Best Hikes in Zion National Park – easy to challenging and the best views
This is your full guide to the best hikes in Zion National Park – there are honestly so many different routes and trails for hikers and walkers of all abilities so you won’t be limited choice. I’m going to give you the low down on the best hikes to do in Zion, especially if it’s warm during the spring summer or autumn.
Make sure you do the Narrows Hike OR the Angels Landing. If you’re after something easy but scenic, check out the Riverside walk.
The Narrows Hike is quite unlike any hike in all Utah there’s something quite special about hiking through the water in the middle of canyons.
It also gets extremely hot in the summer (and spring and autumn), meaning that the shade from the canyons a blessed respite and the water rushing through your ankles is a cool treat.
If the narrows doesn’t sound up your street, have a look below for some of the other great trails in the region. One of the most beautiful hikes is the Angels Landing and it’s got the most incredible views of almost any National Park.
There are also a number of FREE trails you can do that are still within the Zion National Park zone, but you don’t have to pay for.
This Zion travel guide will cover everything from hikes the shuttle bus length duration difficulty and more.
There’s also a couple of tours that you should do such as the Zion stargazing which you’ll find in the mini guide. There’s tonnes of sites not to miss across the park, including the Mount Carmel Tunnel.
If you’re doing a Utah Road Trip, it’s worth having a look at my other articles, you might be interested in Glamping in Zion, Fort Zion the old western trading post, or the Bentonite Hills.
Quick Mini Guide To Zion
Don’t have a lot of time? Here’s a quick mini guide to Zion National Park.
Where to stay
- The Cliffrose Springdale Hotel by Hilton
- I have a full list of luxury glamping sites in Zion here – fancy tents & wagons!
Best Hikes & when to go
Riverside walk, the Narrows Hike or Angels Landing.
It’s best to go in Spring or Autumn. The summer becomes very hot & busy, so hike after 4pm.
Zion Entry Fee
$35 per vehicle up to 15 people.
Car rental
Public transport is limited so car rental is your best option. Consider getting a 4×4 for the dirt roads.
Best Tours
- The Zion Narrows Hike with Lunch
- Stargazing tour
- Off roading ATV sunset tour
- Helicopter Tour
- Angels Landing – likely to sell out though!
This blog post may contain affiliate links.
This blog post may contain affiliate links.
Best hikes in Zion National Park
Zion is one of the most incredible national parks in all of the USA and it’s not hard to see why.
Before you start, have a look at the shuttle bus info at the bottom – you’re very unlikely to get anywhere without it, especially in peak visiting times.
As soon as you arrive, you are dwarfed by gigantic canyons that loom over you on either side and the hikes in between the canyons or on top are simply breathtaking because the views are just unreal.
There are a ton of different Zion National Park hiking trails that you can choose from so have a look at each hike and check the difficulty, length and duration to see what works for you.
The narrows hike Zion National Park
The narrows hike is probably my favourite hike in all of Zion simply because it’s so different it’s very unique the view spectacular and the difficulty level is fairly easy as long as you are confident walking on top of small rocks.
We also hiked Zion National Park in the heat of summer where it is around 108 or 109°F/42°C and frankly it’s pretty unbearable with the Sun beating down on you in the midday sun.
You get a lot of shade thanks to the canyons that rise and tower up above you and the cool mountain water is so refreshing. It’s honestly the loveliest feeling.
I genuinely loved the narrows hike and I would recommend everybody to do it. Space and Canyons in the narrows is also quite wide so we never found that it was particularly crowded and as soon as you leave the entry point the area becomes a little bit more and you’re able to enjoy it without crowds.
To get to the narrows, get the shuttle bus from the visitor centre to the last stop, which is stop nine also known as the Temple of Sinawava.
Hiring Water hiking gear
I would definitely recommend wearing some water shoes – we rented some scuba socks and some water boots and a hiking pole. I kind of thought we probably didn’t need any of this equipment and boy was wrong.
Hiking poll actually incredibly useful because as you’re waiting through the water it can really help especially where there are slight current and you can put the pole in between rocks in the water to help you manoeuvre and stay balanced.
We also saw some people trying to arrows barefoot without any proper shoes and I would strongly advise against this. It made our experience so pleasant and we simply rented our national park for a few hours.
The water boots were actually extremely comfortable.
We rented our gear from the bike shop, which I will talk about a little more at the bottom of this article.
There are lots of beautiful stops along the way you’ll see waterfalls and little shaded areas where you can stop and rest the entire hike isn’t completely in water.
