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.
One of the two long switchbacks, of the West Rim Trail, that
lead to the plateau where Cabin Spring is found.
West Rim History: The Walter's Wiggles section was named
after the first superintendent of Zion National Park, who in 1924, helped engineer
the twenty-one switchbacks. The West Rim Trail to Scout Lookout was complete
in 1926. Cabin Spring was named for a cabin that burned down in 1970.
Best Trail Features: From Scout Lookout many landmarks of
Zion National Park can be seen including the Virgin River, Big Bend, the Organ,
Cathedral
Mountain, Observation
Point and Cable
Mountain. Past Scout Lookout
is Behunin Canyon and Mystery
Canyon.
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 Trail
This popular trail climbs 2400', past panoramic views, to a small spring on the West Rim Trail. The paved trail ascends a series of switchbacks that hug the side of a sun baked mountain, then wind through the coolness of Refrigerator Canyon. After leaving Refrigerator Canyon the trail climbs the steep twenty-one, man made, switchbacks called Walter's Wiggles. This short switchback trail ascends to Scout Lookout where it bypasses the Angels Landing spur to continue uphill to Cabin Spring (West Rim Spring).
West Rim at a Glance
Photo Album: West
Rim pictures Trail Map: West Rim Map
Day hike: Yes, but this trail is often done as a backpack. Backpack: Backpack
Description Trail Distance: 10 miles Average Hiking Time: 6 hours Permit: Required
if backpacking. Trail Usage: Heavy. Difficulty: Strenuous, but the hiking is on a well maintained
trail. Sun Exposure: Full Sun most of the way with a nice reprieve in shady Little
Siberia and Refrigerator Canyon. Trail Conditions: The West Rim Trail shares
the first part of the trail with the Angels Landing Trail. This is a steep, mostly paved path. November to May a
narrow upper section of the trail called "Little Siberia" is usually
snow packed and dangerous.
Trailhead: Grotto picnic area in Zion Canyon Trailend: Same as the trailhead Trail Access: Year-round, either by the Zion Canyon
Shuttle or private vehicle when the shuttle is not running. Best Season: June to October. November
to May there may be snow and ice past Refrigerator Canyon. 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 Starting Elevation: 4320' Elevation Scout Outlook: 5370' Elevation West Rim Spring: 6720' Restrooms: Scout Lookout at the Angels Landing junction
and at the Grotto Picnic area. Water: Yes, at the West Rim Spring (Cabin Spring), but must
be filtered.
From the Grotto picnic area, cross the road and
walk over the foot-bridge to the trailhead. Climb the switchbacks up the steep
trail as
they wind back and forth. The Virgin River flows below at the base of the trail.
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.
Walter's Wiggles Squiggle the wiggles,
as they ascend the steep twenty-one sharp switchbacks to Scout Lookout.
Scout
Lookout 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.
Cathedral Mountain The trail turns north after Scout Lookout,
crossing a slab of smooth bedrock.
Follow cairns through this portion of the hike. Cathedral
Mountain is the large mountain to the left when leaving Scout Lookout.
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 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.
Switchbacks Out of the shade of Little Siberia, the narrow
trail continues upward on two long switchbacks hugging
the tall sandstone wall. The head of the slot canyon, Behunin is seen on the
left. Note the views of Mystery Canyon along the way.
Cabin Spring
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. Longer hiking or backpacking options from this point are
Lava Point via the Rim or the less scenic Telephone Canyon route.
Everything that
exists has brought with it its own peculiar lesson. The mountain teaches stability
and grandeur; the ocean immensity and change. Forests, lakes, and rivers, clouds
and winds, stars and flowers, stupendous glaciers and crystal snowflakes--every
form of animate or inanimate existence, leaves its impress upon the soul of man.
-- Orison Swett Marden
