Of the many absolutely amazing American National Parks found in Utah, Zion National Park is the best. Set in the southwest corner of Utah where the Mojave Desert meets the Colorado Plateau and the Great Basin makes for a natural wonder that has no equal in the country.
Packed with amazing natural scenes and wildlife it is a must visit. The main canyon is best experienced in the early morning or later afternoon when the sunlight bounces off the canyon walls and long shadows move across the landscape. Like any must visit National Park Zion has some amazing trails, here are the best trails in Zion National Park.
Angels Landing
Angels Landing has to be the most famous hike in Zion national park. The views and dizzying drop offs are all over social media and news stories of it being . Those views make you work for them, the two and a half mile trail climbs 1500 feet. The first half of the trails isn’t easy but it is easier than the second half. Initially the trail is pretty flat on the floor of the canyon before climbing aggressively up some real narrow switch backs.
Second half involves lots of scrambling up rocks and clinging to the famous chains. The almost 360 degree views of the canyon are well worth the climb and the heights, unlike anywhere else in the park.
The Narrows
Prefer to stay away from the heights and would rather get your feet wet. No problem Zion has the trail for you. The Narrows is a hike up the river that eventually gets very narrow thus the name. As the walls get closer and the sliver of daylight gets smaller the views become breathtaking.
Most of the water is ankle deep and there is some dry land here and there. Be sure to have good shoes and bring a stick for balance. The full hike can be 16 miles but if you start from the bottom you can see the most impressive parts of the canyon in about 2-3 miles.
Emerald Pools Trail
One of the most popular trails in Zion thanks to no heights or rivers to deal with. Emerald pools visits several beautiful pools that have a bright emerald color. Its a short hike that is good for all faimly members young and old alike. The distance is variable depending on how many pools you’d like to see. To just see the lower pool the hike would be a little over one mile to see them all you would be closer to two and a half miles with only moderate elevation gain.
Canyon Overlook Trail
This short trail brings hikers to some of the best and more easily reached views in the park. At only a mile round trip the canyon overlook trail is just a short walk and a good way to stretch the legs when you get to the park before setting out on some of the longer and more demanding trails. The trail head for the overlook is right next to the Mount Carmel tunnel and the parking is limited so arrive early. But that okay because getting there early to see the morning sunlight reveal the canyon is the best time to enjoy the overlook.
West Rim Trail
The longest and most strenuous trail on this list. The west rim trail is a fourteen mile trail with over 1000 feet of elevation gain onto the rim. When compared to the other trails west rim is not a busy, mostly due to the fitness and time required to complete in a day. Can’t go fourteen in a day? That’s okay, the west rim can also be backpacked over two days. No matter how long it takes you the west rim is a gorgeous hike. With many stunning views looking over the canyon during the second half.