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    Watchman Trail

    4.1 (26 reviews)

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    Watchman
    Jeffrey S.

    Look, people--perhaps this isn't the craziest or most sensational hike in Zion, but it's still pretty dang majestic. I mean, you're in one of the most overwhelmingly, heart-wrenchingly, soul-fillingly beautiful places on this entire planet, and you're going to tell me that hiking up to a point with a lookout over a valley with a rugged skyline and peak of fable isn't an amazing experience? The cyniscim and so-what-ism is hard to fathom. I've done this trail twice, but to be fair, only in its entirety once. The first time was last May, when the park had just reopened. We were walking off some of our dinner, and took a stroll up the road and eventually to the trail. we started to climb, but the heat, the full stomachs, and of course the impending dusk was what turned us back. This time, we visited in March. Since our shuttle tickets up the canyon only allowed us access at noon, we were looking for a full hike to take outside of the main canyon and Watchman was the winner. This time, we made it all the way. We began in the cold of morning, and as you make your way up, you're not going to get much sunshine until a little later, due to the massive canyon walls to the east. You follow the river, then cross the road and head up the canyon. You'll perch on the right side, then the left, then wrap all way up around to the top of a sort of bluff, where you eventually get delivered into sunshine and views that stretch out towards Springdale, and up river as well. You will overlook some maintenance areas, but you can overlook those, if you know what I mean. Once at the main lookout, there's a small loop trail that takes you around the rim of the bluff and you can see a bit towards the south. All in all, we meandered slowly, took our time, climbed slowly (there is a mild amount of elevation gain), did the loop at the end, and still managed to only take two hours. Surely you can do it much faster if you're in a hurry, or take your time (especially with kiddos). But as I sat there on top, looking at the yellow light that was illuminating the gorgeous Zion silhouette, staring out at the red, orange, and buff walls of this ancient canyon, I was awed by how gorgeous even this oft-overlooked hike really is.

    Greg F.

    Great views of Springdale and entrance to Zion. Trail had some easy stretches and other challenging parts. I make the mistake of doing it in the afternoon, there is little shade.

    Info at the start of the trail.
    Tony H.

    A moderate trail with some nice views considering how close it is to the visitor center/entrance of the park. I came to the park in the summer of 2020 (Rona days) and there were a handful of stops on the shuttle that were closed due to rock slides so Watchman Trail & the Narrows was all I got to do the day I was here so I can't compare this trail on a scale to other trails here, but if you have some time to it's a nice spot to get some good picture at the lookout spot.

    View getting close to the top of the trail
    Brandis S.

    I loved this trail! I visited during the pandemic and was not comfortable riding the shuttle, so this trail was perfect because it was right by the Watchman campground where I was staying. I will preface my review by saying I've only done 2 other hikes at Zion (Emerald Pools and Canyon Overlook), so I'm not really sure how this compares to the other trails. The hike was very pleasant on a cool November day. There wasn't much shade, so I'd recommend preparing for full sun at high altitude (hat, sunscreen, water) especially when hiking during the warmer months. While the trail sign at Zion says the trail is around 2 miles with 400' elevation gain, my favorite hiking app says it's 3.1 miles and 646'. So I'd put it somewhere between those two numbers. While there were a number of families on the trail, I passed many people that were pretty tired by the time they got halfway up. I heard people keep asking hikers who were on the way down how much further they had to go. The trail wasn't hard for a regular hiker, but I can understand how it could have been a lot for someone who was just looking for a casual walk. I saw some mountain goats (or sheep?) on the way up, but there were too many people for much other wildlife to be around. The view area at the top was large and a great place to find a private spot and sit for a while. The view itself was amazing, but I can't really say it was much more spectacular than the rest of the park. It's so hard to say though because all of Zion is so amazing! I probably won't hike this trail again unless I'm staying at the campgrounds and am still afraid to ride the shuttle, because I'd like to try other trails in the park. But it was a beautiful afternoon hike for me and totally took my mind off of everything stressful. And that is exactly what I was looking for.

    Beginning where it gets more inclined & no shade
    Jeanette Y.

