A Hiker's Paradise.

Hiking in Zion National Park is delightful. Whether you prefer flat pavement, rocky trails, or secret off-trail nooks and crannies, gorgeous opportunities await here. Famous Zion hikes like Angels Landing and the Narrows dominate the magazine pages and internet galleries, but there are PLENTY more choice routes and destinations to explore by foot here. You could easily spend a lifetime doing so. 

If you have never visited Zion before, by all means hike the big names first: Angels Landing, the Zion Narrows, Emerald Pools, and Observation Point are world-renown Zion hikes for good reason. Once Zion hooks you, come back to explore equally beautiful places that are a little (or a lot) more difficult to get to. You'll be glad you did.

We've grouped all the Zion hikes into six geographic areas of the Park (see below) to help you organize your Zion hiking plans. Since trailheads here can be far from each other, it often makes sense to hike in the same area on any given day, then move to another area the following day. Each area has distinctive geology, flora, and fauna, so visiting different Zion hiking areas will reveal more diversity during your visit.

The below trails are all official Zion hikes, signed and maintained by the National Park Service. For additional Zion hiking opportunities, see our Off-Trail Hikes page.

Zion Hiking Trails

Main Canyon

Click on a trail name to read a full description

Hike Name Round-Trip Length (mi/km) Quality Elevation Gain(ft/m) Time Permit
ANGELS LANDING 5.8mi/7.6km ★★★★★ 1500ft (450m) 3-5 hrs No
EMERALD POOLS 2.1 to 3mi/3.4 to 4.8km ★★★★ 400ft (120m) to Upper 1-3 hrs No
HIDDEN CANYON 2.2+mi/1.8km ★★★★ 970ft (300m) 3-4 hrs No
OBSERVATION POINT 6.5mi/10.4km ★★★★★ 2270ft (700m) 4-7 hrs No
RIVERSIDE WALK 2mi/3km ★★★★ 60ft (17m) ~1 hr No
SAND BENCH ~4mi/6km ★★★ 500ft (152m) 1-2 hrs No
WATCHMAN 3.5mi/5.3km ★★★★ 370ft (112m) ~2 hrs No
WEEPING ROCK 0.5mi/0.8km ★★★★ 100ft (30m) 0.5 hrs No
WEST RIM FROM THE BOTTOM Up to 9mi/15km ★★★★ 2500ft (760m) 4-8 hrs No

East Side Hikes

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Hike Name Round-Trip Length (mi/km) Quality Elevation Gain(ft/m) Time Permit
CABLE MOUNTAIN 15.5mi/25km (From Weeping Rock)
17.5mi/28km (from E Entrance)
7.5mi/12km (from Zion Ponderosa)		 ★★★★ 2100ft/640m (From Weeping Rock)
1000ft/300m minus 2000ft/600m descent (from E Entrance)
300ft/90m (from Zion Ponderosa)		 5 hrs to 2-3 backpack Only if overnighting
CANYON OVERLOOK 1mi/1.6km ★★★★★ 63ft (50m) 45 minutes No
DEERTRAP MOUNTAIN 17.5mi/28km (From Weeping Rock)
19.5mi/30km (from E Entrance)
9.5mi/15km (from Zion Ponderosa)		 ★★★★ 2100ft/640m (From Weeping Rock)
1000ft/300m minus 2000ft/600m descent (from E Entrance)
300ft/90m (from Zion Ponderosa)		 8 hrs to 2-3 backpack Only if overnighting
EAST MESA 3.4mi/5.4km ★★★★ 280ft (85m) 3-4 hrs No
EAST RIM 10.6mi/17.1km from Weeping Rock to E Rim Trailhead ★★★★ 1365ft (415m) 5-7 hrs Only if overnighting
 
 

KOLOB TERRACE HIKES

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Hike Name Round-Trip Length (mi/km) Quality Elevation Gain(ft/m) Time Permit
NORTHGATE PEAKS 4.5mi/7.2km ★★★★ 250ft (76m) 2-3 hrs No
RIGHT FORK BOTTOM-UP 10.6mi/17km ★★★★ 1000ft (300m) 8-12 hrs or overnight Only if overnighting
SUBWAY - BOTTOM-UP 4-7mi/10.6km ★★★★★ 1000ft (300m) 6-10 hrs YES
WEST RIM 12.9mi/20.7km or
14.4mi/23.1km one-way
depending on variation		 ★★★★★ 500ft (150m),
3650ft (1100m) elevation loss		 6-12 hrs, or overnight Only if overnighting

Kolob Canyons

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Hike Name Round-Trip Length (mi/km) Quality Elevation Gain(ft/m) Time Permit
HOP VALLEY 7.5mi/10.5km from La Verkin Creek to Hop Valley Trailhead
or 15mi (24.1km) roundtrip from Hop Valley Trailhead to Kolob Arch		 ★★★★ 1000ft (300m) 5-10 hrs Only if Overnighting
KOLOB ARCH 8.8mi/14km roundtrip to first campsites. An extra 4.6 round-trip to Kolob Arch viewpoint ★★★★ Descends 1070 feet (330 m) to La Verkin Creek, then climbs 320 feet (100 m) to Kolob Arch viewpoint. So keep in mind, you hike UPHILL from La Verkin Creek at the end of the day. 6-10 hrs or overnight Only if overnighting
TAYLOR CREEK 6.4mi/10.2km ★★★★★ 1050ft (320m) 2-4 hrs No

Southwest Desert

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Hike Name Round-Trip Length (mi/km) Quality Elevation Gain(ft/m) Time Permit
CHINLE TRAIL 6.8 miles (11 km), roundtrip to Huber Wash; or 8.1 miles (13 km) one-way to the Coalpits Wash Trail Junction; about 15 miles from Chinle Trailhead to Coalpits Trailhead ★★★ 390 feet (119 m) 3-5 hours roundtrip to Huber Wash, or 4-6 hours one way to the Coalpits Wash Junction, 2 days for Chinle-Coalpits backpack Only if Overnighting
COALPITS WASH 2.8 miles (4.6 km), roundtrip to the Chinle Trail Junction, 16 miles (25.7 km) roundtrip to the head of Coalpits Wash and back ★★★ 500-1000 feet (160-320 m); the trail is steadily uphill 1.5 to 10 hours, depending on how far you want to explore Only if overnighting
GRAFTON No official trails, just old dirt roads ★★★ Zero 30 minutes to an hour of exploring No

South of Zion

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Hike Name Round-Trip Length (mi/km) Quality Elevation Gain(ft/m) Time Permit
EAGLE CRAGS 5 miles (8.5 km) roundtrip ★★★★ 900 feet (270 m) 3-5 hours No. This is BLM land, so backpacking and/or dogs are allowed.
SQUIRREL CANYON 6 miles (9.7 km) out-and-back, or 11 miles (17.7 km) as a loop ★★★★ 2900 feet (870 m) 4 - 5 hours (out-and-back) or 6 - 10 hours (loop) No. Dogs and overnight backpacking allowed without a permit.
WATER CANYON 10 rugged miles (17 km) ★★★ 1200 feet (360 m) 3-7 hrs No. Dogs and backpacking allowed.