The last of our whirlwind post-Christmas Utah swing through three national parks, a state park, and BLM land, Zion is always a crowd favorite. And the crowds were out in force. Pandemic or not, holiday season or not, Zion was packed. Zion Canyon itself was closed without a reservation, so we confined our visit to the eastern side of the park. Still absolutely stunning!

Paula and I visited east Zion on December 30, 2020 and remained confined to our car except for photo taking to remain Covid safe. I was thrilled for her to see the beauty within the park. While I love everything about Zion National Park, the east side has an appeal to me because it is so different from Zion Canyon. Most of the granite structures are white instead of red. There is usually less traffic on the east side, but not this day, as you weren’t allowed onto a shuttle into the canyon without a pre-approved reservation. So everyone crowded to the east.

The drive along the Zion-Mount Carmel road (Hwy 9) is breathtaking, including through the mile-long tunnel and the twisty, winding road down to the canyon level. We did manage to find a picnic table with some solitude for a nice lunch in a pleasant breeze.

We were there a total of about five hours and left late in the afternoon to head back to our home in western Colorado. About that… on the drive back we learned that the AirBnB host might have contracted Covid from family over Christmas while we were gone.

Pivot to an emergency home search, and an abrupt change of plans. Instead of spending the last four days of our AirBnB contract there, we found a hotel room in Grand Junction where we stayed, and Paula worked, including on New Year’s Day. She has taught me to be adaptive and quick on my feet leading the nomad life.

This gallery includes pictures from the east side of Zion National Park in Utah. Enjoy the photos, and please feel free to comment.

Angels Landing is a unique fin sandstone monolith that erupts 1,500 feet from the floor of Zion Canyon. The trail to the top is one of the most popular hikes in Zion National Park, certainly the most thrilling. For someone like me with heights and edges phobia and vertigo, it’s a little too much excitement, but there is a compromise. You can still enjoy most of the ascent, then join the West Rim Trail, climbing even higher than Angels Landing without the extreme drop-off business. You’ll steer clear of the crowds that line the chain to the Angels Landing summit, and have almost the same spectacular view of the incredible Zion Canyon. My brother and I hiked the Angels Landing Trail on Tuesday, October 14, 2014 beginning at 7:30AM and ending about 12:30PM. Our plan was to climb the Angels Landing Trail to Scout Lookout, admire those brave souls with the courage to continue on to the summit, then pick up the West Rim Trail for its climb above Angels Landing. The return would be via the same path.

I knew even before starting that I didn’t want to go all the way to the summit of Angels Landing. I’ve seen helmet cam videos of the chain on the razor thin trail with a 1,500 foot drop on both sides. No thank you! There is a compromise however. You can go about 80% of the way up to an overlook called Scout Lookout. The views are nearly as spectacular, and there is the added bonus of a connection to the West Rim Trail that goes even higher than the Angels Landing summit without the vertigo-inducing edges.

The Grotto trailhead is located across Zion Canyon Road from the shuttle stop. Simply head toward the Virgin River. Just past the trailhead sign an aluminum footbridge crosses the river and turns right toward Angels Landing. Do not get on the Kayenta Trail to the Emerald Pools.

It was almost dawn when we started. We even considered getting out the flashlights for a moment. The trail is plenty wide and easy to navigate though, so the minimal light was not a burden. We had walked perhaps 15 minutes from The Grotto toward Angels Landing when we suddenly heard a massive roar behind us as loud as a thunder clap. I thought there was a motorized vehicle bearing down on me so I jumped to the side.

Suddenly my brother pointed and had me look at the huge plume of dust that was wafting up into the canyon from very near the trailhead area. Apparently there had been a rock slab fall or landslide. It sure was loud. Later in the day we had an opportunity to ask the shuttle driver if he had heard any news about the rock fall at the Grotto this morning. He said no, but that they were an almost daily event in the canyon, so no big deal. NO BIG DEAL! What if that’s the slab you’re walking across on the way to Observation Point, or what if that overhang above you decides that today is the day?

