Hiking The Canyon Overlook Trail At Zion National Park

Zion National Park is currently partly open. There are some restrictions and you should check the current park updates on their website and, of course, wear a mask. 

The Canyon Overlook Trail isn’t a particularly taxing hike, especially compared to Angels Landing. It takes about an hour, plus whatever time you spend at the Overlook itself. There are some stairs at the start, but overall it’s fairly flat. The elevation change is 163 feet, or 50 meters.

There’s no shuttle to this trail, you’ll need to drive. And that’s actually the most challenging part…

Canyon Overlook Trail, step-by-step

After you enter the park, continue driving up Route 9 as it turns right. I mean, you don’t have much choice most of the year, since the rest of the park is only accessible by shuttle. 

This section of Route 9 is gorgeous, switching back and forth above Pine Creek and between East Temple and Bridge Mountain, before entering the long Zion-Mount Carmel tunnel. You’ll actually see the Canyon Overlook here, right above the epic Great Arch.

Once you exit the tunnel, the Canyon Overlook’s first parking lot is immediately on the right. However, it’s tiny. There’s only space for 10 standard cars. It’s worth pulling in, if there’s not much traffic, to see if someone’s about to leave. However, if you continue on there’s another parking lot just down the road, along with some shoulder parking.

The first part of the trail is generally the most strenuous, but it’s not excessive. There are stone stairs and some switchbacks. Some of these have metal railings.  Most of the change in elevation for the hike is this first section adjacent to the road. 

As you continue, the canyon floor drops away and you’re very aware you’re walking on an outcropping. It’s not quite as alarming as the freakier bits of Angels Landing, probably because you can’t actually see the very bottom due to how the walls of the canyon slope downward. Some sections here too have railings and even some fencing.

You’ll soon pass a partial cave cutout in one of the canyon walls, a nice shady respite from the sun. Depending on the weather during, and before, your visit, the next part can be somewhat muddy. During my visit, in early March, the previous night’s rainfall had made a few sections that required careful hopping and patience between those trying to pass in each direction.

Though the hike is only about 30 minutes in each direction, it’s worth taking your time. There are multiple scenic vistas before the main attraction. These certainly remind you of where you are, but don’t really give you a sense of how high up you are.

The final section of the trail has multiple options. You can weave along the smooth, bare rocks, worn by feet and weather over time. Or you can navigate through trees and brush. We chose the rocks, since it’s a better view and less chance to harass any shrubberies.

Then, finally, you’re at the Overlook itself. Even though in the back of your mind you know where you are, it still comes as an awe inspiring shock. You’re over 1,000 feet (300m) above the canyon floor. You can see the many switchbacks of Route 9, along with the peaks of West Temple, the Sentinel, Bridge Mountain, and more. The middle of the Overlook has a small railing and fence, but the rest does not. You’re free to explore all over but, like the rest of Zion, watch out for that edge. It’s a long way down. 

Heading back is just a simple retrace of your steps before. The only bathrooms are at the main parking lot. One last thing, you can’t turn left out of that first parking lot, for safety reasons. You’ll need to continue down Route 9 and make a U-turn when it’s safe.

For more info, check out the National Park Service’s Zion website, including up-to-date info about any closings or extra precautions required given the state of everything.