Hikers on the trails of Zion’s East Rim enjoy relative solitude compared to the congestion of the most popular day hikes within the main canyon. Without direct access to the trailheads from any of the Zion shuttle stops, hiking or backpacking any of the East Rim trails requires a personal vehicle or a private shuttle through one of the various outfitter in and around Springdale. Despite the additional logistics required to access this region of the park, it provides some of the most spectacular views from Observation Point.

View of Zion’s Main Canyon from Observation Point on the East Mesa Trail. The summit of Angel’s Landing appears true center, with the trail following the ridge of the red sandstone to the right.

Trail Closures between Zion Canyon and the East Rim

Historically, Zion’s East Rim was connected to the Main Canyon via a trail through Echo Canyon.

Damage from the Cable Mountain rockslide to the East Rim Trail switchbacks as seen from from the Observation Point Trail

Variously referred to as the Observation Point Trail and Echo Canyon Trail, the trail intersected at the Weeping Rock shuttle stop/trailhead and when combined with other park trails, allowed for a continuous footpath across Zion National Park, known as the Zion Traverse, from Lee Pass in the western Kolob Canyon region to the East Rim Trailhead just behind the east entrance.

In 2018, a rockslide temporarily closed the section of trail between the Zion Canyon Road and the East Rim, and a second rockfall off the side of Cable Mountain in 2019 closed the trail indefinitely.

When the rock avalanche hit, it affected both the eastern terminal leg of the Zion Traverse – also known as the Trans Zion Trek – and the western terminal leg of the Hayduke trail. In some areas, the trail has been scoured, or completely eroded way, and in others has been covered by upwards of 4ft of sand and boulder debris. This section of trail is impassible.

Zion Traverse East Rim Alternative Route

After backpacking the portion of the Zion Traverse from Lee Pass to the Grotto, now occasionally referred to as the “Zion Crossing,” I was eager to find a way to complete the thru-hike by tacking on the East Rim segment, even if it meant I had to temporarily leave trail to do so.

After starting at East Mesa trailhead, hiking out to Observation Point and then continuing on the East Rim TH right at the juncture of the closure, I’m able to confidently say that I’ve hiked the Zion Traverse as true-to-form as anyone will be capable of for quite some time, bypassing only the 2 miles within the closed area.

Trail map of the Zion Traverse East Rim Alternative from East Mesa TH to East Rim TH

Given that the continuous footpath from the Grotto up through Weeping Rock won’t be reopened for years at best, this route not only captures the spirit of the Zion Traverse, it also adds on one of the best viewpoints in the entire park. As a point-to-point hike, it requires extra coordination to line up transportation to the trailhead at the start, but makes for a satisfying finish at the East Rim TH. The mileage from East Mesa TH to the dispersed camping past Stave Spring is equally reasonable for those who desire the extra night in the backcountry.

Observation Point via the East Mesa Trail

The views from Observation Point offer a bird’s-eye view of Zion Canyon and the sandstone cliffs flanking either side. It’s a favorite spot of photographers, with good reason, and of those looking to truly appreciate the grandeur of Zion. From this vantage point, even Angel’s Landing becomes just one of any number of rock walls; only when looking closely for the trail tracing along the ridge does it become a distinguishable landmark.

Four of us had backpacked the Zion Traverse together, but I’d be solo-hiking the East Rim section of the traverse due to a combination of injury and flight times. Fortunately, the day hike to Observation Point from the East Mesa trailhead is only a few miles (6.6 miles round trip) on a generally level trail (approx 300 foot elevation change each way), meaning that everyone would able to join me for a quick morning adventure before seeing me off on the rest of my journey, and still have plenty of time to drive back to Vegas to catch their evening flight.

It also meant a free shuttle to the trailhead! We parked our vehicle at East Rim TH and hopped into my dad’s for the ride up to East Mesa TH. With only 16 parking spots, you have to arrive early – or get lucky – to obtain a parking spot (see the Logistics for more on this), so things were already looking up when we pulled right into one of the clearly designated spots in the shade.

The first two miles cut through a high elevation ponderosa pine forest on a wide hard-pack trail. The canyon slowly comes into view on the horizon as the trail descends to the intersection with the East Rim trail proper. Continuing on the right fork of the intersection another 0.4 miles leads to the viewpoint.

Click on photos within the galleries to open in full screen and read the captions.

