Angels Landing. Zion's most iconic hike ascends 1,480 feet over 5.4 miles to a knife-edge summit with chains bolted into the rock — a permit (via Recreation.gov lottery) is required for the final exposed section. The views of Zion Canyon from the top are among the most dramatic in any U.S. national park.
The Narrows. Wade up the Virgin River through the world-famous slot canyon where walls rise a thousand feet and the canyon pinches to mere feet wide — no permit needed for the popular bottom-up route starting at the Temple of Sinawava shuttle stop. The experience peaks in fall when cottonwoods turn gold and water levels are low.
Kolob Canyons. The remote northwest section of Zion National Park — accessed off Interstate 15, not the main South Entrance — rewards visitors with towering crimson box canyons and the 287-foot Kolob Arch, one of the world's largest natural arches, all with dramatically fewer crowds. The five-mile Kolob Fingers Road scenic drive…
Zion Canyon Scenic Drive and Free Shuttle. Private vehicles are barred from the main canyon road from March through November, replaced by a free shuttle that stops at every major trailhead and viewpoint — from the Court of the Patriarchs to the Temple of Sinawava. Buses run every 5-10 minutes and transform the road into a car-free ribbon through one of the…
Observation Point via East Mesa Trail. At 6,521 feet, Observation Point sits 700 feet higher than Angels Landing and delivers an unobstructed birds-eye view of the entire Zion Canyon — Angels Landing, the Great White Throne, and Hidden Canyon all spread below you. The East Mesa route (accessed from the East Entrance area) is the currently open approach,…
Emerald Pools Trail. Three tiered pools fed by waterfalls and hanging gardens sit tucked against the canyon walls — the lower pool is an easy, wheelchair-accessible 1.2-mile round trip, while the upper pool requires a moderate climb to reach its cliff-shaded serenity beneath maple trees. More visitors have been injured here than anywhere…
Canyon Overlook Trail. This 1.9-mile out-and-back hike near the East Entrance is one of Zion's best-kept secrets — modest effort yields a jaw-dropping panorama of the lower canyon, Pine Creek Canyon, and the East Temple, all in about two hours. Park near the east side of the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel and begin immediately.
California Condor Watching. Zion is one of the best places in North America to see California condors — the largest flying land bird on the continent, with a 9.5-foot wingspan — soaring overhead or perched on the clifftops near Angels Landing and Kolob Terrace Road. A condor chick born in Zion in 2019 was the 1,000th hatched under the species'…