Area Activities

In the Zion National Park area we offer Jeep tours and a variety of other activity options through our sister company, Zion Rock & Mountain Guides. We can accommodate guided or un-guided adventures for individuals, families, friends and small groups. Visit the listings below to learn more about these guided adventures that take place in the area surrounding Zion National Park.

Hiking      Mountain Biking      Canyoneering      Rock Climbing      Zion Narrows Outfitting

Entertainment:
In Springdale, gateway community to Zion National Park you'll enjoy the Zion Canyon Giant Screen Theater (IMAX films). In summer the OC Tanner Amphitheater offers entertainment (mostly weekends).

Dining:
There are many good restaurants in the Zion / Springdale area. We recommend you consider some of these listed below.
- The Flying Monkey

What to do in Zion:
While visiting Zion National Park, other than a jeep tour you may enjoy, hiking, mountain biking, canyoneering, rock climbing and other activities. Some of the best places to walk or hike within the park are as follows:

Zion National Park Hiking Trails

The Canyon Overlook offers an easy hike that begins just east of the Zion-Mt. Carmel tunnel. The one-mile round-trip walk offers a birds-eye view of lower Zion National Park. You'll be looking down from an elevation of 5,300 feet to the valley floor at approximately 4,000 feet. This enjoyable hike has a minor 163 foot elevation gain, and offers a welcome substitute for those preferring not to exert themselves on trails such as Observation Point and Angels Landing.

The Observation Point trail begins at the parking lot for Weeping Rock and follows steep switchbacks along the East Rim Trail in Zion National Park. The trail then veers off into the red Navajo sandstone walls of Echo Canyon. From the summit at 6,508 feet, there are remarkable views of many other formations, including the West Rim to the right (Angels Landing, Court of the Patriarchs, and Cathedral Mountain) and the East Rim to the left (Cable Mountain, the Great White Throne, and the Watchman). The entire trail (round-trip) is eight miles and is considered one of the most challenging in Zion National Park (steep, 2,100-foot elevation gain).

The Weeping Rock Trail (½ mile round-trip) is the shortest hike / walk in Zion National Park, with a moderate elevation gain of 98 feet. The paved trail begins just east of the Weeping Rock shuttle stop, and sits in the shadow of the Great White Throne. The trail ends beneath a mossy rock alcove where hanging gardens of natural foliage thrive. From the Weeping Rock alcove you can see Observation Point. The “weeping” or water comes from Echo Canyon above. In Zion National Park rain and snow melt seeps down through the softer sandstone and hits an impermeable shale layer that forces water out of the porous sandstone walls.

 

Lower Emerald Pool trail is a family-friendly hike that begins at the footbridge adjacent to Zion Lodge. The .6-mile paved trail wanders along the edge of the Virgin River beneath cottonwood and box elder trees. The trail ends where two waterfalls spill over a 90 foot cliff from Middle Pool. The hike to Middle Emerald Pool continues the trail, along a rocky sandstone track, with a more strenuous 100-foot elevation gain over .4 miles. At the top of this Zion National Park hiking trail there are two pools fed by water from Behunin Canyon and Heaps Canyon. From this point, you'll see views of Red Arch and Cathedral Mountains. For Upper Emerald Pools, you can follow the ridge between the two Middle Pools. The steep, rugged trail includes an elevation gain of 350 feet (.5 mile), but the views at the top make it all worthwhile. Following the hiking trail to all three pools is a three mile trip.

The Angels Landing Trail offers one of the most thrilling hikes in Zion National Park. This trail is paved for approximately 50% of the trip and ascends a summit 1500 feet above the canyon floor. The strenuous round-trip hike (5 miles) begins at the Grotto Picnic area. The first two miles of the trail follow the cliff face and lead you into Refrigerator Canyon. The trail winds up Walter’s Wiggles, which is a series of 21 switchbacks that brings you up to Scout Lookout at the junction of the Angels Landing and West Rim trails. The precarious final half-mile of the Angels Landing trail follows a narrow sandstone ledge with chains for handrails and steep drop-offs on each side of between 800 and 1200 feet. The view from the summit is 360 degrees toward some of Zion Canyon’s major landmarks--the Great White Throne, the Organ, Cathedral Mountain, and Observation Point—along with a view of the Virgin River 1500 feet below. The hike to Angel’s Landing is not recommended for young children or individuals with a fear of heights.

The very popular Riverside Walk has very little elevation gain on a paved two-mile (round-trip) hike which begins at the Temple of Sinawava. The hiking trail ends at the entrance to the Narrows. The so-called Narrows are a place where water from several rivers and streams has cut a deep (1,000+ feet) narrow canyon through the formations of Zion National Park. The mostly paved path is wheelchair-accessible and winds along the Virgin River in the shadow of the 2,000-foot towering canyon walls. Hikers wishing to continue into the Narrows (walking through up the Virgin River) must obtain a permit.

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