The East Rim Section of the Zion Traverse

Preparing to walk past the sign en route to the East Rim Trail.

After enjoying the lookout, it was time to part ways and begin my solo hike across the East Rim.

There’s a closure sign at the junction of the East Rim and East Mesa trails, dissuading most casual hikers from venturing any further. But this sign is merely warning hikers of the closure near the base of Cable Mountain. What lies beyond is four spectacular, albeit strenuous and exposed, miles that descend 1,000 ft down to the Echo Canyon basin only to climb back out the other side.

For the first mile, the trail is relatively level as it skirts along the edge of the rim. Though the trail is wide enough to feel safe, the drop offs are significant! It makes for unrivaled views into Zion Canyon though, since it is completely unobstructed apart from the errant shrub.

The descent into Echo Canyon Basin begins with three switchbacks carved directly into the white sandstone cliff face. I had spotted them earlier from Observation Point, and though the trail was once again wide enough to not think about your footing, the exposure definitely got my pulse up! I wasn’t worried about slipping or falling – the risk was minimal – and yet I could still feel my palms begin to sweat as I looked around, the angle of the trail and the slope of the cliff making it seem as though there was nothing but air between the edge of the trail and the canyon floor.

The exposed switchbacks really magnified the psychological effect of hiking solo for the first time. It was a thrilling section of trail to be on, and it struck me that this experience was truly mine alone – there was no one around to share the moment. It would only live through the words I found to express it – an imperfect approximation at its best.

Hiking in Echo Canyon Basin

After the switchbacks along the cliff face, the trail curves around to the backside of the wall as it continues downward. Views deep into Echo Canyon Basin replace those of Zion Canyon. Echo Canyon Basin provides exemplary closeup views of the Navajo Sandstone, formed from the ancient sand dunes that covered the continent over 150-180 millions of years ago. In particular, it showcases the white layers of sand, bleached as the iron leached out. In some areas you can still see the striations, or cross-bedding, as the winds swept the sands in one direction or another across the Colorado Plateau.

After roughly one more mile, the East Rim trail connects with the trail closure. Unfortunately, the route into Echo Canyon proper is within the restricted area, though you can still peer down into the dark recesses of the slot canyon from above.

In 1918, the trail through Echo Canyon was the first to be established in the park, known then as Mukuntuweap, fortifying earlier footpaths established first by the Southern Paiute, who originally both occupied and named the area, and later by pioneer settlers looking to access timber from atop Cable Mountain.

Facing west towards Zion Canyon from the East Rim Trail. The narrow slots of Echo Canyon can be see in the left, below the vertical face of Cable Mountain. Angel’s Landing is true center, the shorter red rock formation.

After resting in the shade long enough to send a few check-in messages on my Garmin and appreciate the view, I turned left to continue the trans-Zion trek by hiking east up through Echo Canyon Basin.

This segment traversed the slick rock sandstone, and required some navigation and way-finding to keep myself near enough to the trail. This is definitely not a section you’d want to try to navigate in the dark, even with a headlamp! There were numerous places where the sand had settled in ways that created false trails. In some places, these misleading paths were subtly marked with rocks or a branch to block the way, but if you aren’t paying close attention it’s very easy to walk over these without even realizing.

Cairns outlined the way for the most part, but there were some areas where they were difficult to see. I headed down at least one wrong path until it reached a dead end, dropping into a canyon that was clearly not correct. To get my bearings, I headed to a high rock in order to scan my surroundings until I was able to spot another cairn and pick up the trail.

It felt surreal that I could find myself so alone in the wilderness so quickly. There was not a single other person in the Echo Canyon Basin; I had passed no one and would not pass anyone the entire time I was there. It was both peaceful and disquieting. I stopped several times just because I could – to photograph a plant, or recline against a tree, or marvel at the way the rocks had weathered. Truly taking the trail at my own pace.

The reprieve from the elevation changes was short lived, about half a mile winding around to the other side of the canyon and then a short uphill stretch – the staging area if you will – before the real climb up to the rim. The sun was directly overhead by now and the air was hot and stagnant. I found another spot of shade beneath a pine tree where I could break for lunch.

From this vantage point I could look back and see the switchbacks down into the canyon that I’d hiked earlier.

