We’re all crossing our fingers that the route opens up soon so that we can get back to enjoy the sweeping views and spectacular ascents. The views from the point itself take in just about all of the canyon’s higher points. Prior to the East Rim Trail’s long-term closure due to a landslide, the challenging hike to Observation Point from Weeping Rock was one of the best bottom-to-top experiences in Zion Canyon. Observation PointĪngels Landing may get all of the glory, but it’s a fairly open secret that Observation Point has the superior views. This photographer’s paradise might be at its best in late October/early November when the cottonwoods and box elders along the route flash gold under a mild Utah sun. The hike up the Left Fork of North Creek visits several cascading waterfalls, some unique geologic features, and fossilized dinosaur tracks before culminating in a convex slot canyon with surreal pools of translucent green water. However, that’s where the similarity stops. In many ways, the route to the Subway is similar to the Narrows with a lot of walking in the water through narrow canyons. Our write-up touches on the safety and preparation features hikers need to know about. We were pleased to find that this hike was a memorable, one-of-a-kind experience worthy of the kudos. Given all of the hype this route receives, we were a bit skeptical about whether it would live up to its reputation. The NarrowsĪside from Angels Landing, there is no more recognized or sought-after hike in Zion than the Narrows. This route also includes a long stretch on the Rim Trail, which skirts the rim of Bryce Amphitheater and dishes up spectacular views across Utah’s central interior. This long, looping route explores several massive hoodoo constellations, including the Tower Bridge hoodoos that so resemble the eponymous British landmark. While tourists teem on the Queens Garden and Navajo Loops, far fewer people explore this relatively quiet corner of the Bryce Amphitheater region. This hike also doubles as an outstanding overnight route with campsites scattered along the upper elevations of the route. Far-reaching views that extend as far south as the Mojave Desert also take in the sculpted buttes, towers, and pinnacles of the Zion Highlands. This one-way route stretching from Lava Point to the Grotto Trailhead offers one of the most comprehensive experiences in the park as it traces the spine of the Horse Pasture Plateau en route to a spectacular descent into Zion Canyon. Links to each article are embedded in the title of each section to help you learn more and begin planning your trips. We’ve compiled our favorite hikes here in this handy compendium of standouts. We here at Modern Hiker have spent the last twenty years wandering and wondering through both parks, writing dozens of trip write-ups and a print hiking guide in tribute to one of our favorite desert landscapes. Wildlife, including the endangered California Condor, abounds throughout both parks, and jaw-dropping views are a dime-a-dozen.Įasily accessible trail networks lace the landscapes, providing up-close and personal encounters with these natural wonders. Both parks showcase the effects of water and time on the southwestern margins of the Colorado Plateau, a geological layer cake of white, pink, red, gray, and yellow rock encompassing much of Southern Utah. Utah’s Big Five parks have garnered a lot of attention over the past decade, which has catapulted Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park to the tops of many hikers’ bucket lists.
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