Zion National Park was recently rated by Trip Advisor as the best National Park in the United States (2009). Thirty miles in length and 15 miles across at its widest point, Zion National Park offers a wide area to be discovered. For information on how to access Zion National Park - click on the links The main Zion Canyon can be seen during the winter season, via your own vehicle. During the main season (April to November) their is a mandatory shuttle system to view the main canyon where the most popular formations are found. Most visitors to Zion will want to stretch their legs and walk or hike. You'll are likely to view various birds and animals as you drive or walk in the park. Deer, wild turkeys and bighorn sheep and other wildlife are frequently seen. • For Zion Hotel / Lodging Information • View Zion Activity Information • View Zion National Park photographs • Additional Zion National Park information

Canyon Overlook is an easy to moderate hike that begins just east of the Zion-Mt. Carmel tunnel. The one-mile roundtrip hike offers a spectacular view of lower Zion Canyon from an elevation of 5,300 feet. This popular family hike has an elevation gain of 163 feet, and is a pleasant substitute for those preferring not to make the more demanding hike to Observation Point.

The half-mile Weeping Rock Trail is the shortest in the park, with a moderate elevation gain of 98 feet. The paved trail begins at the Weeping Rock shuttle stop, in the shadow of the Great White Throne, and ends beneath a mossy rock alcove. From the hanging gardens of the Weeping Rock Alcove you can see Observation Point. The “weeping” comes from Echo Canyon above, where the impermeable shale floor forces water to seep out through breaks in the rock and through the more porous sandstone walls.

Lower Emerald Pool is an easy, family-friendly hike that begins at a footbridge across from Zion Lodge. The .6-mile paved trail winds along the Virgin River beneath cottonwood and box elder trees and verdant hanging gardens. The trail ends at two waterfalls which spill over from Middle Pool. The hike to Middle Emerald Pool continues along a rocky sandstone trail, made somewhat more strenuous by a 100-foot elevation gain over .4 miles. At the plateau there are two pools fed by the Behunin Canyon and Heaps Canyon watersheds. From here, there are views of Red Arch and Cathedral Mountains. To get to the Upper Emerald Pools, take the ridge between the two Middle Pools. The steep, rugged trail has an elevation gain of 350 feet over the next half-mile, but the unparalleled views make the efforts worthwhile. Hiking to all three pools is three miles and several hours round-trip.

The highly popular Riverside Walk is an easy, two-mile hike which begins at the Temple of Sinewava and ends at the entrance to the Narrows. The mostly paved path is wheelchair-accessible with little gain in elevation, and winds along the Virgin River in the shadow of the 2,000-foot towering canyon walls. Hikers wishing to continue into the Narrows must obtain a permit.

The challenging Observation Point trail begins at the Weeping Rock parking lot and follows the steep switchbacks of the East Rim Trail, then veers off into the red Navajo sandstone walls of Echo Canyon. From the 6,508-foot summit there are breathtaking views of 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 trail is eight miles round-trip and considered one of the most challenging in the park due to it’s steep, 2,100-foot elevation gain.

Angels Landing is one of the most thrilling hikes in Zion National Park, ascending to a summit 1500 feet above the canyon floor. The strenuous five-mile roundtrip hike begins at the Grotto Picnic shuttle stop. The first two miles of the trail are paved and follow the cliff face into Refrigerator Canyon. The trail winds through Walter’s Wiggles, a series of 21 switchbacks which lead to Scout Lookout at the junction of the Angels Landing and West Rim trails. The precarious final half-mile of the trail follows a narrow sandstone ledge with a chain handrail and steep drop-offs of 800 feet and 1200 feet on each side. The summit offers uninterrupted vistas of some of Zion Canyon’s major landmarks--the Great White Throne, the Organ, Cathedral Mountain, and Observation Point--as well as a view of the Virgin River some 1500 feet below. The hike to Angel’s Landing is not recommended for children or those with a fear of heights.

Zion Narrows - Utah has more sandstone slot canyons than anyplace in the world, and the highest concentration can be found in Zion National Park. The most popular of these is the world-renowned Zion Narrows where the towering, 2,000-foot sandstone walls are separated by no more than twenty feet of Virgin River bed in some places. Good stamina is necessary to make the strenuous hike through the narrow slot canyon, and hikers should be prepared with walking sticks and wet gear to travel through the riverbed for much of the way. Hikers can access the Narrows from the end of the Riverside Walk trail and head up the river as little or as far as they like, or begin at Chamberlain Ranch in East Zion and complete the 16-mile downhill trek over one or two days. Permits are required to hike the Narrows, and can be obtained at the visitor center one day prior. The Narrows is inaccessible during the spring, as rain and run-off from melting snow can cause flash floods.

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Zion National Park is in close proximity to cities such as St. George Utah.