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Most people miss out on some of the most amazing views in Zion, but that doesn’t have to be you! Check out this itinerary before you go.
6. Checkerboard Mesa
On the east side of Zion National Park lies a unique formation called the Checkerboard Mesa. The wind and water have carefully carved out a gorgeous checkerboard pattern that is unlike anything you have ever seen!
What You Need To Know
Traveling the highway to the east side of the park is a completely different experience and is well worth the time.
If you head in this direction, be aware that there is no running water along the way! Bathrooms are scarce but can be found near the Canyon Overlook Trail or at the East Entrance.
Getting Here
If you are coming in from Springdale, follow Highway 9 east for 6 miles to the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel. Go 1.1 miles through the tunnel. Drive along Highway 9 (Mt. Carmel Highway) for another 6 miles or so until you reach the Checkerboard Mesa Viewpoint.
7. Angels Landing
A permit is now required to hike the chains portion of the Angels Landing Trail. Get more information here.
Towering above Zion Canyon, Angels Landing is one of the most iconic and notorious rock formations in the United States. The trail to the top is a daring and heart-pumping challenge, pushing the limits of even the most seasoned hikers.
Each year, thousands of visitors from around the globe flock to the trailhead, excited and anxious in their attempt to summit the monolith that (as stated by an early explorer) “only an angel could land on.”
Click here for an in-depth hiking guide for Angels Landing.
8. Court of the Patriarchs
These three prominent and recognizable sentinels seem to be guarding this beautiful place! Named after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob from the Bible, the Court of the Patriarchs is a great place to capture the beauty of the surrounding red rock cliffs.
What You Need to Know
You can see this view from the shuttle as it drives by, but if you’d like a better photo, there is the option to get out and take a short 5-minute walk to get above the trees.
Getting Here
The Court of the Patriarchs is within Zion Canyon, so if the shuttles are running, you will not be able to drive your own car. The shuttle stop is sandwiched between the Canyon Junction and the Zion Lodge shuttle stops.
9. Pa’rus Trail
Enjoy a relaxing walk along the valley floor, with red rock cliffs towering over you in every direction! The Pa’rus Trail is named for the Paiute word for bubbling water, and you’ll follow the stunning Virgin River for the majority of this trail.
What You Need to Know
This trail is the only trail that allows pets (on a 6-foot leash) and bicycles in Zion National Park. It is paved and wheelchair-accessible as well.
The Pa’rus Trail is 3.4 miles round trip but can be cut in half by taking the shuttle. You can start at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center and walk up to the Canyon Junction shuttle stop. If you catch the shuttle from Canyon Junction back to the visitor center, your walk will be 1.7 miles instead.
This trail has very little shade, so it’s best to stay off it in the middle of the day during the summer (when temperatures can reach over 100 degrees)!
Getting Here
This trail begins across the street from the Zion Canyon Visitor Center, next to the South Campground.
10. The Narrows
A colossal adventure is ready and waiting for you — all you need to do is jump in with both feet! If hiking through a gorgeous river with stunning sheer cliffs everywhere you turn sounds like fun, lace up your shoes and head for this world-famous trail.
What You Need to Know
If you search the internet for pictures of Zion National Park, chances are that the first pictures to come up will be of the Narrows. This trail is absolutely breathtaking and very well-known to the hiking world. It’s on everyone’s bucket list!
You will be wading or swimming in the river for the majority of the hike, so plan accordingly and be sure to take the right gear (especially good footwear and a hiking stick). The Narrows Trail is subject to flash flooding, so always check the reports at the Visitor Center before attempting this trail.
Be sure to read this full, detailed trail guide for The Narrows bottom-up route before you go.
Have an adventurous time in Zion National Park. Happy trails!
Click NEXT to see the Ultimate Trip Planning Guide to Zion.
Thank you so much for all your helpful information! We are thinking of going during the end of November to Zions and I’ve read your comments about the pros and cons of this time of year. We are thinking about staying in Toquerville and I’m guessing we’d still need to take the shuttle (around Nov 29th)? If so, is there an advantage to being able to drive in our own vehicle by going a little later?
