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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.
Amazing hiking trail. Great views, well laid out, perfect length and challenging for a family. Not for beginners but any mid level hiker could tackle. Ide do this one again.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
5 months ago
I really enjoyed this hike!! It ended up being quite a bit longer than I'd anticipated but I think it 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! read more
My favorite hike we did over the 3 days at Zion. Beautiful views of the town of Springdale and surrounding area. Moderate hike up and good for children if they are behaved. Few parts of the trail get a little narrow but for the majority it wasn't too bad. I recommend getting up early and beating the day time heat. read more
Decided to check out the Watchman Trail since we only had time for one trail and didn't know how long we would take to hike this round trip. Trail wasn't to bad to hike. I've seen small kids and older adults of all size hike this trail. Beautiful views once you're at the top and also on the way to the top. Relaxing views once you reach the top where you can enjoy a nice picnic before heading back down. Plenty of pictures opportunities throughout the trail. During the hike we did see two mountain goats laying around. It was perk to see an animal during the hike. Highly suggest checking this trail out. I will defiantly be coming back to Zion National Park for their other trails in the future. read more
5 years ago
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. read more
3 years ago
Amazing hiking trail. Great views, well laid out, perfect length and challenging for a family. Not for beginners but any mid level hiker could tackle. Ide do this one again. read more
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. read more
6 years ago
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. read more
2 years ago
6 years ago
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. read more
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! read more
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. read more
15 years ago
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. read more
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! read more
10 years ago
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. read more
7 years ago
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. read more
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. read more
11 years ago
Fun trail with great views. It's a moderate hike. The trail has narrow parts with a stream running below. read more
12 years ago