The last thing is that the narrows hike is a there and back hike so you can simply hike as long as you wish before turning back. The full hike to the end of the canyon can take up to 12 hours and back but we simply did a couple of hours in the afternoon/evening as the heat was getting a bit more bearable.
Best Hikes in Zion National Park
Angels Landing & Observation Point Trail
- Difficulty: Strenuous
- Distance: 5.4 miles round trip
- Elevation Gain: 1,488 feet
- Highlights: Offers panoramic views of Zion Canyon. The final ascent includes a narrow ridge with steep drop-offs on either side, providing an adrenaline-pumping experience.
If you’re up for a challenge and aren’t afraid of heights, Angels Landing is a must. The views from the top are absolutely worth the effort and the thrill of the final climb is something you’ll never forget. You’ll be holding onto chains as you peer over the edge of some pretty steep cliffs, but it’s quite simply, unlike anything else you’ll experience.
The Narrows
- Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
- Distance: Variable, up to 16 miles round trip – go as far as you want and turn back.
- Elevation Gain: Minimal
- Highlights: Hike through the Virgin River, surrounded by towering canyon walls. You can choose to hike a short section from the bottom up or get a permit for the top-down route.
Walking through The Narrows is like stepping into another world. You’re literally hiking in the river, with towering canyon walls on either side. It’s an experience you don’t want to miss, and it’s quite unlike any other hike I’ve done in the USA. I would say it’s easy, but the little rocks in the stream can be tricky for some.
Riverside Trail / RUS trail
You need to do the Riverside Walk to reach the Narrows. It’s very gentle, almost no elevation and easy to walk with the best views.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Distance: 2.2 miles round trip (1 mile there, 1 mile back)
- Elevation Gain: 57 feet
- Highlights: A paved trail that follows the Virgin River, ending at the start of The Narrows. Accessible and perfect for all ages and abilities.
For a super easy and beautiful walk, do the Riverside Walk. It’s perfect for all ages and abilities and leads you right to the start of The Narrows. This is one of the best hikes in Zion National Park for beginners! It’s super easy, one of the best hikes in Zion National Park for kids.
Observation Point
- Difficulty: Strenuous
- Distance: 8 miles round trip
- Elevation Gain: 2,148 feet
- Highlights: Provides some of the best views in the park, including a bird’s-eye view of Angels Landing. Less crowded than Angels Landing, offering a more peaceful experience.
If you want incredible views without the crowds of Angels Landing, head to Observation Point. The hike is tough, but the panoramic scenery at the top is out of this world.
Emerald Pools
- Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
- Distance: 1.2 to 3 miles round trip
- Elevation Gain: 70 to 350 feet
- Highlights: Features three pools (Lower, Middle, and Upper) with waterfalls and lush vegetation. A great family-friendly hike.
For a relaxing and scenic hike, check out the Emerald Pools. It’s perfect for anyone, really, as it’s fairly easy and you’ll spot a beautiful mix of waterfalls and greenery.
Canyon Overlook Trail
- Difficulty: Easy
- Distance: 1 mile round trip
- Elevation Gain: 163 feet
- Highlights: Short but sweet, offering stunning views of the lower Zion Canyon and Pine Creek Canyon. Ideal for a quick, rewarding hike.
If you’re short on time but still want a killer view, the Canyon Overlook Trail is perfect. It’s a quick hike with an amazing payoff at the end.
Hidden Canyon
- Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
- Distance: 3 miles round trip
- Elevation Gain: 850 feet
- Highlights: A trail that leads to a narrow, hidden canyon. The hike includes some scrambling and chains for support, making it an adventurous option.
Hidden Canyon is a bit off the beaten path and totally worth it. You’ll get a bit of adventure with some scrambling and chains, leading to a secluded canyon.
Kolob Arch
- Difficulty: Strenuous
- Distance: 14 miles round trip
- Elevation Gain: 1,037 feet
- Highlights: Features one of the world’s largest freestanding arches. Located in the less-visited Kolob Canyons section of the park, providing a more secluded experience.
If you’re up for a long hike and want to see something unique, check out Kolob Arch. It’s one of the largest arches in the world and the trail is much quieter than the main parts of Zion.
West Rim Trail
- Difficulty: Strenuous
- Distance: 14.2 miles one-way (can be done as a shorter out-and-back hike)
- Elevation Gain: 3,100 feet
- Highlights: Offers incredible views of Zion Canyon and the surrounding landscape. This trail can be done as a long day hike or as a multi-day backpacking trip with a permit.