The trail follows the Virgin River for about a half mile, then begins a fairly steep ascent through a number of switchbacks up the canyon wall to The Notch between the Angels Landing monolith and Cathedral Mountain. It’s quite a feat of engineering to put that pathway on the sandstone wall like it is. There are several stone retaining walls that help keep the trail tread in place and prevent erosion. The tread pretty much has to be paved, otherwise they would be working on it every year.

Once you reach the top of the switchbacks at The Notch you enter the remarkable Refrigerator Canyon. This slot between the sandstone walls is stunningly beautiful and contains many pine trees and scrub foliage. Judging by the amount of sand that covers the paved walkway, there is no doubt about the occasional flash flood and heavy wind gusts that rush through. It climbs gradually northward about a quarter mile until reaching one of the highlights of this trek… Walters Wiggles.

21 serpentine switchbacks steeply ascend the north face, each wiggle no more than 20-25 feet in length. The wiggles take their name from Walter Ruesh, Zion’s first superintendent, who in 1926 began constructing this trail to Angels Landing. The concrete for the job was hauled in by helicopter, taking a total of 258 flights.

Once you reach the top of Walters Wiggles you have your first close-up view of Angels Landing. A hundred yards later you reach Scout Lookout. For the first time you can peer over the east side of Zion Canyon and at the north face of Angels Landing. It’s the last chance to summon your courage before summiting. Scout Lookout is a sandy area about a half-acre in size that even has a couple of pit toilets. I can’t imagine the line that must form on a touristy summer weekend.

We paused for a few minutes to survey the remaining path to the top of Angels Landing. It didn’t take long to convince ourselves that it simply wasn’t for us. Paralysis by fear is not a healthy condition, for you, or for anyone else around you. Each person is different. Hundreds of people climb to the summit every day without incident. Hundreds of others stop at Scout Lookout. Take a look at some photos from Google Images and decide for yourself if it’s the kind of thrill you’re interested in.

The good news is, for chickens like me, that Scout Lookout is also the junction with the West Rim Trail. You can continue your hike up to the rim on a trail that isn’t hanging right on the precipice. The West Rim Trail actually continues for another dozen miles, all the way to Lava Point on the Upper Kolob Plateau. You can take it as little, or as far as you like, then return. We went up perhaps an additional three-quarters mile to a white sandstone mesa just short of The Pulpit.

The West Rim Trail offers wonderful views of Angels Landing, the Great White Throne across the canyon, The Organ down below, Observation Point… you get the idea. There is even one spot where you can peer down into The Narrows of Zion Canyon. Pretty much everything you can see from Angels Landing, you can also see from the West Rim Trail. You get all the vistas, plus a feeling of safety and comfort.

When we were at Scout Landing there were perhaps 15-20 people milling about and another dozen on their way to the summit of Angels Landing. We were the only ones who continued up the West Rim, so we had the trail and space all to ourselves. When we returned about 75 minutes later, there were at least 50 people at Scout Lookout. Keep that in mind when deciding how to enjoy your hike. Some like the crowds and others enjoy the wilderness aspect.

The trail on the south side of Angels Landing is all red sandstone. Once you get about a half mile above Scout Lookout on the West Rim Trail it is all white sandstone. The mesa I mentioned above is a large, level area probably two acres in size that actually looks down on the summit of Angels Landing. You can see the brave people out on the edge who defeated their fears and made it. On this white mesa there is a pine grove for shade on a hot day, and it makes a great spot for panorama photography.

I remained on the mesa for probably 20 minutes, enjoying a snack and the serenity that came with the solitude. My brother went on ahead about a quarter mile just to scope out the terrain. When he returned he said there wasn’t much more of interest unless we wanted to go at least 2-3 miles farther, so we made this our point to turn around.

As we started back down, we encountered a lone solo hiker with heavy backpack no doubt heading for Lava Point, and one young trail running couple. They were the only people we saw on the West Rim Trail until we got back to Scout Lookout. From there on it was heavy trail traffic all the way back to the Grotto.

