7 Easy hikes in Zion National Park (with epic rewards!) 2024
During my visit to Las Vegas with my family, we explored Zion National Park with an overnight stay in the park. As it was winter, the most popular Zion hikes, like Angels Landing and The Narrows, were not feasible due to the cold weather.
So, for my short trip to Zion, I did some easy but rewarding hikes.
My favorite was the Canyon Overlook Trail, which had an epic view of Zion Canyon without a strenuous climb.
My second favorite was the Emerald Pools hike (both Lower and Upper Pools), which had varied terrain and beautiful emerald-colored pools in the canyon.
So, let’s explore some of the best easy hikes in Zion National Park to add to your Zion itinerary!
7 short and easy hikes in Zion National Park
When we entered Zion National Park through the South entrance, the ranger gave us a park map. The map listed all the Zion hikes and their shuttle stop locations. I found some great short and easy hikes in Zion National Park using the map.
As it was winter, we were able to drive the Zion Canyon Road in our car to reach all the trailheads. Parking at the trailheads was not a huge issue in January.
If you are visiting Zion during the peak spring and summer months between April and October, private vehicles are not allowed on Zion Canyon Road, and you will have to use the Zion Shuttle to reach the trailheads for your hikes.
1. Canyon Overlook Trail
- Round trip Hike Length – 1 mile
- Elevation – 163 feet
- Hike Type – Out and Back
- Difficulty level – Easy
- Time Needed – around 1 to 1.5 hours
- Trailhead – Starts at Canyon Overlook Trailhead
- Shuttle Stop – Shuttle does not go here
- Parking lot – Yes, limited parking, around 9 cars
- Kid-friendly? – Yes, but moderate drop-offs
- Stroller/wheelchair friendly? – No, uneven terrain with stone steps and incline.
- Dogs allowed? – No
Canyon Overlook Trail was one of my favorite short and easy hikes in Zion National Park. With just a total of 1-mile round trip hike, this hike rewards you with epic views of Zion Canyon and Pine Creek Canyon and the surrounding red sandstone cliffs.
We were staying overnight in Zion Lodge and took the opportunity to do this hike at sunrise. To reach the trailhead, we drove on the incredibly scenic Zion-Mount Carmel Highway.
The only drawback of this hike is the very limited parking space near the trailhead.
The Zion Shuttle does not go on the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway, so you will have to drive here yourself. Extremely limited parking at the trailhead makes this hike difficult to access.
The trail starts off with a series of stone steps but later is mostly flat.
The terrain is sandy and has some narrow ledges with moderate drop-offs. The worst parts have a handrail.
The hike has some cool features, like a small boardwalk bridge at the side of a cliff and a cave-like canopy.
However, the best feature of the Canyon Overlook trail is the panoramic view from the top, where you can see the canyons below and the temples and towers of Zion in front of you.
If you are able to find parking here, do not miss this short but epic hike.
2. Lower Emerald Pools Trail
The Emerald Pools hike in Zion is a collection of 3 trails – the connector Kayenta Trail, The Lower Emerald Pools Trail, and the Upper Emerald Pools Trail. We did this entire collection of hikes in around 2.5 hours.
Note: The bridge across Zion Lodge, which provides the easier paved route to Lower Emerald Pools, is closed. Therefore, the only way to access Lower Emerald Pools is via the Kayenta Trail from The Grotto (stop #6), which is the route we took. Check the NPS website for current conditions before going.
- Round trip Hike Length – 2 miles
- Elevation – 150 feet
- Hike Type – Out and Back
- Difficulty level – Easy to moderate (due to steps)
- Time Needed – around 1.5 hours
- Trailhead – Starts at The Grotto Shuttle Stop #6
- Shuttle Stop – Shuttle Stop #6
- Parking lot – Yes
- Kid-friendly? – Yes, but moderate drop-offs
- Stroller/wheelchair friendly? – No, uneven terrain with stone steps and incline.
- Dogs allowed? – No
The Lower Emerald Pools is a beautiful hike that leads you to an emerald pool and a seasonal waterfall.
We visited in early winter, so there was no waterfall, but there was a shallow emerald pool. I believe visiting in the Spring months will give you a better chance of seeing the waterfall here.
With the bridge at Zion Lodge closed, the only way to reach the Lower Emerald Pools currently is by taking the Kayenta trail from shuttle stop #6, the Grotto.
This route makes the trail more moderate than easy, as there are some stone steps at the end.
The initial hike on Kayenta is on an elevated sandy trail with views of the Virgin River and Zion Canyon.