    Moderate - a bit challenging but with a rewarding view. As all the other reviews have stated, there is little to no shade here so be sure to wear a hat or apply some sunscreen. PARKING: you park your car at the visitor center & you walk across the street where you'll see the big white sign pointing in the direction of the trail. TRAIL: It starts off pretty smooth, just walking alongside the river on a nice dirt path & then you cross the road where it starts to go uphill. Not much of an incline at first but definitely no shade. As you actually go towards the mountain, it starts to zig zag uphill & that's when you start to slow down a bit. Again no shade. It's not when you get closer to the top that there's some shade but that's because the other side of the mountain blocks that area. And then boom, you've reached the top lol. Took us about 1 hour & 15 mins to get to the top. There's no shade up there either. We found very minimal shade under a small tree & just sat there for a good 10-15 minutes just enjoying the silence & taking in the view. Overall, the sign was accurate as it did take us 2 hours to complete. Going downhill is obviously faster & easier. I'd recommend this hike as a last one before you leave since it's right at the visitor center. Not too strenuous on the body.

    Juan F.

    This was one of the last hikes we did at Zion. After doing Angel's Landing, Riverside Walk and chilling near The Narrows, we wanted to do something less strenuous and this was the perfect hike for it. Although this trail pales in comparison with other trails at Zion, I enjoyed a pretty calm and relatively safe hike. It starts near the Visitor Center and along the river. After that, there is a clear trail uphill and you just follow. It took us about 30min to get to the top of the Watchman Trail. At the top, there is a nice scenery of the canyon which is perfect for photos. I enjoyed this trail but I wouldn't say is a must hike. I recommend it if you have extra time at Zion. Definitely fmaily friendly hike!

    Meghan L.

    We came here during our family reunion. There was a group of 20 of us. Ranging from 2 years old to 50s. This was the perfect hike for us. It wasn't too hard even for those of the group who weren't in very good physical condition. There are beautiful views from the top of the climb. The trail is a bunch of switchbacks with built in stairs at the steepest parts. We really liked this trail because you can access it straight from the visitors center without taking the shuttle. We did this hike around 7 am and it was very shaded and nice temperatures since we were hiking in July. By the time we came down around 9 am the sun was starting to hit some parts of the trail and was starting to warm up. There are water stations and bathrooms at the visitors center. I would recommend this hike for those who aren't in great physical condition or who want to do a hike with people of all ages.

    Brit A.

    Very nice hike! It is only a mile long so it is a good length for a short hike! The views along the way and at the top are awesome! The path is not very big so if you need to pass people you have to ask them to move aside. The trait is right by the watchman campground so that is perfect if you are staying there!

    Phillip N.

    If you are going to compare this trail with ones you find nearby cities like San Diego or Los Angeles, it's a solid 4. However, in Zion, it's a 2.5 because there are many other trails I would recommend if your time is limited. It's very tempting to go on this trail because it's right next to the Zion Visitor Center and it's only 2.7 miles round-trip (with a net elevation change of only 370 ft). For both those reasons, it was the first trail I hiked in Zion and I was so disappointed. I had heard so much hype from my friends that Zion was gorgeous--even more gorgeous than Bryce or the Grand Canyon. Having just gone to both, all I thought was "Uh, no it's not" while I hiked this trail. But since I was going to be in Zion two days, I tried my darndest to be optimistic from the start. I saw a pretty red flower and I was like "Oh, this is gorgeous!" It wasn't that gorgeous. When I reached the top, I tried to convince myself "This is stunning!" It really wasn't. Not shabby, but not stunning either. This trail is not the most exciting hike nor does it have the most stunning viewpoints. It is mainly a moderately-easy hike (IMHO) that was earthy and pleasant. For me, Zion is all about the lush green and this trail does not do the that representation justice. I would not recommend starting nor ending your trip with this hike.

    View of Springdale
    Tiffany Y.

    I came back for an extra day in Zion and wanted to do some more relaxing hikes that allowed more views of the valley, so Watchman's Trail was perfect. It's a moderately strenuous trail (took me around 1.5 hours round-trip) with a few steep sections, but I saw many families with kids also doing this trail. At the top, you get some good views of Zion Canyon and the neighboring town of Springdale. I would recommend this trail for someone who is looking for more of a relaxing but rewarding hike.

    Joseph Y.