Walters Wiggles is even more interesting on the way down because you get to pass all the people on their way up. The conversations are interesting. Some have very red faces and are breathing really hard. Others are rush, rush, rushing to get to the top before their ticket expires or something. Who knows why people do what they do. My brother put together this video of the descent. Enjoy.

By the time we got back through Refrigerator Canyon and on the south side of Angels Landing the sun was now bathing Zion Canyon. Much like the day before at Observation Point, the canyon is entirely different at high noon without the extreme shadows and brightness contrast. The farther down we went, the more people were climbing up. Again, I like the idea of getting started on the first shuttle bus ride early in the morning.

Angels Landing itself was now completely alive with golden sunshine. The river was glistening, and the remaining autumn wildflowers had opened to enjoy the warmth. The temperature was at least 25 degrees warmer than when we started five hours earlier. I would say mid-October is a perfect time to visit Zion to avoid the extreme heat of the summer. Sure, the mornings can be cold, but it warms up quickly into the 50s and 60s by noon. Perfect hiking weather!

After we crossed back over the aluminum bridge to the trailhead, we found some great logs beneath a beautiful cottonwood grove along the riverbank. This was a nice opportunity to enjoy lunch, review everything we had just seen, and talk about our afternoon plans. On the way back to the Visitor Center, we got off the shuttle to walk the river at the Court of the Patriarchs. Our plans also included exploring the Kolob Terrace section of the park. When you have finished reviewing the photo gallery below, continue scrolling past the thumbnail images for more descriptive text of our adventure there.

To summarize the Angels Landing hike, it is without doubt one of the most popular and thrilling features at Zion. Know your limits, both physically and psychologically. It’s a pretty hard hike, less so if you stop at Scout Lookout. The scenery is simply stunning. It is no wonder they made this canyon a national park. The Angels Landing Trail is one you should try at least once in your life.

I really liked the option of continuing up the West Rim Trail. It made me feel a lot more comfortable with the cliff edges, yet still offered nearly the same amazing views. You can go a whole lot farther than we did. Just plan your time accordingly.

Kolob Terrace

West of the town of Springdale, about half way to Hurricane is a road that takes you behind the monoliths of the West Rim of Zion Canyon. Known as Kolob Terrace Road, this paved roadway passes in and out of the national park, on BLM land, on private land, on state-owned recreation land… it runs the gamut.

This is also where some of Zion’s famous hiking trails can be found including Wildcat Canyon, The Subway, and Hop Valley to Kolob Arch. Lower Kolob Plateau runs past Tabernacle Dome, past the Red Butte Wilderness, then the road climbs through a twisty gateway to Upper Kolob Plateau with amazing fields of grassland stretching far to the back reaches of Zion Canyon.

One of the features I have always found fascinating about Zion National Park is its famous red roadways. Everywhere there is paved road within the park boundaries, it is stained red to match the Navajo sandstone that is ubiquitous to the region. The Kolob Terrace Road winds back and forth very near the confines of the park, so the road will switch from red to black, back to red, then back to black… all within a mile’s distance.

On the Upper Plateau, when you reach the La Verkin Creek Wilderness look for Lava Point Road off to the right. This 3 mile dirt road will take you to a majestic overlook of the West Rim of Zion Canyon and the Pink Cliffs far distant. Lava Point lives up to its name as there are hundreds, if not thousands, of giant black lava boulders in the area. This is also the location of the northern tralhead for the West Rim Trail, the one we were on past Scout Lookout above.

After checking out Lava Point, if you continue northward on Kolob Terrace Road you will come to Kolob Reservoir, a very popular recreation spot with the boating and fishing afficionados. If was our grand good fortune that we hit this lovely area right at peak autumn aspen color, treating us to a glittering late day display of the golden glow.

Even if you don’t hike any of the trails that are accessible from Kolob Terrace Road, you should at least take a few hours to drive from Hwy 9 to the reservoir. Particularly late in the day, with the sun low in the sky, the red sandstone buttes come alive with color and the large fields of sage and desert grass reach skyward for the last rays of the day. Enjoy the photos!

