After Capitol Reef's stunning colored, sculpted mountains and Bryce Canyon's hoodoo amphitheater,…read moreZion offer s soaring mountains on each side of you, river, and many more non-hiker friendly trails besides the deadly Angel's Landing. It is an exceptionally well designed park with the free town and park shuttle system that centers at the Visitor Center and has many paved trails. - As you drive into Zion, you will go through the Zion-Mt Carmel tunnel - a 1.1 mile pitch black dark tunnel with no lighting, just a few windows of the stunning mountains as you drive through - The park and shuttles are free! Stay in Springdale for the closest location. The Best Western was very nice and Shuttle stop 4 - Favorite easy trails in my order of preference: -- Riverside Walk (2.2 miles, 57 ft elevation change, 1.5 hours) - paved path along the Virgin River in a Canyon -- Pa'rus Trail (1.7 or 3.5 miles, 50 ft elevation change, 1-2 hours) - start at park shuttle stop #3 (Canyon Junction-shuttle only stops going downhill - Not from the Visitor Center) for a 1.7 mile walk on a paved trail near the Human History museum, past the campgrounds and to the visitor center. If you start at the Visitor Center, then you will have to turnaround at Canyon Junction and it is 3.5 miles. - The Grotto Trail (1 miles, 35 ft, 0.5 hour) - dirt trail paralleling the road from Stop 6 (Grotto) to Stop 5 (Zion lodge) - saw and heard a wild turkey. - Weeping Rock Trail (0.4 miles, 98 ft, 0.5 hour) - short but steep paved trail ends at a rock alcove with dripping water - Lower Emerald Pool (2 miles, 150 ft, 1.5 hours) - paved trail to a small pool. It had been dry, so it was underwhelming but if it had rained more, it might have been better. If you are adventurous and like a good view and danger, then try to get a permit to hike Angel's Landing. Someone died the week before we arrived. In the park, there are 9 shuttle stops where you can get off to hike. The following stops have toilets (may be a pit toilet or flush toilet): stop 1 Visitor center - flush, 2 Zion Human History Museum - flush - but you have to walk a bit to get to the museum where the toilet are located outside, 5 Zion Lodge - flush -inside the lodge, 6 Grotto-pit?, 7 Weeping Rock-pit?, 9 Temple of Sinawava - pit.

