Zion is hands down my favorite National Park. Utah is something out of this world, but this park is the sole reason why I keep coming back. I first visited in 2015, but was only there for a day. In April of this year, Alex and I embarked on our Utah National Park road trip, Zion being our first stop! We were there for two days, still not enough time, but more than before. Over the course of my trips there, I learned one or two things on how to maximize the most when visiting and what’s worth seeing like Observation Point trail, the Narrows, Canyon Overlook and the Angel’s Landing hike! I created this 3 Days in Zion National Park trip planner in hopes you make the most out of your next or first visit to one of, in my opinion, the most beautiful places on earth.
Table of Contents
Zion National Park
Alright, so where the heck is Zion anyway? Zion is located in southwest Utah, driving-wise it’s about 4 and a half hours away from Salt Lake City and only 2 and a half hours from Las Vegas. Zion can be distinguished by its cream, pink and red cliffs. The first time I visited I couldn’t believe a place like this existed! It felt like a dream to be surrounded by such beauty, craft and art mother nature designed for us. Zion is immense, and can leave you star struck in your tracks. It’s majestic, awe inspiring, and a true national treasure. I cant wait for you all to explore Zion National Park with help from my 3 Days in Zion trip planner!
Double Check!
As always let’s cover some basics before we jump into the fun, because we’re responsible around here.
- Cell phone reception is spotty so don’t risk it and download the maps, the playlists, the reservations, everything!
- There is no gasoline inside the park – so get gas before entering the park. You most likely won’t be driving around all the time, but it’s good to be prepared
- Now if you’re road tripping from home, I recommend packing a cooler with extra waters, lunch and snacks. The park has a convenience store, but does charge a hefty price for the convenience.
- Don’t forget that phone charger or a portable charger, because hello?! You’ll want to take lots of pictures
- Know the weather before you go!! This one is super important. Zion is prone to floods, even off of distant storms so always be prepared!
- Always check the park’s website for any updates, last minute trail changes, etc. The website can notify you on any trail closures due to floods or rock falls like the one on the East Rim trail, which is closed from Observation point trail to Weeping Rock
Day 1
The recommendations I give can be done in whatever order and day you’d like. Based on my experience and in order to make the most out of a 3-day weekend here are my suggestions to see the most of Zion National Park. To start off, I suggest getting the adventures started with one of Zion’s most infamous trails, The Narrows. It’s challenging, but at the beginning of the trip you’re filled with excitement, which is needed as fuel to get you along the trail. After the Narrows, have lunch, recharge and finish the day with an easy to moderate hike like Canyon overlook.
The Narrows
The Narrows is one of the most memorable hikes in Zion National Park! The trail takes hikers through a narrow slot canyon where they waddle in ankle to waist deep water. The Narrows can be hiked in 2 different ways, Top-down and Bottoms up. Most people hike the Narrows from bottoms-up starting at the Temple of Sinawava via the free Zion shuttle. If you do this you can hike up as far up the canyon as you wish and turn back at any time, which is what i’ve done! If you wish to hike the trail top-down you will need a shuttle to take you to Chamberlain’s Ranch where the trail begins.
Bottoms-Up
- Distance: As far as you’d like, but the trail does end at Big Spring. Depending on when you would like to turn around this can go anywhere from 2-10 miles (out & back)
- Time: Depending on your pace this can take anywhere from 3-8 hours
- Difficulty: This trail is rated as moderate
- Permit: Not permit needed
Top-Down
- Distance: 16 miles one way
- Time: Can take up to a full day, may require overnight camp
- Difficulty: Extremely difficult, but not impossible
- Permit: Permit is required, which you can learn more about here
Gear Rentals
This trail will require you to hike in deep water, obviously you will get wet. Now, I only bring this up because I do want to present it as an option, but it is not required in order to hike the Narrows. You can rent gear at Zion Outfitter, a store located right outside the park. Keep in mind even if you do rent the gear you will get wet in some shape or form, but maybe not as much. If you’re looking for a more budget friendly option you could also wear shorts, pool attire like swim shorts and find a long stick to help you get through the trail. I’ve done both, honestly, either way works, but knowing what I know now, I personally would stick to the budget friendly option. Getting wet on this trail is part of the experience.
The both times I’ve done the Narrows I’ve never been able to finish the bottoms-up hike. Each time I would start mid-day so if it’s your goal to complete this trail from start to finish I suggest you start EARLY and make it a whole day thing if you’d like. A few things to keep in mind though, if you do decide to rent the gear you will have to return it by 8pm on the day you rented it. The shuttle back to the Visitor Center is about a 45 minute drive. Last time I checked, Zion’s website said the last shuttle back to the Visitor Center arrives at 8:15pm, so plan accordingly.