Also, are there any places you’d recommend staying this time of year that would be more in the budget of a young couple (nice but affordable)? Thank you!
The shuttles stop running on November 29th, so those won’t be an option while you’re visiting on those dates. If you plan on going later in the day, I’d wait until about 2 or 3 for visiting Zion Canyon…otherwise, you’ll likely have a big problem finding parking. There are other areas of the park that aren’t as busy though that you could visit earlier in the day. Have fun!
Hi…. We will be visiting in a few weeks ;second week of august on a Wednesday) and will be arriving around 1:30 and would appreciate any help / advice from you. A few questions:
– where should we attempt to park at this time of day?
– looking for a couple of easy and short likes that will provide the best views possible.
– how much time should we allow for your recommendation?
– any other important things to note?
TIA!!!
Hey Suzette, my Zion itinerary will cover that information. Have a great trip!
We are visiting in early November. We are staying at Ponderosa Ranch. We have canyoning, atving & horseback riding booked. We would like to do a few hikes with our 8 & 10 year old kids, who love hiking. Would your 1 or 2 day give us info as far as how to get to some of your top 10 sights to see?
Both will help you see the best sights in the time that you have! It depends more on how much time you’ll have to hike :)
I’m pregnant & will be visiting mid October. I’m wondering what’s the easiest hike to do with rewarding views?
Canyon Overlook, Pa’Rus Trail, or the Riverside Walk…or all three!
Hi! We are planning a trip to Zion for 2 – 3 days in this upcoming mid-september, Due to Covid and closures I’m worried how different things may be and if certain trials will be closed/ if we won’t be able to enter at all. Do you have any insight on how things are in the park lately?
Thank you in advance for any help or advice
Shuttle reservations are needed this year to get into Zion Canyon, so I’d definitely start there first to make sure they have your dates available. Otherwise, my itineraries are mostly intact with just a few minor adjustments needed due to Covid. You can find them here: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/zion-itinerary/ Have fun, and please let me know if you have any other questions!
Are the day passes for zion park limited? I was trying to buy them online but they are not selling them online. Could I wait until the day of I plan to visit 10/20/2020
You can just purchase your entrance pass when you get there…they are not limited. Only the shuttle tickets are limited and require reservations. Have fun!
Despite all the chaos, we’re going to risk it and head to Utah in July. We’ve got our flights booked and we have 7 days to see all that we can see…
do you have an itinerary planned for such a thing over multiple parks?
what are our options if the shuttles are still closed?
Thank you for your help!! I’ve been trying to get my family out to Utah for years and I finally got my husband to say YES!!
Very cool! You can find all of my available itineraries here: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/national-park-trip-itineraries/. If the shuttles still aren’t running, you’ll have to drive your own car into the canyon. It will be crowded and crazy, but the itineraries will help you find some “hidden” spots so that you can find some peace. Have fun!
I’m also planning to go to Zion but thinking of staying in one of the hotels ~1 mile from the park entrance. Can we walk to the park without having to drive?
If we’re planning to walk to the park and don’t need to find parking, do we still need to go very early for hikes like The Narrows? I saw reviews saying to go as early as 3-4am but that seems to be more to secure parking. What do you think?
No, you’ll need to drive your own vehicle or join a tour unless you just plan on hanging out around the visitor center. And due to the COVID, you’ll still need to be in the park early to get parking at the Narrows. It’s been filling up by 6:15 a.m. The park doesn’t open until 6 a.m., so 3 or 4 a.m. is WAY too early. There are some local businesses that are offering shuttle service to the Narrows if you don’t want to drive your own car. Have fun!
My family got to the park at 3:20 am. We were car #58 in line for the narrows. They only let 80 in for narrows parking. Private tour companies…..and even a local church….. are offering shuttles out of Springdale….for a price. If you’re willing to shell out $ you can go whenever you want. 😊 we arrived at 4:30 am in a different day to do Angels Landing. Make sure to check hike difficulty if you are bringing kids. Water! Sunscreen! Hiking shoes! Snacks!
