Trip Date: 10/29/2016
Location: Zion National Park
Permit/Pass: Private Vehicle: $30. Valid for 7 days. Admits private, non-commercial vehicle (15 passenger capacity or less) and all occupants to Zion National Park, including both the Zion Canyon and Kolob Canyon areas. Motorcycle: $25. Valid for 7 days. Admits one non-commercial motorcycle to Zion National Park, including both the Zion Canyon and Kolob Canyon areas. Per Person: $15. Valid for 7 days.
Trail maps: NPSmap
Directions: From Interstate 15 just north of the town of St. George take Utah Highway 9 east toward Hurricane (follow the signs for Zion National Park). After a bit over 12 miles, and passing through Hurricane, you reach a junction with Hwy. 17 in La Verkin where you turn right to continue on Hwy. 9 East. Continue for about 20 and a half miles to, and through, the town of Springdale (just outside of the park) and to the park's entrance kiosks. Just past the entrance there will be signs for the Visitor Center. Take this quick right turn and head down to the parking area, then walk over to the center where you'll pick up the Zion shuttle bus - the only way to reach the trailheads in the canyon. After a half-hour or so ride, depart the bus at shuttle stop number 7.
Synopsis: This is a wonderfully diverse and entertaining hike. There is some challenge - in the climb as well as the cliff exposure, there is interest - in the botany as well as the geology, and there is the delight of ascending over a quarter-mile of elevation along the rock wall to find an entrance to a beautiful and relatively level canyon with its own arch at the end. There are tremendous views of the main canyon all along the initial climb, but if you're at all squeamish about heights it might be best to ignore those sights and keep a firm grip on the chains (yes, there are some sections where hanging onto sturdy metal chains is the only safe way to negotiate steep drop-offs).
Trail sequence: Weeping Rock trail, Hidden Canyon trail
Type: Out and back
Distance: 2.65 miles
Elevation: Min. - 4311', Max. - 5164'
Profile:
Rating: Moderate-Difficult (factors: heat, steep sections, exposed drop-offs, scrambling)
Notes: The length of this wonderful outing hardly suggests even a "Moderate" designation, much less "Difficult." However there are a lot of challenges attached to the hike that may cause some people difficulty, and those prompt us to suggest people give it serious consideration before embarking.
Track: Hidden Canyon - Zion NP: Alltrails, GaiaGPS
Turn by Turn:
-- After departing the shuttle, walk up the paved parking road and turn to follow the sidewalk to the south for a few yards to cross a small bridge and reach a junction with a signboard. Stay to the right to follow the Hidden Canyon/East Rim Trail up a serious of steep switchbacks to another junction at about 0.5 miles. Continuing to the northeast takes the hiker to Observation Pt. (a significantly longer hike). Turn right (southeast at first) to take the Hidden Canyon Trail.
-- After a few more switchbacks the trail eventually rises in to an exposed section where there are chains fixed to the rock walls that allow safe passage along the rock face. After circling around the west side of the cliff the path dips down to a rocky collection area at what is the outfall of Hidden Canyon.
-- The paved trail ends after a few more yards, but the fun isn't over. There is another quarter-mile or so of scrambling and squeezing and stump-hopping through the narrow canyon before one reaches a sign declaring that there is no further access. Here you turn around and begin the return trip.
-- As you work your way back down the steep, exposed sections but sure to look ahead so as to allow other hikers to finish the chained sections before you enter them. Upon reaching the paved path, remember to turn left at the junction with the East Rim trail as you head back down to the trailhead.
Photos: Flickr
Video: Youtube