After around 0.8 miles on Kayenta Trail, the trail forks, and you take the path to the left and down to reach the Lower Emerald Pools.
There are a series of stone steps here going down to the canyon, and you finally reach a narrow ledge in the canyon with a handrail.
Lower Emerald Pools was a beautiful, serene spot surrounded by canyon walls, and the route from Kayenta trail adds a bit of interesting elements to it! I usually love hikes with uneven terrain and have some interesting elements!
3. Upper Emerald Pools Trail
- Round trip Hike Length – 3 miles
- Elevation – 200 feet
- Hike Type – Out and Back
- Difficulty level – Easy to Moderate (due to steps)
- Time Needed – around 2 hours
- Trailhead – Starts at The Grotto Shuttle Stop #6
- Shuttle Stop – Shuttle Stop #6
- Parking lot – Yes
- Kid-friendly? – Yes, but moderate drop-offs
- Stroller/wheelchair friendly? – No, uneven terrain with stone steps and incline.
- Dogs allowed? – No
Accessing the Upper Emerald Pools is similar to the Lower Emerald Pools trail above.
We started from the same Shuttle Stop #6, at The Grotto. We then took the Kayenta trail and, at the fork, took the path that goes right and up to the Middle and Upper Emerald Pools.
Almost immediately after the fork, you will reach the Middle Emerald Pools after a small incline.
Middle Emerald Pool was very small, almost like a puddle when we visited, as it hadn’t rained recently. The pool area was roped off. There was a very small trickling waterfall here.
From here, we climbed a series of stone steps to reach the Upper Emerald Pool. Nestled between large canyon walls, the upper Emerald Pool was a spectacular sight! The climb is more on the moderate side than easy, but it was so worth it!
We did both the Lower and Upper Emerald Pools hike at the same time. We first did the Middle and Upper Emerald Pools and then went down to visit the Lower Emerald Pools.
4. Kayenta Trail
- Round trip Hike Length – 2 miles
- Elevation – 150 feet
- Hike Type – Out and Back
- Difficulty level – Easy to Moderate
- Time Needed – around 1.5 hours
- Trailhead – Starts at The Grotto Shuttle Stop #6
- Shuttle Stop – Shuttle Stop #6
- Parking lot – Yes
- Kid-friendly? – Yes, but moderate drop-offs
- Stroller/wheelchair friendly? – No, uneven terrain with stone steps
- Dogs allowed? – No
Kayenta Trail is a scenic hike that runs parallel to the Zion Canyon Road and Virgin River.
This trail is more like a connector trail that starts at Shuttle Stop #6, The Grotto and connects to the Lower and Upper Emerald Pools trail.
There is an initial incline with some stone steps, and then it is almost flat, though still rocky and uneven, till you reach the connection point for the Emerald Pools.
The fork to the Emerald Pools Trail is around a mile in. Combining Kayenta Trail with the Emerald Pools makes it more of an easy to moderate hike, mainly because of the stone steps.
We hiked the Kayenta Trail along with the Lower, Middle, and Upper Emerald Pools, and it took us around 2.5 hours total to do all of them. They were totally doable, and I would consider them in the easy Zion hikes category.
5. Pa’rus Trail
- Round trip Hike Length – 3.5 miles
- Elevation – 50 feet
- Hike Type – Out and Back
- Difficulty level – Easy
- Time Needed – around 2 hours
- Trailhead – Multiple entry points to join the trail
- Shuttle Stop – Shuttle Stop #1, 2, 3
- Parking lot – Yes
- Kid-friendly? – Yes
- Stroller/wheelchair friendly? – Yes
- Dogs allowed? – Yes, on a leash
The Pa’rus trail is a 3.5 mile out and back paved trail that starts at the Visitor Center (Stop #1), passes the Zion Human History Museum (stop #2), and ends at Canyon Junction (stop #3).
You can start or stop the trail from any of the three stops. You can also walk one way and take the shuttle back if you’d like.
We started the trail from Stop #2 and used the small connector trail here to reach the Pa’rus trail. Note that the entrance from Stop #2 is not paved and not wheelchair friendly. If you are looking for a fully paved trail, start at either Stop #1 or Stop #3.
Pa’rus Trail runs parallel to the Virgin River and was a nice, peaceful walk with sounds of the river flowing and views of the Zion Canyon cliffs.
The trail has nice views of Watchman Mountain. If you go all the way to Canyon Junction, there are a few bridges over the Virgin River, which add a nice element to the hike.
This hike would be great at sunset and also would be great in the night with stargazing opportunities.