That’s crazy! Glad you were still able to hit the highlights!
thank you for your great insight. we’re planning our first visit to zion 4th of July week. got our room booked and are looking forward to it.
any input on where to catch fireworks. We are staying in springdale.
I don’t think they do fireworks in Springdale, so you’ll likely need to drive into Hurricane or St. George for that. Have fun!
Your very first recommendation is sadly incorrect. The upper pools trail is closed due to a landslide, and not likely to re-open for quite some time.
Hey Steve,
I don’t change my recommendations based on temporary closures. When it opens back up, it’s definitely worth the hike up into the cliffs. Crossing my fingers they’re able to get the trails repaired soon!
We are planning to go to Zion in 2020 and trying to decide which week would be better for doing the Narrows and also seeing Spring wildflowers – would the 1st or 2nd week of June 2020 be best? Thanks Cindy
The Narrows is often closed due to high water levels from the Spring runoff during April and May, so I’d probably aim for the 2nd week of June if you want a better chance of it being open. Have fun!
Hi, reading your blog makes us more excited in our trip to Mt Zion this July. Its our 1st time to do hiking.. What’s your recommendation for 1st timer? we are family of 5 (3kids ages 11,13,15). Do you have other list to bring aside from water & sunscreen? Thank you in advance.
Hi Theresa,
I have a full itinerary to help you plan your trip if it’s your first time. You can find it here: https://dirtinmyshoes.lpages.co/zion-itinerary/ Have a great time!!
Ash
We have 3 days to hike and would love to see Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon. Do we have enough time to visit both parks or should we limit this trip to Zion?
Oh yeah, 3 days for both parks is doable for sure! I’d do 2 in Zion and 1 in Bryce Canyon. If you use my itineraries you’ll cover a lot of ground :) https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/national-park-trip-itineraries/
We’ll be in Utah Memorial Day weekend of 2019. Utah family thinks Zion will be too crowded to get in and out without hours of traffic. Thoughts?
It will definitely be extremely busy that weekend! The only way I would go there over the holiday weekend is if you’re able to follow a solid plan, like this detailed itinerary: https://dirtinmyshoes.lpages.co/zion-itinerary/ Otherwise, you will be stuck in traffic for sure. Have fun!
My boyfriend and I will be traveling to Utah in July and are looking to hiking the Virgin Narrows Top-Down overnight hike. We also plan on renting appropriate equipment for the hike! We are inexperienced hikers, but in good shape. Do you have any tips or feedback for us?? Thanks!!
I really like Zion Guru for equipment/information. I’d call them and they’ll walk you through the things you need to know based on the current conditions! http://www.zionguru.com/
I am planning this trip in June for me, my husband and 3 teenage boys. Love your itinerary and instructions. Thank you so much!!!!
Thanks Julie! Have a great time!
My husband and I are going in mid March for our first time. Do you have recommendations of where to stay? Also, any advice on what we MUST pack? Will there be snow in March?
At this point, it’s really just wherever you can get reservations! I’d try to stay as close to the park as possible. There may be some snow, but that doesn’t usually affect the hiking trails too much. Occasionally a trail will be impassable that time of year…I’d just check at the Visitor Center before you head out for the day.
Have a fabulous time!
I love your ideas for traveling to Zion’s National Park. It makes sense that we need to get an early start with a great plan for traveling. My wife and I want to go there next year, so we’ll start looking into hotels and attractions now!
Let me know if I can answer any questions for you!
My husband and I are heading to Utah in early June. We have never been. We are fit and love hiking and nature. I’ve looked through your lists. Thank you for great information! My question is about what we should focus on. We only have eight days. Our travel agent has us going to Bryce, Zion, Grand Canyon north rim, antelope Canyon, Lake Powell, Canyonlands, then fly out of Salt Lake. We feel like we will be spending too much time driving. We prefer hiking. Should we focus on the southern area and skip Canyonlands? How many days for Zion and Bryce? Should we skip Grand Canyon? Lots of questions. Thanks for any suggestions! We are from
Missouri.
