One of the best things to do in Zion National Park is to hike Canyon Overlook Trail. This is also one of the easiest trails in the park and also one of the most beautiful. So, whether it’s your first visit to this park or you’re a repeat visitor, it’s always worth stopping by this trail. Hiking in Zion is super exciting and this trail is proof of that!

The trail is easy to walk, relatively short and the views at the end are worthy of many photographs. In this article, then, you’ll find a detailed guide to the Zion Canyon Overlook Trail.

As with Zion National Park, any time of year is a good time to hike this trail, as it is short and easy.

Even so, winters are usually cold (with the possibility of snow) and summers are quite hot. Therefore, the two best seasons to hike the Canyon Overlook Trail are spring and fall, as the temperatures are milder and the park receives fewer visitors than in summer, for example.

In my case, I did this hiking trail at the beginning of April. Although the day started cold and rainy, the weather improved as the day went on and by the time I walked this trail, the weather was perfect for it.

The start of the Zion Canyon Overlook trail is located near the tunnel exit of the Zion-Mt Carmel Highway (Highway 9), one of the most iconic roads in this national park.

Although some parts of Zion National Park are only accessible by shuttle (it operates in the busiest months), to visit the eastern part of the park, you’ll definitely need a car.

💡 EXTRA TIP: When I visited Zion National Park, I was doing a road trip through other national parks in the United States. There’s no doubt that renting a car was the best option, as it gave me a lot of freedom to prepare my itinerary. I rented a Toyota RAV4 from Avis in Los Angeles and really enjoyed their service. Although I didn’t need this feature for what I visited in Zion National Park, I paid a bit more and decided to rent a high-clearance vehicle, which is an excellent option if you want to drive on some of the dirt roads that exist in the US national parks.

If you enter the park via Springdale, you’ll have to drive on the beautiful Zion-Mt Carmel Highway for about 20 minutes until you reach the start of the trail.

Curiously, hiking the trail can be easier than finding a parking place near the trailhead. There are only two parking lots near the Canyon Overlook trailhead and both are quite small for the number of visitors Zion National Park usually receives.

It’s also common to see cars parked on the side of the road, although there are warnings that this is not allowed. When I visited in April (in the middle of the afternoon), there were no spots available in any of the car parks and I ended up taking my chances by parking my car on the side of the road.

The parking area closest to the trailhead is the one just outside the Mount Carmel tunnel (identified as parking 1 in the image above). The second car park, although a little further away, is less than 5 minutes from the start of the trail.

💡 EXTRA TIP: In the months with more visitors, I suggest trying to walk this trail early in the morning or late in the afternoon to make it easier to find a parking space.

• Distance: 1.6 km (1 mi) out and back
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Elevation: 50 m (163 ft)
• Recommended duration: 1h
• Trailhead: on the Zion-Mt Carmel Highway, at the exit of the tunnel for those travelling towards the east of the park

As soon as you park the car, it’s only a few meters to the trailhead, which is well-marked. The trail begins with a short staircase, which is probably the most demanding part of the route.

From here, the trail is mostly flat, with high rock formations on one side of the path. The trail has several rails near its cliffs, however, there are some unprotected areas where you’ll find no rails and, thus, you should take special care here.

Some parts of the trail are narrow, which makes it difficult to pass through, especially during peak time, as there will be people doing the trail in both directions.

About halfway along the trail, you’ll find a kind of shaded “cave”, which is one of the most surprising places on this hike besides the viewpoint at the end.

Along the way, you can also admire the Pine Creek slot canyon by looking down the cliffs.

When you get to the viewpoint, there is a section with a rail where most people take pictures. However, you can explore a bit more and take photos from other angles! The views over the switchbacks of Highway 9 and the surrounding area are unforgettable.

At the viewpoint, there is an information board about some of the points of interest in Zion National Park that are visible from there. In addition to the Highway 9 switchbacks, you can see Bridge Mountain and the East Temple, for example. What’s more, if you pay close attention, you’ll also see the open “windows” carved in the mountain, through which the Zion-Mt Carmel Highway tunnel passes.

To return, simply take the same route, but in the opposite direction!

Zion National Park is one of the most amazing national parks in the United States. You can visit its highlights in just one day or explore it for days on end, as there are many interesting trails for all types of travellers.

If you’d like to know more about the best things to do in Zion National Park, I suggest you read my complete guide to the park, where you can find all the tips for visiting it.

Although the park isn’t huge (607 km², 150.000 acres), the list of things to do in Zion National Park is extensive, with the main attractions involving trails. So the ideal length of a visit to Zion National Park depends very much on the trails you want to hike.

There’s a lot of offer and some of the trails are demanding and long, so the length of your visit will depend on the trails you choose. For example, if you choose to do two of the most famous trails (The Narrows and Angels Landing), I recommend at least two days in the park.

So I suggest you first choose which trails you want to do and adjust the number of days you need in the park accordingly.