    I ended up doing this towards the end of the day at Zion. The trailhead starts at the visitor center and takes you up to a lookout point where you can see the entire entrance to the park. The 3 mile round-trip trail was fairly easy for me, but some people may find the climbs a little rough on their legs. The pathway is well defined and has lots of signs for keeping you on the path. The trail didn't seem to popular, not many people were doing it when I ended up going in the afternoon. Then again, it was about 101 outside and there didn't seem to be a lot of shade around. The hike isn't very long though and you get some great views once you get to the top. There's a small loop trail at the top which travels around the rim of the mountain. Even though it's a short trip, make sure to bring water and salt tabs on hot days. I made the mistake of going up here and I ran out of water unfortunately, heat exhaustion is no joke in the super hot weather at this park.

    Minh C.

    I started out early hoping to get a good view of the rising sun. Although the trail is relatively easy compared to some of the other hikes at Zion, it doesn't offer the same jaw-dropping views. Nevertheless, It's a good warm up hike. The park also offers ranger-led hikes up here so check with the visitor's center for more info.

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    Pretty easy & non-strenuous trail. Still beautiful, but nothing special compared to the rest of the trails Zion offers.

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    Review Highlights - Watchman Trail

    Look, people--perhaps this isn't the craziest or most sensational hike in Zion, but it's still pretty dang majestic.

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    Red Reef Trail

    Red Reef Trail

    (11 reviews)

    You can use your national park pass to avoid the fee here. You just have to display it on your…read moredash. Maps took us like 2 miles north, then back track to the tunnel to get in. Not sure if that was the best way or not. The parking lot is not huge, and you can't park in the designated camping area spots. There are plenty of picnic tables, probably more than parking spaces. There are at least 20 tables there. There are a few trails to choose from. Very close the parking and campsites is a short 1/4 hike (or shorter) to the dinosaur prints. There is a hike in the other direction to the mini waterfall and pond. Probably about a mile or a little over a mile (1direction). We also found an old almost petrified bristlecone tree (that was neat). We got lucky with the weather for Dec, it was probably about 60 degrees and very nice. I saw that in the summer it can be over 110 so I am glad that we got the nice weather. The red /orange scenery is spectacular and representative of the area, like it is at zion, bryce, snow canyon, pioneer park, etc. We enjoyed a picnic lunch there, and we had a blue bird, a scrub jay, come join us and beg for food. Check out my photos.

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DO NOT FOLLOW THE YELP…read moreDIRECTIONAL MAP TO GET HERE! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ To reach the Red Reef trailhead, take Exit 23 off Interstate 15 S and head east on Red Cliffs Campground Road. The trailhead is located at the campground, which is about 5 miles down the paved road. GPS Coordinates: 37.224794, -113.406300 It is $5 to park your car here in the parking lot, follow directions to the trail. It is a beautiful and easy hike - until the very end. it meanders along a path - then at the end you need to climb some pretty big rocks to see the payoff of the beautiful canyon. We loved this hike. (but were thrown off by the Yelp directions that sent us in an alternate direction.

    The Grotto Trail - Friendly deer was hungry, it looked so skinny.  Poor thing.

    The Grotto Trail

    (4 reviews)

    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.

    Zion Rock & Mountain Guides

    Zion Rock & Mountain Guides

    (131 reviews)

    I've wanted to experience Zion for many years, so when family suggested a long weekend trip here…read moreduring the pandemic madness, I was really excited to get away from the monotony of everyday life in the midst of COVID-19. Sick of your shizz, coronavirus! Initially I wasn't really sure what you expect from a Jeep tour, but I was pleasantly surprised by the fun, off the beaten path experience that we had taking the sunset tour. I was a bit leery of the Jeep and thinking it may or may not break down on a dirt road without cellular signal, but all is well that ends well. The ride was scenic and bumpy and an all around good time. Our tour guide was Zach(Zack?) and he was Ah-mazing. He was a great driver, funny, interesting, informative, and an all around joy to be around for our three hour tour. He shared lots of information on our surroundings, asked a lot of questions about our trip, and made a lot of great recommendations for our stay near Zion. If you can get him as your guide, you'll be in great hands. Overall a lovely time with spectacular views.

    My fiancé and I did a canyoneering trip with Stu and it was the best decision of our zion trip! Stu…read morewas such an incredible tour guide and overall person. His knowledge of the park and the activity were invaluable. We were able to climb up to a canyon and do 4 repels down. I totally had stage freight the first repel leg and Stu was incredibly calming and helped me overcome my fear for a truly awesome trip! His patience is truly a gift. Would recommend to anyone in a heartbeat. Added bonus was that Stu captured and art directed some incredible photos for us!

    Watchman Trail - hiking - Updated May 2026

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