Hey there Chris!
I’m happy to help answer all of those questions! Will you email your tentative schedule to me at ash{at}dirtinmyshoes{dot}com so that I can see what your travel agent has you doing….and whether or not I think it’s a good idea :) Based on what you’ve said so far, I do think it might be a little too busy. Looking forward to hearing from you! — Ash
We will be heading to Kanab the first week in April and planning on doing a day trip one to Zion one of the days with a group of 5 ages ranging from 15-65. We are all in relatively good shape though. What trails would you suggest as must do’s if we only have 1 day? Thanks for the help!!
Hi Jennie,
I definitely recommend getting a Zion itinerary to make the most of your time in the park. It includes my tips/tricks/suggestions for a successful visit. You can find it here: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/zion-itinerary Have fun!
Guys.. congrats on your blog and thank you for the Zion material. I am going to be in the area around mid November for a short visit. Planning to arrive at Zion at noon and spend the afternoon there. Should I go for the Angel’s Landing or the Canyon Overlooking Trail. Thanks!
Angels Landing if you are up to the challenge! It’s a difficult trail, but if you are a hiker that’s definitely one to check off the bucket list!
My wife and I camped at Bryce canyon then drove to Zion. Did the Riverside walk. Great weather nice hike for old folks like us. That was in June it was busy but not overly crowded. The checker pattern and tunnel made the drive worth it.
I’m glad you had a great time!
I’ll be going to the area in early December. I’m a little worried about the temps. Will I still be able to hike comfortably? Are there places that may be closed at that time of year? What else do I need to know?
Sometimes the temperatures are very nice that time of year, but sometimes you’ll get snow! Most everything in the park will still be open with the exception of the Narrows and possibly Angels Landing (depending on if it’s snowy/icy along the trail). It’s a nice time to be there though :)
Thanks for your great blog! I’m flying to Las Vegas on August 26. We plan to be at Bryce that afternoon and spend 2 days there then head to Grand Canyon (North Rim) and do a couple of hikes. 2 years ago I hiked from the North Rim down to Phantom Ranch and then out to the South Rim. I was 70 at the time – it was a tough hike but one of the best I’ve ever done. I’ve also hiked to Pulpit Rock out of Stavanger, Norway which was pretty scary so I think I can handle Angel’s Landing when we get to Zion. My question – Is the last half mile all on chains? Also you mention that there are a few spots where you are looking down on both sides – are you on the chains there as I am a little scared of heights. I just don’t look down but that will be hard if they are on both sides – if there are chains no problem. When I did Pulpit I just stayed close to the wall but I’m worried here with drop-offs on both sides? Thanks! Anna
Hi Anna,
There are chains for most of that half-mile…and definitely along the more treacherous parts of the trail. You’ll have chains to hold on to when the trail drops off on both sides. Starting the trail nice and early in the morning will help you feel safer as well…then you won’t also have to worry about navigating around large groups of people. Have fun!
Is there anywhere to go swimming in Zion?
Try the Riverside Walk or the beginning of the Narrows :)
My wife and I will be in Zion in early August with her 80 year old grandmother. What are some sights we can see with an elderly person that gets around pretty well?
It really depends on how well she gets around, but the Riverside Walk, Lower Emerald Pool, the Pa’rus Trail, and the scenic drive through the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel out to Checkerboard Mesa should all be great activities for her :)
Hi Ash,
We are considering visiting the park for our first time next month. We would be able to explore the following days: Saturday after 12pm, Sunday all day, Monday until 12pm. Should we get the 2 day package or 3 day with the times mentioned above in mind- what do you suggest?
Thanks,
Andrea
Hey Andrea! I would recommend the 2-day for your schedule. If you look over it and need help moving a few things around to fit your needs, let me know!
wondering how many days to allow to get the best zion experience? can you see enough in two days?
I recommend 3 full days if you can, but you can still see most of this list in 2 days :)
i have an ESA im taking with me, hes a lab! is there anywhere he can swim amd have his fun?
