Hiking

Zion has everything from short day hikes for families to multiday backpacking trips. Trails can be slippery; ask rangers about weather conditions before you depart.

There are hundreds of miles of backcountry (overnight) hiking trails with wilderness camping and enough quiet to hear the whoosh of soaring ravens overhead. If you hike the entirety of Zion, north to south, it’s a four-day traverse of 50-plus miles. All backcountry hiking and camping requires a permit.

Flash floods occur year-round, particularly in July, August and September. Check weather and water conditions with rangers before hiking in river canyons. If you hear thunder, if water rises suddenly or goes muddy, or if you feel sudden wind accompanied by a roar, immediately seek higher ground. Climbing a few feet can save your life; if you can’t, get behind a rock fin. There’s no outrunning a flash flood.

Cycling

Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is a great road ride when cars are forbidden in shuttle season. You can even transport your bicycle up to the end of the road on the shuttle and cruise back down. Bikes are only allowed on the scenic drive and on the 2-mile Pa’rus Trail. Mountain biking is prohibited in the park, but there are other public land trails nearby. Rentals and advice are available in Springdale and at the Zion Lodge gift shop.

Climbing & Canyoneering

If there’s one sport that makes Zion special, it’s canyoneering. Rappelling over the lip of a sandstone bowl, swimming icy pools, tracing a slot canyon’s curves…canyoneering is daring, dangerous and sublime all at once. Zion’s slot canyons are the park’s most sought-after backcountry experience; reserve far in advance.

Zion Canyon also has some of the most famous big-wall rock climbs in America. However, there’s not much for beginners or those who like bolted routes. Permits are required for all canyoneering and climbing. You’ll usually need to reserve them as far in advance as possible, but walk-in information is also available at the Wilderness Desk at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center.

Guided trips are prohibited in the park. Outfitters in Springdale hold courses outside Zion, after which students can try out their newfound skills in the park.

Horseback Riding

Horses are allowed on most trails in the backcountry, though you’ll need your own horse. Permits are not required for day trips; maximum group size is six animals. The only overnight stock camp is on the Hop Valley Trail, off Kolob Terrace Rd.

Kids’ Activities

With its can’t-lose combo of rushing water, giant boulders to climb on and a landscape that looks like the backdrop for any number of fantasy novels, Zion is sure to keep children entertained. Do note that some of the more spectacular hikes require an arduous initial climb off the valley floor, so have your bag of tricks ready to keep everyone entertained. Also remember that some of the activities in Zion have a real element of danger; don’t attempt anything beyond your children’s ability levels, and if you’re starting to feel anxious, don’t hesitate to turn around.

Late May through late August, Zion National Park offers a series of children’s programs for various age groups. Many are based at Zion Nature Center, but some take place at Zion Lodge or on trails. You might hunt for animal habitats along the Virgin River or hear stories about the life of the first pioneer settlers in the area. For schedules, check online (www.nps.gov/zion) or in the summer park newspaper.

Year-round, children five to 13 can earn a badge and become a Junior Ranger by completing the activity-filled Junior Ranger Handbook available at both visitor centers and the Human History Museum. If you have little ones under five, pick up the Junior Ranger Helper Activity Sheet so they can earn a pin. The bookstores also sell Zion Canyon Adventure, a fun and informative illustrated ‘guidebook’ to the park.

Outside of these programs, wading in the Virgin River along Riverside Walk or the Pa’rus Trail is a good bet; in Springdale, tubing can make for a fun way to cool down. Teenagers will definitely enjoy the adventure involved in Zion’s premier hikes such as the Narrows, Angels Landing or Hidden Canyon. Springdale outfitters also offer canyoneering and rock climbing trips tailored to meet family needs.

Worth a Trip: Kolob Terrace Road

Even in season you’ll see relatively few other cars on this subtly scenic high-plateau road, where striking rock formation views alternate with pastoral rangeland. It’s free to drive Zion’s narrow waist, but if you do stop to picnic or hike, be ready to show your park pass or entrance receipt to rangers. There are no services up here besides some pit toilets at trailheads – the road is 22 to 33½ miles long one way, so make sure you have a full tank of gas before starting out. The upper reaches of the road often close due to snow during winter.

In the tiny burg of Virgin, just shy of 14 miles west of Zion’s south entrance, turn north off Hwy 9 onto Kolob Terrace Rd – keep your eyes peeled as this road is very easy to miss! A quarter-mile past the technical Grapevine trailhead is the turnoff for Smith Mesa Rd. This well-graded dirt road (passable to cars when dry, impassable to all when wet) leaves the park after a mile as it winds along the top of Smith Mesa. The first few miles are worth the detour for the views back toward Tabernacle Dome, South Guardian Angel and Cougar Mountain. Past the Smith Mesa turnoff is the Left Fork trailhead, the end point for the popular canyoneering route the Subway.

From there you start ascending until you’re 3000ft above where you started. The white and red Navajo sandstones you see at eye level up here are the same as those seen at the top of Zion Canyon. A series of turnouts offer views of Spendlove and Firepit Knolls, cinder cones that are reminders of the volcanism that once dominated this region. About 13 miles from Hwy 9, the Hop Valley trailhead takes off across sandy rangeland toward the park’s Kolob Canyons section. This point in the road is also about as far as snowplows go in winter.

Three miles past Hop Valley is the Wildcat Canyon trailhead, the start of the Subway and the Northgate Peaks Trail. Just past this turnoff is one of the largest scenic turnouts along the road, with benches.

Some 21 miles from Hwy 9, you reach the junction for the graded gravel road to Lava Point. Don’t make this journey without visiting the point, 1.8 miles further on. At 7890ft, this one-time fire lookout (the tower was removed in 2000) is one of Zion’s highest and best vantage points. A virtual diorama of the park spreads before you, with views south to Arizona on clear days. There’s also a six-site primitive campground here, and pit toilets. A half-mile further on you reach the trailhead for the West Rim Trail.

Lava Point is a good place to turn around. However, you can continue along Kolob Terrace Road to the Kolob Reservoir, 33.5 miles north of Hwy 9. It’s a popular spot with local anglers and also offers free dispersed camping. Beyond the reservoir, the road reverts to dirt and continues 20 miles farther to Hwy 14, outside Cedar City. Lingering snow and runoff make this stretch wet and hazardous through late June. If you plan on going this way, check road conditions with the visitor center first.