10 Zion Best Hikes: How to Choose the Perfect Hike in Zion

Zion National Park is full of amazing hikes, and if you are planning to spend time in this stunning National Park, then hiking is likely on your list. Luckily Zion has hikes for every level and there are plenty of easy hiking options as well as longer, more challenging hiking options. Below, you can see a quick list of the 10 Zion best hikes and scroll down for more details on the park and the hikes.

The visitor center also has great information and you can find hiking trail broken up into easy, medium and hard trail. and since this is where you get on the shuttle, you should plan to stop and check out current hiking conditions and closures. There are several trails that are closed or partially closed. This is also where you pick up your permit if you need one for your hike.

Quick Look: Best Hikes, Zion National Park

What to Know About Hiking in Zion National Park

Zion National Park is well maintained and the hiking trails are generally easy to walk on. Several of the trails have exposure and steep drop-offs so you should avoid these hikes if you are worried about heights. Many of the best hikes are located up in the main canyon of Zion and you will need to take the Zion shuttle most of the year to reach these hikes.

Check out: 3 Amazing Zion National Park One Day Itinerary

When is the Best Time to Visit Zion National Park?

While you can visit Zion all year, the best time to go to Zion National Park is during the fall, early winter, and spring when temperatures are reasonable and there are fewer crowds. Summer is a popular time to visit Zion, but you will have heat, afternoon thunderstorms, and lots of people. Winters are cold and wet with temperatures getting up into the 50s but you will have much of the park to yourself during these colder months.

Whenever you hiking in Zion, make sure to pack and wear the appropriate clothes. If you are hiking during the hot summer months, check out: What to Wear When Hiking in the Summer.

How does the Zion National Park Shuttle Work?

The Zion National Park shuttle runs during the busy months, and when the shuttle is running you can’t drive your car up into the canyon. You can catch the shuttle from the visitor center. Parking here does get crowded so if you are staying in town, consider walking to the visitor center. At the visitor center you will find a line that forms for the shuttle. The bus runs frequently. We found the shuttle easy to use and reliable when we were there in August. You can see if the shuttle is running at the National Park Service.

What are the Best Easy Hikes in Zion?

If you’re looking for easy Zion hikes, check out Pa’rus Trail, Lower Emerald Pool Trail, Grotto Trail, Watchman Trail, and Riverside Walk Trail.

Can you bring dogs in Zion National Park?

In general, dogs are not allowed on trails in Zion National Park. The only trail where you can bring your leashed dog is the paved Pa’rus Trail.

Map of Best Hikes Zion

Best Hikes Zion National Park

Angel’s Landing

Distance:4.4 (3 hours)
Difficulty: challenging
Elevation Gain: 1600 ft

Angels Landing is an iconic hike in Zion National Park and one of the best hikes in Utah, and the view from the top is one of the best views in Zion National Park. The first 2 miles are an easy walk on a paved trail from the Grotto Trailhead, but after that things start to get exciting. You will start by climbing Walter Wiggles (a series of switchbacks).

The last half mile is really what makes this hike famous. You will traverse a steep ridge to Angel’s Landing where there are fixed chains, dropoffs, and carved steps that all lead to a tremendous view. Since this is a popular hike, it can take longer on this section as you may need to wait for people to move past. Try to get an early start to avoid the crowds!

(note that starting April 1, 2022 you need a permit to hike Angel’s Landing).

Zion Narrows (Bottom Up)

Distance: up to 9 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation Gain: minimal

The Zion Narrows is another classic trail that winds its way up Zion Canyon as it narrows near the top. You can either hike the Zion Narrows from the top down (you will need a permit) or from the bottom up. Most people hike the trail from the bottom up. The hike leads through the river between towering orange and red walls.

The start of the hike is on the Riverwalk trail at the last shuttle stop up in Zion Canyon. The Zion Narrows hike starts at the first river crossing and from here you make your way up the river, frequently crossing in and out of the water. You can simply hike up the canyon as far as you like and turn around when you’re tired.

Many people choose to rent boots and hiking poles in town, but you can also hike in closed-toed shoes that you don’t mind getting wet.