Pa’rus Trail is the only dog-friendly hike in Zion, although they must be on a leash. This trail is also popular for biking. We saw a few people on bikes and people walking with their dogs.
6. Riverside Walk
- Round trip Hike Length – 2.2 miles
- Elevation – 57 feet, mostly flat
- Hike Type – Out and Back
- Difficulty level – Easy
- Time Needed – around 1.5 hours
- Trailhead – At Temple of Sinawava (Shuttle Stop #9)
- Shuttle Stop – #9
- Parking lot – Yes
- Kid-friendly? – Yes
- Stroller/wheelchair friendly? – Yes
- Dogs allowed? – No
Riverside Walk is a paved trail alongside the Virgin River. It ends at the starting point of The Narrows Trail, a popular Zion hike that involves walking through the water.
The Riverside Walk trail was on my list, but unfortunately, due to traffic congestion that afternoon, the road further up The Grotto was closed to private vehicles, and the shuttle was not running in January.
I was so bummed that we couldn’t check out this hike. Well, I need a reason to go back to Zion, right 😉
7. The Grotto Trail
- Round trip Hike Length – 0.5 miles
- Elevation – 35 feet
- Hike Type – Out and Back
- Difficulty level – Easy
- Time Needed – around 30 minutes
- Trailhead – Start or end at Zion Lodge or The Grotto
- Shuttle Stop – Shuttle Stop #5, #6
- Parking lot – Yes
- Kid-friendly? – Yes
- Stroller/wheelchair friendly? – No
- Dogs allowed? – No
The Grotto Trail is a short trail that runs parallel to Zion Canyon Road and connects the Zion Lodge (Stop #5) to the Grotto (Stop #6).
This is a nice trail for a morning or sunset walk for those staying at the Lodge.
Even though we stayed at the Zion Lodge, we didn’t get a chance to explore this trail because it was winter and very cold at night.
However, I can imagine this being a nice night walk during the summer months when the cool air is welcome after a hot day. Also, it is a nice, easy walk to catch the sunrise in Zion National Park.
Tips for hiking in Zion
Below are some good-to-know tips and suggestions for hiking in Zion National Park from our experience.
Getting to the Trailheads
During the peak season of March to November, private vehicles are not allowed on Zion Canyon Road.
Most of the trails in this list (except for the Canyon Overlook Trail) are on the Zion Canyon scenic road. So, to reach the trailheads, you will need to use the free Zion Shuttle. Make sure to check the Zion Shuttle Schedule before you visit.
We visited during January’s first week, and the shuttles were not running at that time, so we had to drive our car to the trailheads. We went during the weekdays, so parking was not an issue.
Permits and Reservations
None of these easy hikes need a permit or a prior reservation. The only hike in Zion that needs a permit is the Angels Landing trail, which is a strenuous hike and not in the easy category.
Entrance Fee
The entrance fee is different from permits or reservations, and every vehicle entering the park has to pay the National Park Entrance fee of $35.
We purchased the annual ‘America the Beautiful Pass,’ for which we paid $80. We planned to visit more than three National Parks this year, so it was a money-saving decision to buy an annual pass.
Trail conditions
Make sure to stop at the Visitor Center and get an updated status about the trail conditions. You can also check them online at the Zion National Park NPS website.
When we visited, the bridge to the Lower Emerald Pools across the Lodge was closed, so we had to take the trail from the next stop at The Grotto.
Check the weather
Zion National Park can get very hot in summer, which is also the popular tourist season. Early morning or evening hikes would be better in the summer months to avoid the heat, as most of the hikes are exposed and do not have much shade.
We visited in January, so it was the opposite for us. It was very cold in the morning when we went for the Canyon Overlook trail. I am glad I had my beanie and warm jacket with me, but I missed packing hand gloves.
Stay hydrated
Even for easy hikes, make sure you carry water and some snacks with you. More water on hot days.
Stay Safe
It is very important to stay on the trails at all times. Many trails, like the Canyon Overlook trail, have moderate drop-offs, so keep an eye on kids as well.
Leave No Trace
Let’s keep our trails clean for all to enjoy. Pack all your trash with you and leave no trace behind.
Final Takeaways: Easy hikes in Zion
With these easy and beginner-friendly hikes in Zion National Park, we were able to experience a lot of epic views of Zion Canyon and its breathtaking scenery without much effort.
With only two days in Zion, we did not have time to do longer hikes, but these hikes gave us a great perspective of Zion, and we look forward to coming back and exploring more of its amazing trails.