We arrived on Thursday May 14 around 11am. From past experience we decided to skip stopping at the…read moreVisitor Center for now (finding parking at this part of the day might involve circling the parking lot several times). So we drove out to the East side of the park via the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway and tunnel and took in the scenery, looked for bighorn sheep, and pulled over occasionally to get more photos and stretch. At this time they were still doing a one-way traffic control through the 1930's tunnel (to manage large vehicles passing through without incident). That ends June 7, 2026 and specific large vehicle sizes will have to take an alternative route - no tunnel for you! See their website for details and updates. We only waited about 7 minutes to pass to the East and only about 2 minutes to return on the West side. Just good timing on our departure - nothing you can control to shorten the wait. While on the East side of the tunnel we were fortunate to find a parking space in the limited areas so we could get out and walk the Canyon Overlook trail. It was easy walking but considered a moderate hike due to the drop-offs along the trail (handrails and plenty of space on the trail to feel safe going single file through a couple areas.) Most sections you can pass hikers coming back and have plenty of trail space. There were a couple of rock overhang, cave-like sections that provided a cool break from the sun. The trail end viewpoint overlooks the highway below and in the left bluff you can find one of the windows of the tunnel. Then we headed to the Visitor Center (around 2pm) and had no issues finding multiple parking spots were open. We sat at a picnic table on the Watchman side of the lots and enjoyed the sandwiches we brought for lunch. We did then go into the Visitor Center and it was crowded. A quick look around and I didn't find much new that I was interested in since we were there a couple years ago - until I saw an art book on Wildflowers of the West by Molly Hashimoto. Since I had bought her Trees of the West at Cedar Breaks Nat'l Monument a couple years ago I really wanted this new book. The checkout line was well organized and in 2 minutes I had paid for the book and was heading out to the informational side of the building where the crowd was not! We could have waited until after our final hike to go in, but I didn't want to be time constrained while on the trail just to and make it back before VC closed at 5pm. We boarded the shuttle before 3pm and made our way to Stop 9 - Temple of Sinawava where we undertook the Riverside Walk. Shuttle seemed to take about 20+ minutes to get up its route to reach this final stop. (Restrooms at the Temple stop were temporarily closed for renovation. Can't recall seeing notice of this prior to arriving at that stop). We'd been on the Riverside Walk during a previous visit and wanted to show our visiting relatives this easy, pleasant trail that takes you up to where those more adventuresome (and prepared with proper wading equipment) head into The Narrows. The main paved trail was busy but not too packed. We were still able to be alone on the path and experience the quiet forest and spot mule deer, lots of squirrels and see and hear little yellow goldfinches singing. On a previous trip we were more ambitious and exited the paved path to walk along the Virgin River on the dirt trail. I think we had to scramble up/down/over/around some boulders occasionally to stay along that river trail but there were a few cutovers to get back up on the easier paved main path if needed. We jumped back on the shuttle service in the 5:30 - 6pm timeframe and had time to stop at Zion Lodge (Stop 5). There were several turkeys strolling casually around the grounds looking amused (or annoyed, who can really read a turkey's face?) at the humans on their land. We used the restrooms, checked out the gift shop and then headed back over to catch the shuttle back to the VC. The park was already running extra shuttles at this hour of the day so no one would be stranded at any of the 9 stops along the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. I think the next time I come to Zion it will be during the off-season when cars are allowed on the Scenic Drive - that will be a new experience.

So good! Thank you for an easy experience! everyone was…read morefriendly and the gear and instruction was on point. A+

My friend and I had the best experience at Guru getting our equipment to do The Narrows. Everyone…read morewas so friendly and helpful. We especially would like to compliment Megan and Jeral. Such good attitudes. The dry suit and boots were comfortable and stayed dry. Thank you for helping to make our experience at The Narrows alittle easier. Sharon Corzine Colleen Tyler

We drove up to Vegas for the day and had an incredible time on this trail! It was so beautiful my…read morefirst time in Zion and it was absolutely stunning! Fairly easy trail and we took a dip in the ice cold water too! Looking forward to going back again soon!

I love this trail. It's not even in my top 3 fav's but it's still a five star because this national…read morepark is that amazing. This trail is completely paved and starts near the main visitor parking lot. There are many bridges crossing the Virgin River. This is the only trail that you can Ebike on. There's minimal elevation gain making this a wonderfully walkable trail for families and others who cannot do the more strenuous hikes.

This is a very good place for walking around if you are in Springdale Utah…read more The Riverside Walk is refreshing and easy. Easily accessible by bike or even wheelchair. Nature is beautiful and has many benefits to enjoy. I always recommend walking around in nature and hiking trails. I love this place!

This hike is everything I read about it - chill, easy, paved, and CROWDED. Lots of families with…read morekids and strollers and people just headed to the narrows along this path. I still enjoyed it and had fun going to the beginning of the narrows before turning back (which lots of people do who don't want to get wet). It's not a long walk either, like a mile or so so you can do it fast. It starts at the temple of Sinawava, plenty of signs point the way towards it. Would rec the walk even if you aren't going to do the narrows itself, just for the vibes :)

Short, pretty little trail that is almost a guaranteed on your visit if you're doing one of the…read moremain attraction hikes and depending on parking situations. It's only about 1 mile round trip and links you up to either Angel's Landing trail, Emerald Pools trail or the West Rim trail - so I wouldn't call this one an independent hike - you wouldn't be doing this one all on its own. It's more of a place for overflow parking for some of the main hikes with a small trail to get you to those actual trailheads. Bc of the parking issues for Angel's Landing, we had to park at the Grotto trailhead which is how we ended up on this trail. It's mostly flat, very well maintained, has a picnic area and nice restrooms. You get amazing views all along it, especially of Angel's Landing off in the distance! It's a great way to start the Angel's Landing hike tbh. We even saw deer!! And on our way out, some crazy clouds had rolled in and made the rock formations and mountains look so other-worldly and we even got snow as a bonus!! Definitely not disappointed we had to add some extra steps to our Angel's Landing hike! I got some great shots!

