The Canyon Overlook trail offers unparalleled views of Zion National Park, but unlike some of the other popular hikes in Zion, you don’t have to be an experienced hiker to get to this viewpoint.
It features a slight and steady elevation gain over rocky, dirt terrain. Although there are steep drop-offs on one side, the trail itself only has a couple of narrow sections and there are guardrails over most of the edges.
Canyon Overlook trail features some of the best views of the eastern side of the park. We started our hike up some stone steps near the eastern exit of the Mount Carmel tunnel.
After a short two minutes climbing up these steps, we immediately get our first breathtaking views of the canyon. We stopped to take some pictures here and then continued forward past a couple of narrow sections with railings.
The halfway point of the trail is a cool, shaded alcove. Here we saw some cool hanging vegetation on the walls and took a short break. This was a great spot to take pictures. Be careful of this area when it’s wet!
After this section, we crossed a couple more narrow walkways at a slight uphill grade. The trail started to widen right before the viewpoint. It took us about half an hour walking at leisurely pace to reach the viewpoint at the end of the trail.
Overall, the trail wasn’t too hard. It afforded us some beautiful views of the Eastern canyons in the park and didn’t require too much effort compared to some of the other hikes in Zion. While there are plenty of guardrails in place over the edges, there were a couple of narrow sections that might make someone fearful of heights uneasy.
Once at the viewpoint, a plaque points out many prominent landmarks. Some interesting things to look for: the Route 9 switchbacks below, Bridge Mountain (the highest peak on the left side of the canyon), the East Temple (the impressive rock formation above the viewpoint to the right), and the Pine Creek stream far below. Also look closely at the canyon walls to find several of the Zion-Mount-Carmel Tunnel "windows". You can explore around the viewpoint, but be very careful as there cliff edges everywhere; a 1000-ft fall from the viewpoint would be fatal. Relax for as long as you like then return the way you came.
It features a slight and steady elevation gain over rocky, dirt terrain. Although there are steep drop-offs on one side, the trail itself only has a couple of narrow sections and there are guardrails over most of the edges.
Canyon Overlook trail features some of the best views of the eastern side of the park. We started our hike up some stone steps near the eastern exit of the Mount Carmel tunnel.
After a short two minutes climbing up these steps, we immediately get our first breathtaking views of the canyon. We stopped to take some pictures here and then continued forward past a couple of narrow sections with railings.
The halfway point of the trail is a cool, shaded alcove. Here we saw some cool hanging vegetation on the walls and took a short break. This was a great spot to take pictures. Be careful of this area when it’s wet!
After this section, we crossed a couple more narrow walkways at a slight uphill grade. The trail started to widen right before the viewpoint. It took us about half an hour walking at leisurely pace to reach the viewpoint at the end of the trail.
Overall, the trail wasn’t too hard. It afforded us some beautiful views of the Eastern canyons in the park and didn’t require too much effort compared to some of the other hikes in Zion. While there are plenty of guardrails in place over the edges, there were a couple of narrow sections that might make someone fearful of heights uneasy.
Once at the viewpoint, a plaque points out many prominent landmarks. Some interesting things to look for: the Route 9 switchbacks below, Bridge Mountain (the highest peak on the left side of the canyon), the East Temple (the impressive rock formation above the viewpoint to the right), and the Pine Creek stream far below. Also look closely at the canyon walls to find several of the Zion-Mount-Carmel Tunnel "windows". You can explore around the viewpoint, but be very careful as there cliff edges everywhere; a 1000-ft fall from the viewpoint would be fatal. Relax for as long as you like then return the way you came.
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