If you want to experience Zion’s backcountry, the West Rim Trail is perfect. It’s a long and rewarding hike with some of the best views in the park.
Watchman Trail
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Distance: 3.3 miles round trip
- Elevation Gain: 368 feet
- Highlights: Provides excellent views of Zion Canyon, the Towers of the Virgin, and Springdale. It’s a great hike to do if you’re staying near the park’s main entrance.
For a moderate hike with beautiful views close to the park entrance, try the Watchman Trail. It’s not too difficult and offers fantastic scenery.
Taylor Creek Trail
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Distance: 5 miles round trip
- Elevation Gain: 450 feet
- Highlights: Located in the Kolob Canyons section, this trail follows a creek to the Double Arch Alcove. It’s a less crowded hike with beautiful canyon views.
Head to the Kolob Canyons section for the Taylor Creek Trail. It’s a moderate hike along a creek that leads to the stunning Double Arch Alcove.
Hidden Canyon Trail
- Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
- Distance: 3 miles round trip
- Elevation Gain: 850 feet
- Highlights: A trail that leads to a narrow, hidden canyon. The hike includes some scrambling and chains for support, making it an adventurous option.
Hidden Canyon is a bit off the beaten path and totally worth it. You’ll get a bit of adventure with some scrambling and chains, leading to a secluded canyon.
Pa’rus Trail
- Difficulty: Easy
- Distance: 3.5 miles round trip
- Elevation Gain: Minimal
- Highlights: A paved, accessible trail along the Virgin River. It’s great for families, cyclists, and anyone looking for a leisurely walk with beautiful scenery.
For an easy and accessible walk, the Pa’rus Trail is great. It’s paved and follows the Virgin River, perfect for a relaxing stroll with lovely views.
La Verkin Creek Trail
- Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
- Distance: 14 miles round trip
- Elevation Gain: 1,000 feet
- Highlights: Located in the Kolob Canyons section, this trail leads to Kolob Arch. It’s a longer hike but offers a peaceful and less crowded experience.
If you’re up for a longer hike, the La Verkin Creek Trail takes you to Kolob Arch. It’s a beautiful, less crowded trail in the Kolob Canyons section.
East Rim Trail
- Difficulty: Strenuous
- Distance: 10.8 miles one-way
- Elevation Gain: 2,400 feet
- Highlights: This trail offers stunning views from the eastern edge of the park, descending into Zion Canyon. It can be done as a long day hike or a backpacking trip.
The East Rim Trail is perfect for a strenuous hike with incredible views. You’ll get a unique perspective of Zion from the eastern edge of the park.
Zion shuttlebus
But before you start, you should know about the Shuttle Bus. First of all, it’s included in the price of your ticket, so use it! The National Park Service (NPS) plays a huge role in preserving Zion National Park and this helps keep the flow of visitors pain free.
It’s no secret that Zion National Park is super popular and that’s probably an understatement to be honest.
It can get pretty crowded in the mornings with keen hikers and sightseers queueing up outside the National park and for this reason they’ve sorted a shuttle bus to take guests up and down the trails and there are nine stops in total that the shuttle bus will make.
During peak times the shuttle bus from the visitor Centre up to the last stop which is top nine can take up to around 45 minutes but if you go off peak then you might find that it’s only 20 minutes this really depends on how many guests are in the park at that time and how busy it is.
The shuttle bus runs every 10 minutes from the Visitor centre and is free for guest to use the first bus in the morning starts at 6am and the last bus starts at 8:15 but it’s best to check the timetable here.
Zion National Park Shuttle Bus System
It’s probably no surprise that Zion is super busy. I’m talking crazy busy, especially in the peak months of summer. The shuttle bus is an absolute necessary.
From the Visitors Centre to Stop 8, it takes around 30-45 minutes. This depends heavily on how many tourists there are. It took us 25-30 minutes as we went towards the end of the day.
There are two shuttle bus routes. The main one you’ll need is the canyon shuttle that takes you to all the hikes.
- Zion Canyon Shuttle: This is the main shuttle route that runs through Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, stopping at various trailheads and viewpoints, including stops for popular hikes like Angels Landing, The Narrows, and Emerald Pools.
- Springdale Shuttle: This shuttle connects the town of Springdale with the Zion Visitor Center, making it convenient for visitors staying outside the park to access the main shuttle system.