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

The only trail in Zion National Park that is suitable for wheelchairs, allows your pets to join you, and is also bicycle friendly. Pa’rus is from a Paiute word meaning “bubbling, tumbling water.” Both Oak Creek and Pine Creek cross this paved pathway that winds along the Virgin River between the Visitor Center and Canyon Junction. Ideal for start of day or end of day strolls, the sunset in particular dances off the Navajo sandstone formations that surround the river valley. It’s a great way to warm up your legs for the tougher hikes later, or to wind down with a riverside evening stroll. Every time we go to Zion we take in the Pa’rus. The latest was on Monday, October 13, 2014 beginning at 5:30PM and ending about 7:00PM. Our plan was to catch the sunset.

After riding the shuttle back to the Visitor Center following our hike to Observation Point, we still had some time to savor the sights and sounds of Zion. Immediately, the Pa’rus came to mind. For already tired legs, this simple trail is pure relaxation, especially when enjoying at sunset.

South Campground is directly across the street from the Visitor Center, and so too the Pa’rus. The first quarter mile walks directly through the campground with the Virgin River on your right and the tents and popups on the left. As you clear the camping area, the valley is alive with desert scrub. In mid-October we caught the flowering rabbitbrush and even some desert thorn apple.

Keep your eyes and ears open for the occasion bicycle as they can sneak up on you. Stepping out in front of one would not be pleasant for either of you.

The primary landmarks along the way include the Watchman Tower at the far southern end of Zion and the West Temple and the Sentinel on the west side of the river. Also on the west side is the Zion Human History Museum with the Towers of the Virgin sandstone formations directly behind. There is a particularly scenic spot behind the museum at sunrise, so plan accordingly.

As you get more toward Canyon Junction and the northern end of the Pa’rus, there are several footbridges that cross the Virgin River. I have found from experience over the years that most of the best photographs of the area come from these bridges. There are fewer distractions, and you can look directly down the path of the river as you zero in on the picturesque landmarks in the background.

October is after the rainy season, so there won’t be much whitewater in the river. If you’re looking for that, then it’s best to try the Pa’rus in spring. Low river water conditions do make it ideal, however, for The Narrows in Zion Canyon… one of the best hikes in Zion, if not the world.

What October does offer though, is the bright golden Fall coloring of the cottonwood trees that line the Virgin River. These twisty, gnarly desert poplars love to hang around creeks and rivers and are especially tolerant of floods, a common occurrence in canyon country. The cottonwood is distinguished by its deeply fissured bark and triangular to diamond-shaped leaves that glisten in the sunlight much like the quaking aspen.

When you reach the end of the Pa’rus Trail at Canyon Junction you can return the way you came, or hop on a shuttle bus for a ride back to the Visitor Center. If you’re totally enjoying the stroll along Virgin River, you can continue on into Zion Canyon, but you will no longer have the smooth, paved trail underfoot.

To summarize, the Pa’rus Trail isn’t intended to test your stamina or endurance, or challenge your technical hiking abilities. It is simply a scenic walk along the Virgin River that enables you to relax and enlighten your senses with the Zion experience. It is family and pet friendly, handicapped accessible, and level. It’s for anyone, from 9 months to 90 years. If you visit during the hot summer season be sure to slather on the sunscreen because it is exposed, and always bring water to drink in the desert. I especially recommend the Pa’rus Trail as either a sunrise or sunset excursion.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

Mount Baldy surveys Zion Canyon at 6,521 feet elevation, more than 2,100 feet above the valley floor. Jutting out from Mt. Baldy into one of the widest sections of Zion Canyon, Observation Point commands a view of nearly every major attraction, particularly those like Angels Landing and The Organ at Big Bend. Hikers receive a spectacular vista of the lower end of Zion Canyon, with views even beyond the mouth of the canyon. The hike itself is quite steep, with short sections of relief, including the scenic stroll through beautiful Echo Canyon. This is definitely not a trip for the casual, overweight tourist. However, if paced properly and well-hydrated, this can be a fun and challenging hike with one of the best vistas in all of Zion National Park as the reward. My brother and I tackled the Observation Point Trail on Monday, October 13, 2014 beginning at 7:45AM and ending about 2:00PM. Our plan was to climb the 2,100 feet to Observation Point, then if we had any energy left, try a portion of the Hidden Canyon Trail on the way back down.