In my case, I only spent one day in the park, so I didn’t hike Angels Landing or The Narrows. One day was enough to do some of the smaller trails and visit the main points of interest in Zion National Park.

However, if possible, I would recommend 1-2 days for a first visit to Zion National Park.

💡 EXTRA TIP: Sometimes trails close temporarily (very common at The Narrows) and so, closer to the date of your visit, it’s a good idea to check the status of each trail you intend to hike on the official Zion website. This information is updated frequently on the site and is available right on the home page.

Zion National Park can be visited at any time of the year. The weather in Zion National Park varies throughout the year, with cold winters (lows around 0 °C/32 °F, highs around 10 °C/50 °F) and summers tend to be hot, with temperatures often exceeding 35 °C/95 °F during the day in the hottest months. You can find out more about the climate in Zion National Park here.

Spring and early autumn are two of the best times to go to Zion National Park, as the temperatures are milder (although the nights are colder) and you’ll find fewer tourists. In fact, September and October are probably the best times to visit Zion National Park to avoid crowds.

In my case, I visited the park in mid-April. It was cold and a rather grey day, but even the rain couldn’t hide the park’s beauty. In terms of crowds, the park already had quite a few visitors, but nothing extraordinary.

💡 EXTRA TIP: Although spring is an excellent time of year to visit the park, due to the flow of the Virgin River, the Narrows trail is often still closed in March and April. This trail usually opens in May, but this can vary from year to year. It’s therefore important to check the official website for updates on this trail.

Finally, visiting Zion National Park in winter will allow you to see it differently as it may snow, but this can also be one of the most challenging times to visit. Temperatures are low and snow and ice can make some trails difficult to hike. However, the winter months have some advantages such as not having to ride the shuttle, as the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is open to private vehicles.

You have to pay to enter Zion National Park. There are various entrance tickets and passes available. For example, entrance fees with a private vehicle are 36 USD (the price is per vehicle, not per person). This entrance fee gives you access to the park for 7 days! There is also an annual pass which costs 70 USD.

However, if you wish to visit other national parks in the United States, other options are more worthwhile. One such example is the America the Beautiful annual pass. This pass costs 80 USD per vehicle and is valid for one year for all the national parks in the country. Given the average price of entry to the various parks, you only need to visit 3 national parks in a year to make it worth buying America the Beautiful! More information about the passes is available here.

Any of these tickets or passes can be bought at the entrances to the various national parks. I should warn you, however, that some entrances/parks may only accept card payments. At Zion National Park, they accept both cash and cards. You can also buy your entrance tickets online if you wish to spend less time queuing to enter the park😉. Even though it might reduce the time in the queue, you’ll always have to show the pass the enter the park, which can also take some time during peak season.

If you choose to buy the America the Beautiful annual pass, once you’ve bought it, you’ll need to show your pass and ID when entering each park, as the pass is non-transferable.

There is only one lodge inside the park – Zion National Park Lodge. As this is the only lodge located inside the park, it quickly runs out of available rooms, especially during the busiest months. So if you’re planning to stay here, I suggest you book your accommodation as far in advance as possible.

Guests at Zion Lodge have special authorisation to drive on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, even during the months when it is closed to private vehicles. In addition, there is a shuttle stop in front of Zion Lodge, making it easy to get around the park.

Another option for accommodation inside the park is the campsites in Zion National Park. There are 3 campsites:

• Watchman Campground: open all year round and should be booked in advance
• South Campground: currently closed for a rehabilitation project
• Lava Point Campground: there is always a need for reservation

Since accommodation options inside Zion National Park are scarce and often expensive, the second best option for looking for accommodation near Zion National Park is the town of Springdale, which is just outside the park. There are several accommodation options here, so here are a few suggestions:

However, given Springdale’s convenient location, you’re most likely to find much cheaper accommodation if you look a bit further away from the park. For example, in my case, I chose to stay in the town of St. George, located about a 1-hour drive from the Zion National Park Visitor Center (near Springdale).

The hotel I stayed in – the Red Lion Hotel & Conference Centre – was a bit old-fashioned, but it was clean and breakfast was included (although it wasn’t anything special). What’s more, it was very affordable (52€ a night for 2 people).

Although this trail is a lot of fun, there are a few things to bear in mind before you take it:

• Protect yourself from the sun with a hat, sunglasses, light clothing and sun cream as the trail is very exposed to the sun.
• Ensure the necessary hydration during the trail.
• Avoid doing the trail during the hottest hours, especially in the warmer months.
• Wear appropriate footwear as some parts of the route are uneven.

Finally, don’t forget the Leave No Trace principle, by complying with its 7 principles: prepare your visit in advance, dispose of rubbish in appropriate places, leave everything the same way as you found it, minimise the impact of any campfires, respect wildlife, be respectful to other visitors and comply with the camping rules.

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