Not for agoraphobes, this hair-raising side trip off the Observation Point Trail in Zion National Park is as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one. The Hidden Canyon Route follows the cliff’s edge for a time, then begs a scramble up a trail-less area between two walls of sandstone. Right up your alley? Let’s find out more about the Hidden Canyon hike in Zion National Park, and others in the area – including a few that aren’t quite so vertiginous.
Note: Please check with the park about current conditions and closures.
Where Is the Hidden Canyon Hike?
The Hidden Canyon Trail begins at the Weeping Rock trailhead at mile 4.4 on Zion Canyon Road. If you’re riding the Zion Canyon shuttle, get off at the Weeping Rock stop.
You’ll start at the Weeping Rock trailhead, which is also the Observation Point trailhead. Pass by the Weeping Rock spur trail until you reach the turnoff for Hidden Canyon, to the right. After the trail junction, you’ll zigzag upward and westward around a rocky promontory. Use the chains as handrails as you go through a narrow section. The route will get increasingly nerve-wracking as it continues above a dropoff, eventually turning southward into the mouth of Hidden Canyon.
From here, the trail disappears, and you’ll follow the sandy wash between the lower cliffs of Cable Mountain and the Great White Throne. After the natural arch that rises from the canyon floor, you’ll do a fair bit of scrambling to get around some sandstone and tree obstacles, impasses and chasms. Explore and go as far as you’re comfortable with. Once you reach a vertical cleft, that’s your stopping point – hikers are not allowed beyond this point in order to protect the habitat of the Mexican spotted owl.
How Long Is the Hidden Canyon Hike?
The Hidden Canyon trail is 2.4 miles roundtrip. Plan on 2.5 to 6 hours, depending on how fast you hike and how much exploring you wish you do. You’ll cover and elevation gain of 1,000 feet.
Observation Point Hike
For a longer hike, consider this popular trail that offers a steady climb from the floor of Zion Canyon to the rimrock above it. Stop at various viewpoints along the way, including the narrow slot canyon of Echo Canyon. The hike is 8 miles roundtrip and will take about four hours.
You’ll start with a lot of switchbacking up a natural amphitheater. About two-thirds of the way up this section, you’ll see the spur trail to Hidden Canyon. Keep going north through ponderosa pine and across slanted stone – look up to see the sheer north face of Cable Mountain. Feel the refreshing coolness of Echo Canyon, a hanging chasm. Continue to zigzag upwards, then westward for your final elevation gain across white cliffs (this section can be daunting for those nervous about heights, but the trail is quite wide). Reach the top of the Navajo sandstone rimrock, entering a scrubland of pinon and juniper. From here, look down into Zion Canyon, with the Great White Throne to the south. You can also see Red Arch Mountain, with its alcove reminiscent of a cathedral’s nave.
East Mesa Trail
For a quieter, more isolated hike, consider the East Mesa Trail – not quite as strenuous nor as long as the Observation Point Trail. It’s 6.6 miles roundtrip and passes through ponderosa pine forest for most of the way. It’s sandy and bit rocky and when you’re about one mile from Observation Point, the views keep coming. Look down into the canyon once you reach the point and you’ll see the famous Angels Landing Trail.
Perhaps the trickiest part of the East Mesa Trail is finding the trailhead, as it’s located in a remote area of Zion National Park. The trailhead is about 1.7 miles east of the park border along Route 9. Turn north onto the paved North Fork Road and follow that for 5.4 miles. Turn left onto a dirt road that heads west under the Zion Ponderosa Resort gate. Follow the main Pine Angle Road west, then north to the trailhead.
Angels Landing
Intrigued by this incredibly popular, yet challenging, iconic Zion National Park hike? Here’s what you can expect. This 5-mile, nearly 1,500-foot-elevation gain, roundtrip hike features one of the most thrilling stretches of any trail in the United States.
As you reach the summit of this famous pinnacle, you have to follow a sharp spine of rock, walking up sandstone-carved “steps” and using chain handrails to guide you. Once you’ve achieved the apex, though, the reward is great. Look around and see all of Zion Canyon, from 1,500 feet below you to the rimrock all around.
You’ll start at the Grotto on the West Rim Trail, which switchbacks steadily uphill to Refrigerator Canyon (enjoy the relative coolness and shade of this section while you can). Continue up the tight Walter’s Wiggles switchbacks to Scout Lookout. The West Rim Trail continues upward from here – you’ll follow the 0.4-mile spur trail to the exposed crest of Angels Landing.
Keep going, if you wish, to towering beehives, colorful sandstone cliffs and even more spectacular views of Zion Canyon.
The Subway
Looking for a technical slot canyon experience in Zion National Park? Tackle The Subway – 9.5 miles with 2,000 vertical feet downhill and 400 feet uphill. There are a couple access points: the upper end of Wildcat Canyon Trailhead, 15.5 miles up Kolob Terrace Road; or the lower end at Left Fork Trailhead, 8.2 miles up Kolob Terrace Road.
The slot canyon gets its name from a particularly colorful and round passage that looks like a subway tunnel – it was bored out by flash floods. You’ll need only beginner canyoneering skills – and a one-day permit that you’ll want to arrange for well ahead of time – to enjoy the canyon, which widens to the width of a soccer field, then narrows to slots barely as side as your shoulders. It’s widely considered one of the most scenic hikes in the National Park System.