maple, Douglas fir, spruce and gambel oak. In the winter this
part of the trail may be impassible even with crampons.
Past the bridge, up the rise at 11 mile/17.7km mark - 6 hours is the average
hiking time for this point and its now all down hill to the trails end.
Cathedral Mountain: As you continue south over the slickrock
toward Scout Lookout, Cathedral Mountain will be on your right.
Scout
Lookout: 12.4 miles/20km - This is the saddle at the junction of
the Angels Landing Trail and the West Rim Trail. The views of Zion Canyon here
are impressive. Several climbing routes can be viewed from this vantage point.
The West Rim Trail bypasses the Angels
Landing spur. It's a treat to take the half mile trail out to the point and see
the view of Zion Canyon from Angels
Landing.
Walter's Wiggles: Squiggle the wiggles,
as they descend the steep twenty-one sharp switchbacks from Scout Lookout.
Refrigerator Canyon: This is the part of the trail where
hikers get a slight reprieve from the constant, steep grade of the West Rim Trail
and the heat of the full sun. Towering canyon walls shade and cool the trail
in this section.
West Rim Trail
The lower
section of the West Rim Trail descends a series of switchbacks that hug the
side of a sun baked mountain.
Trailend: The hike ends at the trailhead for Angels Landing
and the Kayenta Trail. Across the road is the Grotto Picnic area. Most of the
year the Zion Canyon shuttle is running so you can hop on and ride the shuttle
out of the canyon to pick up your vehicle. Two vehicles are needed for this hike.
To waste, to destroy, our natural resources, to skin and exhaust the land
instead of using it so as to increase it's usefulness, will result in undermining
in the days of our children the very prosperity which we ought by right to hand
down to them amplified and developed.
