Although only one-mile roundtrip, the Canyon Overlook Trail shouldn't be overlooked (pun!). The trail is one of the most popular in Zion NP: beautiful, easy, and fun to follow. At the end is Pipe Creek Canyon overlook, perched above the Great Arch and offering stunning views into Zion Canyon. The short distance blurs the line between a hike and a roadside attraction, but the trail is so great that I always visit it at Zion.
Where is the Canyon Overlook Trail?
The Canyon Overlook trailhead is just outside the upper entrance to the Zion-Mt Carmel Tunnel, in the eastern part of Zion National Park. The challenge on this hike is getting a parking spot. There are two small lots close to the trailhead, and then there is a smattering of roadside parking further up the road.
If you are coming up from the Visitor Center, look for a small trailhead parking lot directly on your right once you exit the tunnel.About 500 feet east of the first parking lot is another small lot on the other side of the road. There is a primitive toilet at the lot.If you park away from the trailhead, you will have to walk along the road to reach the start of the hike. Be careful of traffic, which is probably not expecting pedestrians.All around the two small parking lots are no parking areas. Never park anywhere explicitly marked "no-parking."
For your best chance at getting a parking spot, arrive here at sunrise.
Further up, past the no-parking signs, are some turnouts where you can park. And while technically, roadside parking is not allowed in Zion NP, several wide paved turnouts like this are often used for parking. I marked the two closest turnouts on the map below. Again, if the lots are full, find a wide turnout and carefully walk to the trailhead.
From just outside of the tunnel we make our way along the cliffside, above Pine Creek, to a wide plateau that overlooks Zion Canyon.
Canyon Overlook Hike Directions
Hike up the stairs by the trailhead.The beginning has a small amount of stair climbing and zig zags up. After this initial climbing, the trail becomes flat.As you wind around the canyon wall, handrails keep the experience safe.Some sections lack rails but are at least 4 feet wide. It's easy to pass other people on these sections. The Canyon Overlook Trail was first built in the 1930s and is regularly maintained.Shortly after the start there's a viewpoint where you can peer deep into the Pine Creek slot canyon below . Experienced canyoneers sometimes rappel through this canyon, one of the most popular technical routes in the park.Now we start the boards section along the side of the cliff.You get nice views down into the slot canyon along the boards.At the end of the boards you arrive at a massive rock overhang. If for some reason you got caught in the rain, this is a good place to wait it out.Continue along the path. Don't forget to look across the canyon. There's an incredible arch with a face in it along the way.Continuing on you'll hike into a wide area of red and cream-colored slick rock, with the overlook area shortly ahead. The tall pointy peak on the left is Bridge Mountain.The trail widens out and you arrive at the overlook, surrounded by hoodoos that people love to climb.The best place to enjoy the overlook into Zion Canyon is from the fenced-in edge, which also has an interpretive display.FYI from here you are standing above the Great Arch, which you can see when you drive up from the canyon to the tunnel.Enjoy the views from the edge and then just hike back the way you came in.
