#OBSERVATION POINT TRAIL HOW TO#

My parents had already climbed Angels Landing four years earlier, and didn’t feel the need to do it again, while Matt isn’t a fan of crazy drop-offs. While my sister and I tackled Angels Landing, my husband, Matt, and my parents took on the longer hike to Observation Point on the other side of the valley. For helpful maps of the park, including this one, check out Why this hike? The trailhead is on the same side of the road as the shuttle stop. To get to the trailhead for Observation Point, take the park shuttle (or drive during the winter months when the Scenic Drive is open to private vehicles) to Weeping Rock, the sixth stop from the Visitor’s Centre.

#OBSERVATION POINT TRAIL HOW TO#

See my post on Angels Landing for a more detailed description of how to get to Zion National Park, as well as information on park fees and shuttles. Length: ~13km return (8 mile round-trip) with a 640m (2,100 ft) elevation gainįacilities: toilets at the carpark, otherwise none on the trail and no fresh water sources – make sure you take plenty of water and sunscreen. Observation Point is an amazing hike that showcases the best of Zion National Park, without the crowds of Angels Landing. A great slab of stone broke away from its face in the 1880s, leaving a lofty alcove reminiscent of a cathedral nave.Observation Point has wonderfully high views over Zion National Park, as well as beautiful slot canyons hidden along the trail. Perhaps the most intriguing feature that can be seen from here is Red Arch Mountain. The Great White Throne looms to the south, and to the left the cableworks atop Cable Mountain can be picked out with binoculars. A level trek through deep sand leads to the tip of the promontory and an inspiring view down Zion Canyon. The path ultimately reaches the top of the Navajo sandstone formation, where it enters a rolling scrubland of piñon and juniper that marks the top of the plateau.

Although the trail is quite wide, it hardly seems wide enough to prevent the traveler from being drawn into the yawning abyss. After numerous switchbacks, the trail shoots westward for the final ascent across white cliffs that drop away for a thousand feet below the pathway. Sheer walls of fluted stone rise on all sides.Įventually the trail embarks on a challenging ascent, zigzagging its way up the sheer face of stone that rises above. The path levels off as it enters the cool recesses of Echo Canyon, a hanging chasm carved by runoff. The path soon traverses a slab of slanted stone, with the sheer north face of Cable Mountain rising to dizzying heights above the trail. The main trail turns north and continues to gain altitude among a scattering of ponderosa pines made possible by the relative coolness of these higher elevations. About two-thirds of the way up the grade, a spur trail climbs southward into the cleft of Hidden Canyon (described below). The trail begins by zigzagging vigorously up an amphitheater carved out of the wall of Zion Canyon by the river. Observation Point itself is perched high above Zion Canyon and is the most accessible of the rimrock overlooks that line the canyon wall. There are excellent views all along the way, featuring the lower reaches of Zion Canyon, a brief firsthand look at the narrow slot of Echo Canyon, and views of the cliffs above upper Echo Canyon during the final climb.

This popular trail offers a long and steep climb from the floor of Zion Canyon to the rimrock that soars high above it. Topo maps: USGS Temple of Sinawava Trails Illustrated Zion National Parkįinding the trailhead: The trail begins at the Weeping Rock trailhead at mile 4.4 on Zion Canyon Road, reached via the Zion Canyon shuttle. Hazards: Cliff exposure not a good hike for people afraid of heights.

Observation point trail