Most people shuttle up and down Zion Canyon, and admittedly that's a great way to see the main…read morecanyon. But there are a few trails that actually parallel the road, and can take you from shuttle stop to shuttle stop. So I say, if you can walk the canyon, why not? That's kind of the point is to be out there, right? The Grotto Trail is a great example. Connecting Shuttle Stop 5 (Zion Lodge) and Shuttle Stop 6 (The Grotto) this is a wonderful way to see a little of the canyon on foot. You can walk it in either direction, so take your pick. It doesn't much matter as elevation gains are minimal, but I like to get off of the shuttle at a farther stop and work my way back. Sometimes in the off season, however, you may be able to find parking at one of the stops and not the other, so if you're headed to the Grotto for a popular hike there, you may have to park at the Lodge and walk up. Perfect! Take this trail. You can also take the Emerald Pools and then Kayenta trails which parallel (sort of) the opposite side of the road, but that's a much longer haul. The Grotto Trail is only a half mile long. This trail isn't exactly quiet or private as it does parallel the road, but they report a surprising amount of wildlife here. I've not seen them when I hiked, but look for deer who are very unamused but mostly indifferent to humans. They are all over the park. I can't say it's my top destination hike when I plan a trip to Zion, but if you can squeeze it in or are forced to walk when Grotto parking is full, you won't be disappointed by a meandering walk along the canyon floor.

This was a thrilling hike and definitely a national park bucket list item to check off! We were…read morelucky to both get next day lottery permits for Friday afternoon, but it turns out there were no rangers stationed there in the afternoon. I have heard rangers are usually only there in the morning, so one could probably hike without permits if you wait for later in the day. Including breaks and 20 minutes at the top, we took three hours in total. Even in March, it was hot, and I probably should've brought more than 1.5 L of water. I logged a 4.8-4.9 mile hike from the Grotto trailhead up to Angels Landing and back down again. The hike up to Scout Lookout was challenging because of the elevation, while Angels Landing was more challenging due to the technical aspect. They have chains to hold on to in most of the sections. People brought their young children to hike, which I think is irresponsible and dangerous when one small slip could mean a tumble down the canyon.

Forgot to include some trailhead photos! Also note that the Grotto is your shuttle stop. There are…read moreplenty of reasonably clean bathrooms with running water, and bottle fills stations are here! Both are across the street from the Angel's trailhead.

Location is close to the Park entrance. You rent the bins for 8 hours which gives you a nice…read morerelaxed pace to see the park, hike the trails, soak it all in. HIGHLY recommend this rental company!!

We had a great guided hike in Zion. Forest was super friendly, accommodating and knowledgeableread more

Epic journey for those ready for a moderate hike up the mountain but don't have stomach for…read morebalancing atop the narrow ridge of Angels Landing trail (such as me). The hike is very scenic and the views are amazing from the top! If you are camping, you can see your campsite from atop. This is still a moderately strenuous hike, so be sure your health is ready for some serious steps. The trail consists of both steps, flat paths and ascending paths without steps. There were just a couple spots that narrowed where I felt a little dizzy walking near the edge...yes, I am a chicken when it comes to heights. It didn't bother my wife. Be on the lookout for the beautifully colored aqua blue rocks during your hike! We also enjoyed some flowers that decorated the trail side. This was our favorite of three hikes we made on this day: 1. Watchman Trail 2. Narrows Riverside Walk 3. Lower Emerald Pools NOTE: Don't let your kiddos throw/kick rocks down as the trail zig-zags up the mountain and a rock could hit another hiker below and seriously hurt them.