In the 1990s Zion was facing significant visitor growth which led to traffic congestion, and mostly, lack of parking at featured landmarks and trails. So in 1997 the park implemented a shuttle bus service to take guests from the Visitor Center to Zion Canyon. It runs every 7 minutes in season with the first scheduled each day at 7:00AM.

Unfortunately, in mid-October it is still pitch dark at 7:00. Therein lies the root of my accident. On the way from the Visitor Center parking to the bus stop I managed to step in a hole. Not your ordinary hole, this one was about a foot deep, and down I went… hard… right on top of a sand burr bush. I was picking those rascally klingons out of my hands and my hip and my butt for the next 30 minutes as the shuttle took us to the trailhead at Weeping Rock.

Not the kind of start I wanted for this exciting day of climbing to Observation Point. My brother and I had been talking about the East Rim of Zion Canyon ever since our first visit to the park in the early 90s. The East Rim Trail, however, requires an overnight and lots and lots of heavy water. When we noticed photos on the Internet taken from Observation Point and learned about the pathway there, this particular hike became one of the reasons why we planned this year’s Utah adventure. Starting it full of burr spurs was not part of the original planning process.

At the trailhead, take the left fork for the 0.4 mile to Weeping Rock. Our hike was on the right fork, to the Hidden Canyon junction, and beyond through Echo Canyon and on to Mt. Baldy and Observation Point. Amazingly, over the decades, the Park Service has managed to semi-pave this trail as it hangs on the sandstone cliffs below the East Rim of Zion Canyon. It doesn’t make the trail wheelchair accessible, far from it, but it does provide some stability to an otherwise treacherous tread.

This hike, for me, was broken into four segments. The first is the initial climb. It’s about a thousand feet of elevation gain up a series of steep switchbacks that climb above the Big Bend section of the Virgin River. The river itself was really down on this mid-October day. The rainy season had long since passed. We were, however, treated to some unexpected Fall coloring in the foliage beside the riverbank and along the trail. The cottonwoods were sprouting their golden Autumn regalia, and the scrub oak on the trail were trying their best to match the palate.

Contained within the bend of the Virgin River are several of the massive Navajo sandstone monoliths that dominate the Zion Canyon landscape. Angels Landing, The Organ, The Great White Throne all surround you as you make the initial ascent back and forth through the switchbacks. About half way up you reach a junction with the Hidden Canyon Trail. Also known for its spectacular beauty, we thought we might give this a shot if we still had any energy left on the way back down.

For now, though, we continued the climb toward Echo Canyon. The dawn was just beginning to strike the tops of the West Rim as well as our destination, Observation Point. The birth of a new day really makes the sandstone glow various shades of gold and orange. While the extreme contrast makes photography truly difficult, this is something you should definitely see with your naked eye. At least one morning during your visit to Zion be sure to arrive in the canyon at dawn for the daybreak light show.

After about an hour we reached the entryway to Echo Canyon, phase II of the hike, and a relief from the continuous climbing out of Zion Canyon. It is a stunning narrow canyon, suspended 1,100 feet above the river and the Valley Road. The trail follows along a shelf above the Echo Canyon floor. Below the trail Echo Canyon drops into an extremely narrow slot, which is a challenging technical route that can be accessed with a canyoneering permit obtainable at the Visitor Center. Be careful, however, during runoff months as the narrow walls of Echo Canyon can produce potentially dangerous torrents.

There was still water contained within the slot as we passed through, creating a picturesque scene at the base of the towering walls. I was amazed at the amount of tree and shrub growth contained in Echo Canyon. It can’t receive more than 30-40 minutes of sunlight each day. Pines, oaks and cottonwoods filled the slot offering a breath of life to the otherwise stark sandstone. We dallied about in Echo Canyon for a half hour marveling at the serene beauty and enjoying the reverberating sounds that give the canyon its name.