Switchbacks down from Observation Point as they transition from the white sandstone to the red-orange on the backside of the cliff seen from the far side of Echo Canyon en route to Stave Spring.

The climb out of the Echo Canyon Basin upon the East Rim was steeper and rockier than the descent. I found myself hiking from shade to shade, timing my movements to the periodic breezes providing a much welcome cooling affect. The trail breaks away from the vegetation temporarily halfway up the ridge, offering more views, before the final push.

East Rim Trail

There were no climactic views announcing the crest of the rim. Instead the trail immediately levels off and the landscape becomes dominated by sage brush flats and pinion/juniper woodlands. This entire area is within the permitted dispersed camping zone for the East Rim area and if I had been camping overnight, I might have chosen to stay around here.

It was satisfying to have made it up to the East Rim, knowing that all the remained between me and the Zion Traverse was about five miles. It was around 2pm so I knew I had plenty of daylight left and as was only a few hundreds yards away from Stave Spring I didn’t have to worry about water either.

Stave Spring is supposedly a pipe sticking out of the ground, the only surviving remnants of a 19th century steam powered sawmill used to process the timber from the nearly Deertrap and Cable Mountains, accessible three miles east via some side trails. I say supposedly because when I bent down to locate the water, I inadvertently disrupt an entire clutch of turkey poults hiding in the grasses – they couldn’t have been more than a week old – and then before I can process what’s happening, out comes mama and then a male flaps down onto the trail, puffed up with feathers on full display.

Most people worry about the classic predators in the backcountry – bears, mountain lions – but in my experience it’s always the birds that will come at ya! Getting attacked by a wild turkey was not on my bucket list, so I immediately gave the brood some space while I waited for the male to leave the trail. While the two adults scuffled, the babies hunkered down, entirely silent and camouflaged in the tall grasses. Once mama realized the threat of my presence had passed, she called out for the chicks from the other side, and I watched the grass part ways as they regrouped under her wing – just like that scene with the raptors in Jurassic Park (all the more reason not to mess with birds!).

After all the excitement, I opted not to fuss with getting water at Stave Spring. The trail widened considerably for the straight stretch along an old turn of the century logging road up to the high point of the plateau, just shy of 6,800ft (2070 meters).

It then wound down though nondescript pine forests for longer than I’d have liked. Eventually it opened up for a view towards Checkerboard Mesa. I could see the ranger station at the East Entrance and could even make out the trail cutting across the Clear Creek basin.

The East Rim Trail winds along the Clear Creek Basin, with Checkerboard Mesa in the upper left

If I had checked the map, I’d have noticed that the trail cut back into two canyons – Jolley Gulch and Cave Canyon – before appearing as the path towards the exit I’d seen below. Instead I jaunted down the trail, through stands of blooming cliffrose, like a horse heading for the barn.

I stopped at Jolley Gulch, named for one of the early farming families in the area (in further Jolly family history, a Donald Jolly was Zion National Park’s first chief ranger). You can come right up to the edge of this slot canyon and it makes for a short day-hike from the East Rim Trailhead.

At this point I thought I was about to make a beeline for the trailhead, but instead, the trail began to climb back up to another relatively short ridge. Only when the trail began to cut further away from the direction I knew the road to be did I check the map. It was then that I realized I was a full 2 miles off my estimate! To add insult to injury, my pack toppled over and brushed a cactus. The cactus was fine, but the tiny glochids – hair like spines – stuck to my pack like glue. It was a complete face-palm moment. Two miles on these clearly marked, manicured trails didn’t make a significant difference in terms of time, but I needed to make some mental readjustments in more ways that one.

The trail back into Cave Canyon was too peaceful to stay disgruntled for long. In the shadow of the white cliffs the hike was cool and quiet and despite my frustration at the trail moments earlier, it was now a bittersweet realization that my hike was almost over. I still hadn’t seen another soul since Observation Point, with only the soft rhythmic scrunch of my footsteps in sand keeping me company for the last mile.

Emerging from Cave Canyon, every step brought the face Checkerboard Mesa closer to view. A small footbridge was the first sign I was getting close, followed by a sign demarcating the boundary with the Zion Wilderness. No more than a quarter mile of the trailhead, a lone canyoneer jogging back to his gear caught me by surprise – both with his presence and the fact that he addressed me by name! He’d just spoken to my husband at the trailhead and was passing on his message: he was anxiously awaiting my arrival and safe completion of the route!

