5 Breathtaking Hikes That Will Make A Special First Time In Zion National Park

November 23, 2020 by Erica

While staying in Utah, we picked Kanab’s home base because it is only 30 minutes from Zion National Park. There are so many beautiful places in Southern Utah, but Zion is an extraordinary place. We went on two separate days and loved 5 hikes listed below, in no particular order.

Zion NP Travel Tip: Most of these trails are in the canyon, which you will most likely need shuttle tickets for due to Covid- check the website for the most up to date information. When we were booking tickets, they were released at 9am MST on the 2nd and 16th of each month. They are only $1 but sell out quick. We recommend booking a bunch, so you have flexibility in your travel time. We also learned that the parking lot fills up by 9am, so it is a good idea to get there early, even if your shuttle time isn’t until a bit later.

1. Watchman Trail

This is a moderate hike that has excellent views of some of the tallest mountains in the park. The trailhead is right near the Visitor Center and follows alongside the Virgin River for a short while. It then crosses a road, after which the ascent begins. The incline is mild at first, but we quickly warmed up as we move into some steeper sections. A short loop at the top of this trail provides the best views of The Watchman, which guards the south entrance of the park. We did this hike in the snow, and it was truly magical. While this isn’t typically a must-do in the park, it is a great trail if you don’t have shuttle tickets (see travel tip above) or have some time to kill before your designated shuttle time.

2. West Rim Trail

The West Rim Trail is accessible from The Grotto shuttle stop. This is a strenuous hike that leads to Scout’s Landing, where Angel’s Landing hike begins, and beyond. This trail is tiring right from the start, with steep switchbacks that climb up the cliffside. We worked up a sweat on the initial incline and were happy to reach Refrigerator Canyon with its cool breeze. The relief doesn’t last long before hitting Walter’s Wiggles, a series of short steep switchbacks that ascend to Scout’s Lookout. It is here where the first view of the hike to Angel’s Landing comes into focus. If you are brave enough to attempt this terrifying hike, skip ahead.

If you would prefer to bypass Angel’s Landing, the West Rim Trail continues, but not many hikers do. The views from beyond Scout’s Landing are incredible. We would advise anyone who makes it there to continue on, mainly because we had this trail almost all to ourselves. Andrew even had a chance to chat with a few climbers getting ready to repel down the cliff sides. This trail continues for 14 miles. We turned around when it started heading away from the main canyon. However, if you are a backpacker and wish to continue, there are campsites you can get a permit for.

3. Angel’s Landing

Once making it up the West Rim Trail switchbacks and arriving at Scout’s Lookout, the chains that lead to Angel’s Landing are visible. This is not a hike for anyway with a fear of heights or who doesn’t have stable balance. The trail is very exposed in some sections and requires a fair bit of steep scrambling. Several people have died on this trail just because of a wrong step or stumble.

Immediately after embarking on this trail is the first set of chains. If this seems scary, it is just the beginning. There are later sections that are not much broader than a foot and a bit of climbing with several thousand-foot drops on either side. Thankfully the chains are in the most challenging areas, so there is a small sense of security.

Erica is quite scared of heights but braved it all the way to the top. If you are like her and want to beat that fear, just keep moving and don’t look down. Andrew even admitted that it was pretty scary. He is an adrenaline junkie, so this is certainly not for the faint of heart. Making it to the top made it all worth it, but we were almost immediately ready to come down and be on solid ground.

Unfortunately, there is only one way up and the same way down. However, we both found it a lot less sketchy going down. It is pretty easy to just sit down if you feel wobbly, whereas going up, the risk of stumbling is much greater. The worst part of this being such a narrow out-and-back is that it bottlenecks while waiting for people coming in the other direction. We were on the first shuttle into the canyon at 7 am and did this first thing. Because we arrived so early, we were relatively alone going up. Still, plenty of groups had to wait on us coming down, so we would recommend going as early as possible.

4. Kayenta Trail to Middle and Upper Emerald Pools

This hike can be accessed from Zion Lodge or The Grotto shuttle stops. We started at The Grotto. Across the street from the bus stop, there is a small bridge crossing the Virgin River. The trail forks- going right heads to the West Rim Trail, and Angel’s Landing, while heading left, heads down Kayenta Trail, which is much more relaxed.

This trail has excellent views of the canyon valley, with moderate inclines. Eventually, the path will split, either descending to the Lower Emerald Pools or continuing to the Middle Emerald Pool. We decided to walk down to the Lower Pool viewpoint but weren’t too impressed, so we climbed back up and continued on to the Middle. There is a quick out-and-back along the Upper Emerald Pool trail, which is short but has steep inclines. There is a pretty natural pool at the top of this trail, which was very crowded when we arrived. After returning to the main path, we continued to Zion Lodge, pausing again for the canyon’s more beautiful views.

5. The Narrows via Riverside Walk

The Riverside Walk starts at the very last shuttle stop when coming from the visitor center- Temple of Sinawava. This is a very populated trail, as it is effortless but stunning. We did this walk both times we came to the park- once in the snow and once on a beautiful sunny day. It was gorgeous both days.

Once at the end of the paved trail, The Narrows begins. The Narrows is a hike through the river into the most narrow part of Zion Canyon. On our first trip, Andrew did this on his own, taking off his shoes and braving the frigid water and rocky river bottom barefoot. The second time we came to the park, we were no more prepared but decided to do it anyway. We rolled up our pants and dunked our hiking boots into the chilly river. We waded all the way up to our waists to a part where just rock walls line the river corridor. It was cold, but it was worth it!

Don’t Make our Mistake- Come Prepared! Plenty of companies rent out waterproof gear and walking sticks to properly access this trail. We would recommend renting some instead of hoping you don’t get hypothermia and waiting days for your boots to dry out.