Zion National Park: Hiking to Observation Point
The hike to observation point is long, steep, and full of switchbacks without a lot of shade... and totally worth it! This hike is one of the more popular hikes in Zion, but falls behind Angels Landing and the Narrows on the popularity list. We chose to do this as hike intentionally over Angels Landing because it offers an absolutely incredible view, without the crowds, and without the slightly nerve wracking ending. We will, someday, hike Angels Landing, but we highly recommend Observation Point.
This hike starts from the Weeping Rock shuttle stop / parking lot. We were there in June so the park road was restricted to the shuttle only. The shuttle system in Zion is excellent. We camped at South Campground which made it extremely easy to catch an early shuttle and get an early start.
If you visit Zion anytime in the summer, an early start is really a good idea! After a sleepy shuttle ride, and a walk through the parking lot, the trail starts immediately going up with a series of switchbacks. As it climbs, the trail gives the same view back to the parking lot which gives you a great perspective of how fast you are climbing.
About halfway up the first switchbacks, a side trail appears and leads out to Hidden Canyon. We really wanted to hit this canyon on our way down, but we were hot and ready for a swim in the river. One more thing to add to the list for next time!
After that initial climb, a nice respite from the sun comes as the trails wanders through through the amazing Echo Canyon. We loved this area and definitely took our time taking photos and enjoying the views!
After the beautiful canyon, the trail starts to climb yet again. One of the most amazing things about this hike is the variety of rock that we walked and climbed around. It goes from orange to red, to white, and hiking in canyons and to slightly precarious switchbacks.
The last climb is another series of switchbacks where the trail is made of stone and concrete. This was the most tiring portion of the climb for us and we took a lot of water breaks in the little bits of shade we could find. This trail heats up fast when the sun comes up, so our early start really made this more bearable. A couple of hours later, and we likely would not have completed this trail.
The last mile or so is through the forested top of the mountain. The trail turns to red dirt and winds through shrubs and trees. There’s another split right just before the end, which takes you out to the East Mesa Trail. We stayed on course to reach the Observation Point that we came for! One of the best things about this hike is that the entire trail has absolutely fantastic views even before you get close to the top. Echo Canyon is the only area where the view is canyon walls - everywhere else, it seemed like we could see for miles!
The end of the trail travels along the cliffs edge. We arrived with maybe a dozen other hikers and we all spread out, finding our own space and views to enjoy lunch and to sit in awe of the amazing view. There were a few summit beers being shared, too!
This view is the best in the park. You are actually above Angels Landing with a view of the entire Zion Canyon!
As usual, the hike back down was much easier than the trek up. This hike is definitely a knee buster, especially if you have bad knees. We were both grateful to have our trekking poles with us! Just look at those switchbacks from above!
One of the things I'm always impressed by is when we go on these long hikes with sweeping views and somehow Andrea always ends up with these amazing photos of tiny things that I probably didn't even notice. You'll see some of them above where she photographed the details of the stone and rock of Echo Canyon. Here are some more amazing captures that literally had me saying "where did you see that?!"
Once we descended all the way back down, we caught the shuttle back to our campground. We had that fully exhausted and elated feeling that comes after a big hike with epic views. It's such a rewarding experience to complete a long and exhausting hike! We quickly grabbed some snacks and a cold beverage and headed straight to the Virgin River. The chilly water was perfect to soak our tired legs and feet.