Hiking the East Rim Trail towards the trailhead, with Checkerboard Mesa prominent in the distance

A few minutes later, I was arriving at the trail board at the East Rim Trailhead as though it was a finish line, I was ready to celebrate – celebrating both the completion of the Zion Traverse despite the trail closures as well as my first full-day solo hike!

Logistics and FAQ

Hiking to Observation Point via East Mesa or East Rim Trailhead

In addition to connecting Zion’s main canyon to the East Rim, the closed section of trail was also the primary route up to Observation Point, one of the best viewpoints in the park. With the Weeping Rock TH closed, there are three remaining routes from which to access Observation Point: East Mesa TH, Stave Spring TH or East Rim TH.

The hike from East Mesa TH is the shortest and least strenuous hike to Observation Point. It’s a total of 6.6 miles (10.6 km) round trip with a elevation gain and loss of ~ 300 ft (91m) each direction, mostly downhill on the way in and mostly uphill on the way out. This is the recommend route to Observation Point for novice hikers, young families, those short on time, and those with an extreme fear of heights. Apart from the lookout itself, there is minimal exposure and the hike can be easily accomplished in a few hours and upwards of half a day.

Accessing Observation Point from the Stave Spring TH makes for a slightly longer (8.1 miles; 13 km), but significantly more strenuous and scenic day hike as a point-to-point using a shuttle to the East Mesa TH. This route begins with a short 0.3 mile spur before joining the East Rim Trail on the ridge. It then follows the trip outlined in the trip report above in reverse, requiring a 1000 ft (304m) climb into and then out of Echo Canyon Basin.

East Zion Adventures operates the popular Observation Point Shuttle from the Zion Ponderosa Ranch, whose property the parking lot for the East Mesa TH abuts. The frequency and price-point ($7/pp at the time of publication) makes the Stave Spring to East Mesa point-to-point route the an attractive option for the average day hiker. While it’s possible to hike Stave Spring to Observation Point as an out-and-back, foregoing the shuttle, this makes for a 16.2 mile (26km) hike that requires over 4000 ft (1219km) elevation gain/loss hiking in and out of Echo Canyon twice. Given the lack of water and heat of the trail throughout most of the year, the risk vs reward really isn’t there in my opinion.

Hiking to Observation Point from the East Rim TH should not be attempted as a day hike by most hikers. It would, however, make for a great overnight trip with backcountry permit for a night in the Deertrap or Cable Mountains or elsewhere along the East Rim Trail.

Do you need a permit to hike to Observation Point?

No permit is required to hike to Observation Point. There is limited parking available at the East Mesa TH and reservations are recommended for the Observation Point shuttle if traveling during peak times of the year, but this is generally not a hike that requires advanced planning. If you choose to camp overnight along the East Rim Trail, you do need a wilderness permit for the East Rim Camp Area. In our experience, these are much less competitive than campsites on the West Rim Trail.

What to Bring on a East Rim Trail Hike

  • Extra Water. There is no water available on the East Rim during the hottest months of the year, and only available at Stave Spring seasonally. Carrying extra water is essential when hiking in the remote canyons of Zion. A hydration reservoir converts any compatible daypack into a hydration pack, but if you prefer an old-school water bottle (like I do), a 2L platypus serves the same purpose without the bite valve.
  • Hiking poles. There is significant elevation gain/loss on the East Rim Trail to Observation Point. I rely on hiking poles to take the weight off my knees during the descents and they can also be helpful to engage the upper body when climbing uphill. I’ve used my Flash Carbon telescoping poles for hundreds of miles, including a twelve day backpacking trip around Mount Rainier. While Z-fold hiking poles fold down somewhat smaller, they are far less reliable.
  • Sunhoodie. Between the 6000 ft elevation and lack of shade, UV exposure between Observation and Zion’s East Rim is upwards of 35% greater than at sea level. I hiked the trail in a cotton tank-top and my sunburnt shoulders were proof. Protect your skin with a breathable sun shirt. Two of my favorites the REI Sahara Shade Hoodie and the Mountain Hardwear Crater Lake Hoodie.

Planning your own hike in Zion National Park? Check out our Guide to Backpacking the Zion Traverse

Let us know what further questions or comments you have about hiking the East Rim Trail and backpacking Zion Traverse in the comments!

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