Like Angels Landing, The Zion Narrows can get crowded as you can see in the photo above. It’s best to start early. We got one of the first morning shuttles and enjoyed the hike up into the Narrows. When we turned around to come back, there were so many people coming up the canyon. If you want to enjoy this hike as one of the Zion best hikes, make sure to get an early start.

See more details about hiking the Zion Narrows from the Bottom Up.

Observation Point

Distance: 7 miles
Difficulty: moderate
Elevation Gain:700 ft

This trail is an out and back that starts from above the Canyon. The road to the trailhead can be challenging so you can also get a shuttle from Ponderosa Ranch Resort. The trail has shade and is well maintained and ends at Observation Point where you have an amazing view out over Zion Canyon. This is a popular hike, but not nearly as popular as the Narrows or Angel’s Landing so is a great alternative.

Emerald Pools

Distance:3 miles
Difficulty: moderate
Elevation Gain:620 ft

The Emerald Pools is a beautiful trail along the cliff walls that visit several pools. We didn’t find the Emerald pools all that impressive when we visited, but we enjoyed the hikes and loved some of the views along the trail. There are several ways to do this hike and you can visit all or just some of the pools. The upper pools involve the most hiking, but you can see several spots where water seeps out of the walls forming the hanging gardens.

This trail does have some exposure so you should use caution if you’re hiking this with children or are afraid of heights.

Canyon Overlook Trail

Distance:1 mile
Difficulty: easy/moderate
Elevation Gain:200 ft.

This is a short trail that gives you amazing views over Zion Canyon. This is one of the top hikes in Zion if you’re looking for something easy and rewarding. This hike is also not up Zion Canyon on the shuttle route, which means you can drive to the hike through the tunnel on rt 9. Parking is limited but if you drive further down the road, you can find more parking.

Even though the trail is short, there are some steep drop-offs with railings, so use caution.

Weeping Rock

Distance:0.3
Difficulty: easy
Elevation Gain: minimal

This is a very short trail that is currently closed. This very short hike has tremendous views and you can see the water seeping out of the rock wall in front of an overhang (thus the weeping rock). This hike will likely be closed for a while due to a substantial rock fall.

Riverside Walk

Distance:1.9 miles
Difficulty: easy
Elevation Gain:200 ft

This hike is the same trail you will use at the start of the Narrows Hike. The trail starts at the last shuttle stop and follows the river to the point where is comes out of the Narrow’s Slot Canyon. If you are looking for a pretty hike with almost no elevation, this is one of the best easy hikes in Zion National Park. If you don’t feel up to hiking up the Narrows, you can take this trail right to the start of the Narrow hike for the view up into the canyon.

Hidden Canyon

Distance: 3.1 miles 
Difficulty: moderate
Elevation Gain: 970

This hike was closed when we were in Zion, but we had to include it on the list since it is supposed to be an amazing hike. The hike gain elevation over a series of switchbacks as it climbs the canyon between Cable Mountain and the Great White Throne. Like Angels Landing, there are chains to help you cross a cliff with drop-offs.

The Watchman Trail

Distance:3.1 miles out and back
Difficulty: challenging
Elevation Gain: 640 ft

This trail starts right at the visitor’s center and is fairly easy and well maintained. If you are up early to do one of the more famous and popular Zion hikes, you can do this hike later in the day as it gets fewer people. The trail itself starts off flat and then gains elevation over a series of switchbacks.

The West Rim Trail

Distance:up to 15 miles one way
Difficulty: challenging
Elevation Gain:1748 (top down)

This is a long and challenging hike, however, you can also hike it as an out and back and turn around whenever you want. If you are hiking the whole thing, you can either do it from the top-down or bottom-up but will need to arrange transportation or a shuttle to get back to your car (which can cost more than $175). If you are hiking from the top, the first part is flat so you won’t get to the amazing views until after at least 1/2 mile. From here, the trail descends into Zion Canyon.

Looking for more amazing things to do in Zion beside the Zion Best Hikes? Check out:

• 20 Best Things to do in Zion National Park

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