Shuttle Bus Stops and Corresponding Hikes in Zion National Park
- Stop 1: Zion Canyon Visitor Center
- Access to:
- Emerald Pools Trail (Lower, Middle, and Upper Emerald Pools)
- Kayenta Trail
- The Grotto (start of Angels Landing and West Rim Trail)
- Access to:
- Stop 2: Zion Human History Museum
- Access to:
- Pa’rus Trail (accessible and scenic walk along the Virgin River)
- Access to:
- Stop 3: Canyon Junction
- Access to:
- Scenic Drive continuation towards The Narrows and Temple of Sinawava
- Access to:
- Stop 4: Court of the Patriarchs
- Access to:
- Overlook Trail to view the Court of the Patriarchs
- Access to:
- Stop 5: The Grotto
- Access to:
- Angels Landing Trail (via West Rim Trail)
- Kayenta Trail
- Access to:
- Stop 6: Weeping Rock
- Access to:
- Weeping Rock Trail
- Access to:
- Stop 7: Big Bend
- Scenic viewpoint along Zion Canyon Scenic Drive
- Stop 8: Temple of Sinawava
- Access to:
- Riverside Walk (start of The Narrows hike)
- Gateway to The Narrows (requires walking Riverside Walk first)
- Access to:
Operation
- When: from early spring to autumn. The exact dates will vary each year based on weather and how many visitors are visiting.
- Frequency: shuttles run frequently (every 10-15 minutes, depending on the time of year).
- Accessibility: The shuttles are accessible for visitors with disabilities and are equipped to accommodate wheelchairs and strollers.
- Arrive Early: Especially during peak season, you can be queuing for a while.
Weather in Utah
Be wary of the weather in Utah, it’s so diverse! In the winter, it is literally freezing.
In the summer it is literally boiling, and it can actually be difficult to be out in the middle of the day. Whatever the time of year you visit, be prepared, whether that’s water bottles, or extra layers to keep warm.
Utah Weather in January
- Average temperature: -1°C (30°F)
- Average rainy days: 5
- Average daylight hours: 10
- Average sunrise time: 7:45 AM
- Average sunset time: 5:30 PM
Utah Weather in February
- Average temperature: 2°C (35°F)
- Average rainy days: 5
- Average daylight hours: 11
- Average sunrise time: 7:30 AM
- Average sunset time: 6:00 PM
Utah Weather in March
- Average temperature: 7°C (45°F)
- Average rainy days: 6
- Average daylight hours: 12
- Average sunrise time: 7:00 AM
- Average sunset time: 6:30 PM
Utah Weather in April
- Average temperature: 11°C (52°F)
- Average rainy days: 6
- Average daylight hours: 13
- Average sunrise time: 6:30 AM
- Average sunset time: 7:30 PM
Utah Weather in May
- Average temperature: 16°C (61°F)
- Average rainy days: 5
- Average daylight hours: 14
- Average sunrise time: 6:00 AM
- Average sunset time: 8:00 PM
Utah Weather in June
- Average temperature: 21°C (70°F)
- Average rainy days: 3
- Average daylight hours: 15
- Average sunrise time: 5:45 AM
- Average sunset time: 8:45 PM
Utah Weather in July
- Average temperature: 26°C (79°F)
- Average rainy days: 4
- Average daylight hours: 15
- Average sunrise time: 6:00 AM
- Average sunset time: 8:45 PM
Utah Weather in August
- Average temperature: 24°C (75°F)
- Average rainy days: 4
- Average daylight hours: 14
- Average sunrise time: 6:30 AM
- Average sunset time: 8:30 PM
Utah Weather in September
- Average temperature: 19°C (66°F)
- Average rainy days: 4
- Average daylight hours: 12
- Average sunrise time: 7:00 AM
- Average sunset time: 7:30 PM
Utah Weather in October
- Average temperature: 12°C (54°F)
- Average rainy days: 4
- Average daylight hours: 11
- Average sunrise time: 7:30 AM
- Average sunset time: 6:30 PM
Utah Weather in November
- Average temperature: 5°C (41°F)
- Average rainy days: 4
- Average daylight hours: 10
- Average sunrise time: 7:00 AM
- Average sunset time: 5:00 PM
Utah Weather in December
- Average temperature: -1°C (30°F)
- Average rainy days: 5
- Average daylight hours: 9
- Average sunrise time: 7:30 AM
- Average sunset time: 5:00 PM
Certainly a bucket list Utah Road Trip. Have a look at my other USA articles that you might find interesting:
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