If you’ve ever spent any time on the east side of Zion National Park, then you know how the sandstone differs from within the canyon. It is more white than red, and it is grooved and lined from eons of upheaval. As you exit Echo Canyon, that is what the terrain on the back side looks like. Unlike the 1,800 foot, smooth red walls of the main canyon, the back side is white and rounded. So begins section three of the ascent to Observation Point.

Hopefully you got a rest while traversing Echo Canyon because the climb resumes now in earnest. Alternating between sandy and rocky, the trail tread is also still occasionally paved with a kind of unusual cement that was fabricated from the surrounding stone. It definitely helps prevent erosion. About 20 minutes after leaving Echo Canyon we popped above the rim and got our first glimpse down Zion Canyon. What a majestic sight!

Don’t get too overwhelmed with the grandeur before you though. You really need to pay attention now because the trail is going to literally be hanging on The Ledge. Somehow or other, the trail builders decades ago managed to carve out a ledge to walk on out of the sheer white sandstone wall. The Ledge is about five feet wide, just enough for hikers to pass going opposite directions. You don’t want to stumble here, and if you’re subject to vertigo or fear of heights like me, you will probably find your heart in your throat.

I found myself hugging the inside wall and panting in short breaths. It wasn’t from the fatigue of the climb. It’s safe to say I was not in my comfort zone. Somehow I pushed onward though. If I kept my eyes on the pathway just ahead I could avoid seeing the edges and the extreme height. Finally, after about a half hour of clinging to The Ledge, we reached a sandier top that was wider and farther from the precipice.

This upper ledge circles around Mt. Baldy as it climbs to the summit and offers stunning views down canyon. The climb out of Echo Canyon, around the ledge, to the top of Mt. Baldy is about a thousand feet… roughly the same as the initial climb out of Zion Canyon. Once you reach the top, and the 4th section of the hike, the trail is suddenly very sandy. Red and soft, it crosses a wide plateau. It was nice to be away from those darn edges. I felt my heart resume its proper place in my chest.

You will reach a trail junction where the East Mesa Trail comes in from the northeast. Hang a left here for the final half mile to Observation Point. You will wind through scrub on sandy trail, even descend just a bit on the walk out to Observation Point. You will notice the walls of the East and West Rims closing in on you, and then WOW! You’re at Observation Point. This may be the best view in all of Zion Canyon.

Straight ahead of you is the look down canyon that appears at the top of this post. Click it for a larger image. On your right are the cliffs of the West Rim, including the Temple of Sinewava slightly behind you. On your left is the East Rim and a clear view of The Ledge that you climbed to reach this point. If I had known what The Ledge looks like from above while I was on it, I might have turned around. Whoa Nellie! It is quite intimidating, but the workmanship of the crews that built it is truly remarkable.

We stayed on the point for a half hour enjoying lunch and engaging conversation with two different couples from Scotland. While we were there, perhaps another half dozen hikers arrived behind us. Additionally, there was a unique fellow there who we would also encounter a few days later when hiking the North Rim of Grand Canyon. I passed around a few Meanderthals hiking cards and everyone was in complete awe of the scenery that surrounded us. We learned of a back door to Observation Point on the East Mesa Trail that we may consider for any future visits to Zion.

Surprisingly, the descent on The Ledge didn’t bother me as much. Not sure what the psychology involved was, but I didn’t feel nearly as squirmy going down. Perhaps it was because I had now seen it from above. I even passed a few hikers on the precipice side of the trail without batting an eye. There were lots of people going up as we were coming down, so another reason to start the hike as early as possible.

The sun was now overhead, so the canyon walls were not nearly as constrasted, making for easier photos. Hopefully all the myriad of pictures below won’t overwhelm you, but I wanted to show the lighting difference between the morning ascent and the afternoon descent. Echo Canyon even had a little bit of sunlight beaming on the orange walls.

When we reached the Hidden Canyon junction, it was still early enough in the day, so we decided to at least check out “the chains.” We had heard this was another of those intimidating trails that just hangs on a cliff, and in this case, even requires chains to pull yourself to safety. We at least wanted to see if it was something that phobia wouldn’t prevent us from doing.

