Epic Travel → North America → Mountain States → Utah → Zion National Park → Pa’rus Trail

Location: Zion Main Canyon, Zion National Park, Utah

Distance: 1.7 miles (one way from the Visitor Center to Canyon Junction) – you can hop on the shuttle to get back so there’s no need to hike it round trip

Elevation Gain: virtually none

Time Required: 1 hour (including time to take pictures)

Red Tape/Notes: The park is open 24 hours a day; park passes are $30 per vehicle and are valid for 7 days. The trail can be accessed from 3 stops on the Zion Canyon Shuttle: stops #1, #2, and #3 (Zion Visitor Center, Zion Museum, and Canyon Junction respectively).

This trail is great if you’ve got pets, or are trying to figure out what you can hike if you’ve got a stroller or a walker or a broken legs or something else along those lines that would make other trails difficult or impossible. It’s also great if you want iconic views of the Watchman – particularly if you’re doing night photography, since the wide, paved nature of the trail makes it less perilous to be schlepping your tripod and other gear around in the dark. The trail runs from the Visitor Center all the way up to Canyon Junction, skirting (and crossing) the Virgin River along its length, but there are various points where you can get on the trail, so you can easily make a beeline to your favorite photography spot if that’s what you’re here for.

Epic Travel → North America → Mountain States → Utah → Zion National Park → Pa’rus Trail