Best river trails in Zion National Park
Top trails
Visitor info
Admits one, non-commercial motorcycle to Zion National Park. Valid for 1-7 days.
$20 per person. Non-commercial vehicles with a capacity of 16 or greater. Fees will not exceed the commercial fee for the same-sized vehicle. Youth 15 and under are free. Individuals or families with any valid Annual or Lifetime pass may use their pass for entry at the per person rate. Pass and photo ID must be present upon entry.
Admits one individual with no car to Zion National Park. Typically used for bicyclists, hikers and pedestrians. Youth 15 and under are admitted free. Valid for 1-7 days.
Admits private, non-commercial vehicle (15 passenger capacity or less) and all occupants to Zion National Park. Valid for 1-7 days.
Admits one individual with no car to Zion National Park. Typically used for bicyclists, hikers and pedestrians. Youth 15 and under are admitted free. Valid for 1-7 days.
The Zion Annual Pass is valid only at Zion and may be purchased in person. This pass is valid for 12 months from purchase month. This pass admits the pass holder and passengers in a non-commercial vehicle. You can buy this entrance pass at all entrance stations.
Join millions of people who enjoy our National Parks with the "America the Beautiful" National Park & Federal Recreational Lands Pass, otherwise known as the Interagency Annual Pass. The pass is valid for a year's worth of visits from the month of purchase at more than 2,000 federal recreation sites across the country.
No entrance pass required on these days:
Monday, January 20 — Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Saturday, April 19 — First day of National Park Week
Thursday, June 19 — Juneteenth National Independence Day
Monday, August 4 — Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
Saturday, September 27 — National Public Lands Day
Tuesday, November 11 — Veterans Day
The Interagency Access Pass is accepted here.
All visitor centers and the Human History Museum are accessible to visitors using mobility equipment or strollers and have wheelchair accessible restrooms and drinking fountains. Orientation films include closed captioning.
Loaner wheelchairs, assistive listening devices, audio descriptions, tactile exhibits, and Braille and text materials are available.
Many ranger-led programs are wheelchair accessible and assistive listening devices and ASL interpreters are available by reservation. Please call 435-772-3256 or email [email protected] in advance to make a reservation for equipment or interpretation services.
Additional information about accessibility at Zion National Park can be found on their website: https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/accessibility.htm.
All shuttle buses in the park are wheelchair accessible and can fit chairs under 45 inches long and 25 inches wide.
For driving personal vehicles in the gorge, there is a special parking permit available at the information desks of the museum.
All visitor centers and the Human History Museum are accessible to visitors using mobility equipment or strollers and have wheelchair accessible restrooms and drinking fountains. Orientation films include closed captioning.
The Zion Lodge has 4 wheelchair accessible rooms and loaner wheelchairs available. It also has a wheelchair accessible snack bar, auditorium, gift shop, restrooms, and dining room.
The Grotto Picnic Area is wheelchair accessible with packed, level paths and surfaces and accessible restrooms.
The Watchman Campground has 7 individual camping sites, 2 group sites, and restrooms that are all wheelchair accessible. The South Campground has packed level surfaces, but no designated accessible campsites and no accessible restrooms.
The amphitheater at the South Campground has wheelchair accessible seating in the top row and access to the beach near campsite B56.
Service animals must be on-leash throughout the park.
Guides
Trail reviews for Zion National Park
Unreal hike. Great views of the canyon bottom, virgin river , and towering mountains above. Started ascent on West Rim Trail with steady climb and amazing views. Refrigerator canyon shady and cool.( on descent - only shady spot in Afternoon.) - scout lookout is a nice look out and impressive view of canyon and even cooler perspective of the angels landing ascent. Angels landing finish( any on can hike to Scout Lookout but need a permit to complete- rangers check ID and permit at start) .5 miles of scrambling and chain work to finish. Outstanding climb, must be in shape and be ready to deal with severe drop offs with only a hand on chain. Once at the top ridiculous 360 views. True, it like where the only the angels can land. Coming down , for many a little tricky and stressful because you see the drops on both sides. Awesome Hike- - Bucket Lister.
Great trail! Paved the whole way but very steep. Last chunk out of the canyon is a little rough with very steep switchbacks, but views are great. Views through the first mile of the trail are also amazing and are honestly more impressive than the peak. Bring Crocs to cool off your feet in the river at the end!
Hiked at sunset on Tuesday evening, 5/27. The entrance stations for Zion for were closed, but you can still drive in & park at the Visitor Center. There are signs directing hikers from the parking area to the trail, which initially runs parallel to the river. It's a nice, gradual incline with a couple switchbacks leading to a loop with several canyon overlooks. The trail is very heavily traveled & easy to follow. It wasn't too crowded & saw a wide range of ages ascending & descending.
We were on the 6:00 am shuttle and arrived with 30 - 40 other anxious water enthusiasts. The scenery is breathtaking. A few tips: - wear water shoes - utilize hiking poles versus the one hiking stick provided by outfitters - forget about solitude. By starting early you don’t have anyone coming downstream - there is only one spot where the water is waist deep and the is 1/4 mile into the trek. It lasts 10 yards. Don’t get your camera wet! - take your time. Wet river rocks are slick. If you don’t want an involuntary bath… watch your step! - Enjoy. The hike is awesome!
Trail was a bit crowded even though we did it in the early evening. Nice view on the river. Upper pools most impressive.
Great morning hike! Started around 6:30, already pretty crowded with hikers going to the narrows. There was a nice diversion as we were going out on the left with stairs going down allow you to walk along the river for a little ways before coming back up and meeting the paved path. That was very nice and no problem here near as crowded.