Canyon Overlook Trail
4.8(262)google
4.8(57)yelp
HikingCanyonScenic LookoutPhoto SpotOutdoor
Overview
This short but highly rewarding rocky hiking trail guides travelers across historic historic footbridges, sandstone shelves, and shaded alcoves. It terminates at a breathtaking sheer cliff platform offering panoramic vistas of the Pine Creek canyon.
Practical Info
Suggested Duration1-1.5 hours
Best TimeThe absolute world-class golden window for this relatively easy 1-mile historic cliff walk is a summer sunrise from 5:45 AM to 7:30 AM. You must scale the rock galleries before dawn; the rising sun pierce horizontally straight through the mountain clefts, lighting the massive Pine Creek switchback slots andfacing red mesas with majestic, historic lighting panels.
Getting ThereLocated directly outside the eastern portal landing of the monumental Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel along highway UT-9. Manage this unique travel rule: this specific trailhead is completely open to private car driving year-round and is entirely unserviced by the park shuttle vans. Upon exiting the dark 1.1-mile tunnel cave east, immediately pull left into the highly restrictive, free 15-space asphalt lot.
Travel Tips
- Severe Micro-Lot Parking Scarcity & Heavy Roadway Citations: The trailhead sits immediately outside the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel exit where public parking is restricted to under 15 tight slots. Roadside double-parking along State Route 9 is aggressively ticketed and vehicles are towed instantly.
- Exposed Cliff Ledges Without Rails & Strict Child Mandates: This 1-mile trail traces narrow sandstone shelves contouring deep drop-offs, with many long stretches completely lacking guardrails. Individuals with vertigo must avoid this loop, and parents must keep children closely hand-held.
- Severe Storm Cloudburst Induced Rockfalls Warning: The trail topography passes beneath loose, weather-sheared canyon rims. Summer rainstorms instantly dislodge tumbling boulders and heavy mud curtains down onto paths; immediately evacuate the cliffside trail to your car if lightning cracks.
Reviews
Positive
- A mere 1-mile roundtrip hike rewards you with a massive bird's-eye vista of the entire Zion Canyon gorge; incredible cost-performance and zero photo deceit.
- The trail offers exceptional fun, weaving through cliffside wooden boardwalks and natural rock alcoves; sturdy guardrails ensure solid safety safety.
- Requires zero extra admission fees inside; clear rock cairns guide the track, and multilingual pamphlets stand ready at the start for global travelers.
- Climbing at sunrise secures low tourist density and cloaks the red rock peaks in a golden glow of pristine natural peace, maximizing its core value.
Heads up
- The trailhead parking lot is hopelessly tiny (just a dozen slots); finding a space after 9 AM is virtually impossible, a textbook example of poor transit ease.
- Set just past the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel exit, park shuttles completely bypass this spot; car-less global tourists have zero mass transit options.
- Afternoon peak hours flood the short track with explosive crowd density; narrow ledges force single-file squeezing, spoiling any wilderness silence.
- The trail offers zero restrooms, zero bins, and zero water with absolute zero accessibility, turning it into a miserable trek for elders or strollers.