There’s lots more climbing right off the bat once you get on the Hidden Canyon Trail. It was about a half mile to where the chains start, and while it was definitely on a razor edge, it really didn’t look any worse than what we had done earlier on the way to Observation Point. We asked a descending hiker how far it was to reach Hidden Canyon and they said about 45 more minutes and another 500 feet up.

With nearly 2,500 feet already on our legs and lungs, we decided to call it a day and return to Hidden Canyon sometime in the future. I understand it is quite beautiful, so I look forward to an exploration. At least we found out “the chains” apparently won’t be totally unnerving. On the way back down to the valley floor we saw scores of tourists lining the Weeping Rock observation alcove. I smugly thought to myself that I had made it all the way 2,000 feet higher to Observation Point and back. If they only knew what they were missing.

Now that Angels Landing and The Organ were in sunlight, they took on a different appearance. That’s one of the pleasures of canyon hiking. Because of the extreme heights on canyon walls, the lighting offers different characteristics each time you witness the spectacles. Time of day, even time of year, will make for a unique presentation.

In summary, Observation Point isn’t for everyone. If you have an extreme fear of heights or vertigo, forget it. If you aren’t in very good hiking and aerobic condition, forego this one. It is hard, and dry, and potentially dangerous. Keep in mind that you are in high desert. The air is very dry, and you will need to carry enough water for at least six hours. Wear good hiking footwear with plenty of grip because a slip could be all she wrote.

If I haven’t talked you out of it, then by all means you have to do Observation Point at least once in your life. The views of Zion Canyon are amazing. You will feel a sense of accomplishment as you sit on the point and survey the magnificence that surrounds you. The sandstone features of Zion Canyon are immense. The height difference from the rims to the valley floor is impressive, and even foreboding. I was anxious most of the time I was on the point, yet I’m completely glad I did this… even with a bush full of spurs in my butt. You will be too.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

This hike has a reputation for being one of the best in the country, for good reason. The scenery, the environment, the trail (or lack thereof) are all unique and awe inspiring. You are actually hiking in the Virgin River through what is known as The Narrows in Zion Canyon. Steep sandstone cliffs rise a thousand feet or more on both sides of the river. The colors in the rock are stimulating. As the limited light strikes the river and the sandstone, glows can range from hues of gold and copper, to pink, orange and red. The vegetation that clings to the rock walls and stands sturdy against the rushing torrent of flash floods is a brilliant shade of green. The only sounds you hear are the rush of the river and the beat of your own heart. My brother and I took the plunge in The Narrows beginning at 7:30AM and ending about 2:00PM on July 16, 2009. The plan was to take the Zion National Park shuttle from the Visitor Center to the Temple of Sinewava, then hike the Riverwalk trail to the end where you enter the river and The Narrows begins. Our goal was to reach Orderville Canyon, or until we got tired, then return the way we came.

View The Narrows in Zion Canyon in a larger map

I would be remiss if I didn’t talk first about a number of very important warnings relative to hiking The Narrows. This isn’t just any ol’ hike through the forest on your cousin’s farm. It is in a river! There is cold, rushing water. You might fall down and get yourself, your camera, and your pride soaking wet. It is in a very narrow canyon, less than 50 feet wide. If there are storms upstream, there can be flash floods in the canyon while you are in it. Not a good thing! You must be extremely cognizant of the weather in the area before you begin this hike, and not just in the national park, but even 50 miles north, upstream of the canyon. The best season to do this is during the hottest part of the year, July-September. Otherwise the water will be very cold, and probably too deep. During summer months the water temperature is bearable, and the river is mostly knee deep with a couple stretches to your chest. You will need at least one hiking stick or trekking pole, if not two. I promise you that the river current will knock you down all day long if you do not have poles to lean on when crossing the stream. You must have sturdy water boots and even neoprene socks if possible. Leave the flip-flops and sneakers in the car. The stones on the river bed are very slick and smooth and make it like walking on wet bowling balls. You will hurt your feet and ankles without proper footwear. If you have a camera or other expensive electronic equipment, it is also a good idea to carry them in a dry bag.