Service dogs are allowed in many areas of the park, but if you’d like more information about it from the park you can read more here: https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/pets.htm
As for swimming in the park, you’ll want to ask a ranger when you get there. Otherwise, there are plenty of riverside areas/parks in the Springdale vicinity that you should definitely look into for that!
These is such a beautiful creation. I hope to be able to see all these in the near future.
I hope that you are able to take a trip to Southern Utah soon! Although, we have stayed in the Brighton Chalets and that is sure a beautiful area as well!
Great blog! you’ve included such great information on all the places i want to visit with my family. For the Narrows day hike, would you recommend it for my 3 & 5 year old? i know they would love the river! also would you recommend starting at Riverside Walk to the Narrows or would that be too much of a hike? Thanks so much!
Hey Betty! I’m glad you are finding helpful information. For a 3 and 5 year old, I would recommend just doing the Riverside Walk. If you don’t want to stay on the paved trail, there are numerous side trails that will take you right down to the river with some great spots to play. (The picture of me on my home page was taken next to a little waterfall near the beginning of the Riverside Walk). I could’ve spent a whole afternoon there just sitting by the river and wading my feet. Your kids will love it! The Narrows is much more intense, long, and cold because you have to walk in the water the whole way so that’s probably not the best option. I hope that you have a great trip :)
To tag on to Betty’s question, I’m also thinking of bringing my 3 and 6 year old sons to Zion and Bryce. It would be all of our first time and while they have done a fair amount of hiking in Vermont and N Carolina, I know Utah is totally different. Do you think we can get a full Zion experience even with young kids? We were thinking of visiting in early April.
Kate, you can DEFINITELY still have a great trip with young kids! The pace at which you see things will be a little slower, but Zion actually has some awesome hikes for families. I highly recommend the Canyon Overlook, Emerald Pools (even just to the first pool is really fun – there’s a little waterfall), and the Riverside Walk (they can even play in/near the water for a while). The Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel is fun too — that’s actually all that I remembered from my first trip to Zion when I was young. I personally wouldn’t take them on the Angels Landing Trail until they are a little older though, so you may have to skip out on that one (or just hike the part of the trail before the chains…the views are still AWESOME!).
Bryce Canyon is made up of a lot of viewpoints, so kids are no problem with that one either. Hiking down into the canyon may be a challenge because the trails are longer and more strenuous, but the Rim Trail is great. They would probably also enjoy the waterfall and dripping cave on the Mossy Cave Trail.
It’s extremely rewarding to see young kids enjoying the national parks — they will surprise you with how much they are willing to do :)
Zion looks like such a beautiful place! Thanks for sharing your pictures and experience!
It is a gorgeous place with so many fun things to do and see. Thanks for stopping by!
Kolob Canyons was beautiful, I’m so glad we took the time to go there! I love Zion so much, it is one of my favorite places.
I love Zion too. Next time you guys come out here, we will all have to go together!
we’re absolutely in love with zion! we’re gonna miss living so close to it. we just recently did the narrows and it’s incredible.. and we’re hoping to do angel’s landing next week! :)
I hope you are able to do Angel’s Landing when you go next time…it is so incredible. Please let me know how your trip goes!
We will be traveling to Zion Park the first week in May. What is the must sees? We are doing a UTV ride but want to go hike a little bit. Not experienced at all. It does get real confusing. We are only there for a day. Any recommendations?
Hey Yaritza! I have an itinerary here that covers the best things to do in the amount of time you have. Or you can just choose the things from this list that most interest you. Have fun!
Your itinerary says that it will not work if the narrows are closed. Is that just for part of the itinerary? We plan on being there at Zion from Monday April 1- April 4. Thank you for all your information.
Yes, you’ll have to skip the Narrows in the itinerary (which is a good chunk of the day) if the water levels are too high, which typically happens in April and May. Sometimes the Narrows doesn’t close or only closes for a short time, but sometimes it closes for a few weeks — it all depends on the run-off!