Utah's National Parks. Ron Adkison
ponderosa pine, pinyon, juniper, cliffrose, greenleaf manzanita, and Utah serviceberry. Soon the trail leads us down a steep, rocky rib above an Echo Canyon tributary thick with pines and Douglas-firs. In autumn Gambel oaks and bigtooth maples splash their red and gold foliage across the landscape, contrasting with the white cliffs above and the somber green conifer forest.
After we enjoy down-canyon views, the descent briefly ends where we cross Echo Canyon’s dry wash (0.9; 5610), along which the descent continues. Numerous potential campsites can be found not only up-canyon but atop the numerous rocky, pine-studded knolls that rise north of the wash. The canyon is waterless, but the overwhelming quiet, sheer, crenulated cliffs, the green plateau above us, and tall pines combine to make the area sublimely attractive.
The trail ahead alternates between rock and sand, and although it descends, progress is fairly slow. After bending into three north-trending draws, our rough, undulating trail finally crosses slickrock where the route is indicated by cairns. Soon after sighting the Draw Works atop Cable Mountain’s mineral-streaked walls, we join the trail (1.0; 5580) climbing toward Observation Point and enter the front-country zone, which is closed to camping.
To complete the trek, follow the first part of Trip 10 in reverse, hiking the final 1.9 miles to the Weeping Rock parking area.
Trip 14
East Boundary to Echo Canyon Trail
Distance: 0.5 mile, one way, to Echo Canyon Trail
Low/High elevations: 6390’/6450’
Suited for: Dayhike when combined with East Rim trails (see Trip 13)
Difficulty: Easy
Best season: May through October
Map/Trailhead: 4/11
Hazards: Negligible
Introduction: This seldom-trod spur trail offers quick access to the Stave Spring environs, allowing jaunts to Cable and Deertrap mountains to be completed in less than a day. Although the drive to the trailhead can be confusing, the easy access to the backcountry of Zion more than compensates for the extra time required behind the wheel.
Description: Beginning at a gate on the Park’s eastern boundary (0.0; 6450), we follow a long-closed road gently downhill under a canopy of ponderosa pine. Crossing to the south side of the draw, we descend almost imperceptibly among scattered Gambel oaks, soon passing an outcrop of the Temple Cap Formation on the right.
Shortly thereafter we break into the open, cross a sagebrush-clad flat, and gently descend to meet the Echo Canyon Trail (0.5; 6390), Trip 13.
From here it will take most hikers little more than two hours to reach either Cable or Deertrap mountains. Stave Spring, a modest but reliable source of water, dampens the draw only 0.4 mile up the trail to the south.
Trip 15
East Mesa Trail to Observation Point Trail
Distance: 3.2 miles, one way, to Observation Point Trail
Low/High elevations: 6500’/6815’
Suited for: Dayhike or backpack
Difficulty: Easy
Best season: May through October
Maps/Trailhead: 4,3/12
Hazards: No water; trail should be avoided if thunderstorms threaten.
Introduction: Beginning at a remote trailhead on the eastern fringes of the Park, the seldom-used East Mesa Trail follows a broad promontory that juts westward from the rolling shoulders of the Markagunt Plateau toward the rim of Zion Canyon.
Excepting the curious, roughly westward alignment of Echo and Orderville canyons, between which the East Mesa is wedged, all the canyons viewed from this trail follow the jointed grain of the landscape in a north-northwest direction. Woodlands of Gambel oak, juniper, pinyon, and ponderosa pine are thickly massed atop the mesa, and offer ample shelter for the many potential campsites passed along the way. Most hikers however, use this trail for the quick and easy access it provides to the overlook at Observation Point (see Trip 10).
Description: The East Mesa Trail, actually the faded remains of a long-closed road, begins at a hiker’s gate (0.0; 6520) allowing passage through a fenceline along the Park’s eastern boundary. Designed to keep grazing cattle out of the Park, fences have been erected along much of the perimeter of Zion. Nevertheless, the presence of cattle and sheep beyond Park boundaries at the headwaters of La Verkin Creek and North Fork Virgin River have fouled those backcountry water sources, necessitating purification.
Beginning in a woodland of pinyon and juniper, we find taller ponderosa pines mixing into the forest as we progress westward, ascending gently along the plateau. Views enroute stretch far to the north and northwest, where the two-tiered surface of the Markagunt Plateau becomes apparent. Much of the extensive southern tier is exposed to our gaze. This is the plateau—the Kolob Terrace—in which North Fork Virgin River has cut Zion Canyon. The upper tier, considerably higher in elevation and capped by geologically recent lava flows, is bounded by the Pink Cliffs of the Claron Formation, relatively soft Eocene lakebed sediments that compose the cliffs of Cedar Breaks National Monument and those of Bryce Canyon National Park.
Enroute, we can briefly detour north from the trail at points 1.25 and 2.2 miles from the trailhead, to the rim, where exceptional views unfold, overlooking Orderville and Mystery canyons, drainages that are densely forested with pine, white fir, and Douglas-fir, the trend of their courses controlled by jointing in the Navajo Sandstone.
Eventually the trail turns southwest, following the crest of the mesa. Then, just above the south arm of Mystery Canyon, it gently ascends to the summit of our hike (2.3; 6815). Shortly we arc westward over the crunchy Carmel limestone, then begin a steady descent south into a pinyon, juniper, and oak woodland. Approaching the foot of the descent, we circumnavigate the head of a plunging Zion Canyon tributary, and conclude the hike on a shadier slope among ponderosa pines, Douglas-firs, and thickets of Gambel oak, greenleaf manzanita, and Utah serviceberry.
At the junction (0.9; 6500) we have the choice of either backtracking to the trailhead, turning right to Observation Point (0.3 mile), or going left and descending to Weeping Rock trailhead (see Trip 10).
Trip 16
The Narrows: Chamberlain’s Ranch to Temple of Sinawava
Distance: 17.5 miles, shuttle trip
Low/High elevations: 4418’/5830’
Suited for: Backpack
Difficulty: Strenuous
Best season: Clear days in summer
Maps/Trailheads: 5,6,3/13,8
Hazards: Wading a river through a deep and narrow slickrock canyon (see Introduction for details).
Introduction: The famous Narrows of Zion Canyon is one of the classic canyon hiking trips on the Colorado Plateau. This hike is perhaps the most exciting and challenging trip in all of Utah’s national parks. Throughout most of the canyon’s 17-mile length, much of your time will be spent wading through knee-deep waters. Depending on water levels, some swimming may be required through deeper holes.
The optimum season for the trip is from early to mid-summer. During that time, the river has receded from snowmelt runoff and the probability of thunderstorms is usually low. Temperatures are typically hot by mid-June, and a summer hike through the shady depths of the canyon is refreshing and enjoyable. From about mid-July through mid-September, Utah experiences its monsoon season, when thunderstorms can occur frequently, sometimes daily. These heavy rains increase the probability of rising water levels and flash flooding. The