Still with me? Do you still want to do this? Well good, because it is one of the most enjoyable things I have ever done. If you cherish the peace and solitude that nature offers, and go to wild areas to get away from the madding crowds, then you probably want to be at the trailhead ready to hit the river at dawn. We did, and we didn’t see or hear another soul for the first two hours we were in the river. Our photos did not have hundreds of other tourists in them, only the beauty of Zion Canyon. We arrived at the Zion Visitors Center about 6:30AM, were on one of the first shuttles up the canyon road, and had hiked the mile up The Riverwalk to step in the river by 7:30. The first thing I noticed was the cold water. It isn’t unbearably cold, but it will get your attention. I got used to it after about 15 minutes. Then there’s the river stones. They are round and slick, and they moved when I stepped on them, so the footing was immediately treacherous. I learned quickly to pay attention.

Right off the bat, in the first quarter mile, the river tested my resolve. We reached a stretch around a bend where there was just the river and two sheer sandstone walls, and the water looked deeper than we had seen. I inched forward and it kept getting deeper, eventually rising to my waist, and then higher. I was prepared to swim if need be, but not really what I had in mind. I took my pack off, held it above my head and kept going. The water eventually reached my chest, but then I could see a rocky bank not far ahead. It got no deeper, and the reward for pushing through was the remarkable sight in the picture at the top of this post. The early morning sun was striking the wet cliff wall just right to create a shimmering golden glow that left me breathless. My brother and I paused for several minutes to stare at the remarkable light show created by the sun, stone, and water. The rest of the hike, the water never again got above my thighs.

Much of this hike involved crossing the swift river from sandbar to sandbar. Most up canyon progress is made on the sandbars, usually not more than a couple hundred feet long. Occasionally we would happen upon one that had several trees and shrubs on it that were protected from onrushing floods by a bend in the stream. Even though the summer temperature in the rest of Zion National Park was well into the nineties, it was a very comfortable low 70s in The Narrows. We did have to watch for hypothermia from the combination of cold water and cooler air temp. We didn’t see any other people for the first two hours, then a couple of teens with more vigor than us caught up from behind and passed us. It was a surprise at first to hear voices other than our own echoing off the canyon walls. Another half hour later, we encountered the first hikers coming downstream from the north trailhead at Chamberlain’s Ranch. The full length of The Narrows canyon is 16 miles. Those who do the complete hike from north to south usually take two days and camp overnight.

The deeper into the canyon we hiked, the narrower the walls became, sometimes no more than 20 feet across. About 11:00 we reached Orderville Canyon. We went up Orderville two hundred yards to look around, then came back. We pulled up a nice piece of sand and enjoyed our lunch. It didn’t take long for the crowds that were behind us to begin catching up. We spoke with two dozen teenagers who were from a youth group in Louisiana. The chaperones were a little flustered trying to keep up with the youthful exuberance. There were groups of two and four who passed us, then it got pretty regular in just the twenty minutes we were enjoying lunch. When we finished, we only went another 1/4 mile upstream, a total of about three miles from the end of The Riverwalk.

Best HikeIt didn’t take us nearly as long to get back, as the crowd in the river kept getting bigger and bigger, and we simply didn’t stop for pictures. We noticed a lot of people who didn’t prepare. There were those with very young, crying children who didn’t realize what they were getting into. I saw several with nothing but flip-flops on their feet who had stopped to rub, and complain about the tortuous rocks. Forgive me, but I couldn’t help but chuckle at those who were taking a bath because they were trying to cross the current without a stick. I know, call me smug. There were also those who were prepared. We passed a number of large groups who had all stopped at the local outfitter shop to rent shoes, socks, and poles. When we returned, the golden wall had lost its glow, and the deep wade didn’t seem quite as bad because I learned to stay right up against the rock wall. Even the hundreds of people couldn’t remove the smile from my face. It was a great day, and I would label this one a best hike.

My brother put a 10 minute video together.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bhIh3f_xxc&w=640&rel=0]

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.