I really enjoyed this hike!! It ended up being quite a bit longer than I'd anticipated but I think…read moreit was worth it. It starts near the visitor center but wraps around the canyon face to end with a lovely overlook view of the canyon, with the watchman mountains to your left and the visitor center/springdale straight ahead. It's rockier than I thought it would be here, definitely watch your step. It took me a solid couple hours to do round trip and I'd already done several hikes that day/was tired so bear it in mind! But of all the hikes I did in Zion, this was actually one of my favorites (aside from Angel's landing). Would recommend!

It was a bit hard to locate the trailhead, but so happy we didn't give up wandering in circles &…read morewere able to run into people who pointed us in the right direction, because it was gorgeous & fun! When parking at the main lot, where GPS "Many Pools Trailhead" will bring you to, stand facing the bathrooms, with the larger river on your right. Then head all the way to the left, down the hill towards the woods. You'll be able to see a small trail in the sand headed down the hill around the left, almost seemingly under the road...that's it! The trail leads through the wooded area, through a tunnel (easy to navigate despite having ample water), and into a clearing where you being to hike up flat rocks, seeing the pools as you ascend to the top. We thought the pools were fascinating, as they had various shapes, depths, and the occasional waterfall. Would say this is a moderate hike, because of the incline, timing is based solely on how long you'd want to wander around each section- we also explored the river section opposite the trail if you go right from the parking lot down to the "beach area"

This might just be my fave hike that we did during our whole trip to Zion! It's quite an adventure…read more- made me feel like a true explorer!! You'll be walking in dry creek beds and scrambling up dry, smooth waterfalls with chains of little pools (some really deep!) spilling down the mountains- and lots of rock scrambling up the mountains too- very similar to Angels Landing, but without the chains and maybe not quite as steep or dangerous for the most part. You start out going down the steep hill from the parking lot down into the Clear Creek bed and follow that until you get to the cool tunnel that takes you under highway 9. That's when you get into the Pine Creek bed that you'll pretty much follow the whole way. We definitely needed our poles and proper hiking boots. The rocks are smooth, slanted greatly in lots of places, and slick. This trail is definitely NOT for beginners - it's moderate in places and pretty strenuous in others. We made it up over 6000 feet as well! The trail isn't marked at all - very unclear - you'll really be dependent on a trail map - and it's not on the National Parks website or their maps! I think they like to keep it a secret lol. Luckily I had downloaded the trail map on the AllTrails app or we wouldn't never been able to do the whole trail. I highly recommend you do the same - and be sure to do it before you come into the park Bc we had ZERO signal most of the time. It's very much a hidden gem - we didn't see another soul and had the whole hike to ourselves! That being said, I would strongly recommend you don't hike this alone and bring bear spray and take all back country trail safety precautions. Parking is in a small lot not too long after the Mt Carmel tunnel (the big, main tunnel) and it'll be on your right. It has a tiny little building in it with a green roof which is the bathrooms yay!! They were fairly clean and well maintained but hardly had any TP so you may wanna bring some just in case.

Was once an amazing hike- CLOSED 10/18 due to a rock slide. As of today 10/5/19 still not reopened…read morewith no possible open date in sight. No access what so ever. Very dangerous. Weeping Rock, Observation Point and Hidden Canyon Hikes all closed - Rock slide Oct 2018 took out all trails :(

This isn't a hike so much as a nice uphill walk. There are some fun signs on the paved path that…read moreteach you about the plants and animals though which I thought was fun! The damp/weeping wall at the end of the hill is pretty because of the vegetation growing there, and the water that drips from above the cliff face feels very nice and cool (like it's raining!). On a hot day, it's a nice spot after going up the steep hill. Reminds me a lot of Alum cave bluffs in smoky mountains national park if you've been. Overall - this hill takes like 10-15 mins to ascend if you walk fast, so it's an easy pit stop. Might as well drop by if you have the time :)