Canyon Overlook
The Canyon Overlook trail offers some of the most breathtaking views of Zion. It’s an easy, out and back, 1-mile long trail with views that payoff in the end. I don’t know about you, but these are my kind of trails, short, not too challenging with an amazing view. The Canyon Overlook trail is located in the Upper East portion of the park and cannot be accessed via shuttle. Unfortunately, to reach the Canyon Overlook trailhead, you will need to drive into the park, through the tunnel and park in the limited parking lot on the right. If you’re not so lucky, don’t fret! You can find parking on the side of the road.
Canyon Overlook trail does get a bit crowded, so be prepared. We hiked this trail in the morning, but I would have loved to see the sunrise from here, which is totally doable; you just have to be an early riser. I think Canyon Overlook would also be a great place to see the sunset too! And if you’re thinking of catching a sunrise or sunset then download the Golden Hour app. This will tell exactly the time you would expect to see a sunrise or sunset at your location.
Day 2
If you thought we were slowing down the fun, think again, we are just getting started! On this day, I suggest you check out one of my favorite hikes in the world, Angel’s Landing! For this one start EARLY, and I mean early in order to avoid the heat and the crowds, because this one is a popular hike. I’ll also throw in an easy trail for laughs and giggles if you’d like to check it out in the afternoon or evening.
Angel’s Landing Hike
Angel’s Landing was the first hike I ever did at Zion, without even knowing what I was getting myself into! From the looks of it, it looked like a challenging hike, but I definitely underestimated how challenging it would be. In my opinion, Angel’s Landing is a hike you must do in your 3 Days in Zion. The hike is challenging, but it’s an unforgettable adventure! It’s strenuous with about a 1,500 feet in elevation. It’s about 4-5miles roundtrip, and did I mention steep?! When I hiked this trail my first time, I met a girl who was hiking with sandals and was struggling! Make sure you have the right shoes for this (traction, traction, traction)! You can find the trailhead at across the Grotto picnic area.
If you’re afraid of heights, I recommend you don’t force yourself all the way to the end, Angels Landing Summit. To get there, you will have to go through Hogsback, which is right after the Scout lookout. This narrow and steep path is the only way to get to Angels Landing Summit. Keep in mind, there aren’t two paths, one for those going, and one for those returning from the summit. So you have people sharing this one path with only chains bolted into the stones to help you cross 1500 feet above Zion Canyon. Scout lookout is just as beautiful and breathtaking so don’t get discouraged from checking out the Angel’s landing hike even if you’re afraid from heights.
Pa’rus Trail
The Pa’rus trail can be accessed by the visitor center and is about 3.5 miles out and back. It’s a paved path, which makes it accessible to everyone and it’s the only bike path in the park! The trail is ranked as easy, but note there isn’t much shade on it, so be prepared. This trail follows the Virgin river, has some minor inclines, but overall makes up for a great trail for the whole family.
Alex and I rented bikes from Zion Outfitters and decided to bike the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive starting from the Pa’rus trail! Honestly, it was so much fun getting to see Zion this way, but boy was it a workout! I completely forgot the park had inclines, so Alex and I were dying making our way uphill. To make matters worse, I had no idea you can rent electronic bikes until after we were done! No wonder everyone else was passing us with ease (smh). I just thought we were out of shape.
Fun fact, you can actually omit the uphill entirely by putting the bikes on the shuttle, ride to the top of the canyon and enjoy the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive downhill! This is why I write my posts!!! Of course it makes for a funny story now, but our legs didn’t think it was so funny at the moment.
Zion Canyon Scenic Drive
- Up & Down: is about 13 miles and can take anywhere from 4-6 hours depending on your speed. I rate this as difficult because of the inclines, but moderate if you have the electronic bikes.
- Downhill: is about 8 miles and can take about 2-4 hours and, of course, is easy to do. It’s downhill!
Day 3
Now for the last day in the 3 days in Zion, I’m recommending a trail I haven’t done, but intend to do so once I go back! For example, Observation point trail has always been on my list to check out, but I never manage my time right so it ends up falling off my list. If Observation point trail or any of these places are something you really want to make sure and check, out plan accordingly! If not, it makes for a great excuse to come back 😉
Observation Point Trail
Observation point trail is about 8 miles roundtrip, and takes about 4-6 hours long. It’s rated as difficult, so prepare the water and the sunblock, especially since there aren’t many shady spots! You can find the trailhead here, and, based on my research, low clearance vehicles are not recommended due to risky terrain. There’s a lot about a mile out from the trailhead, perfect for low clearance vehicles. Like with any trail, I recommend you start this trail early in the morning to avoid the crowds and the heat. One of the main reasons I’ve wanted to check this trail off my list is because of the breathtaking views at the end. I love me a trail that’s somewhat challenging with a view that makes it worth the hike. The next time I visit Zion, I will for sure cross Observation point trail off my list.
Sleep under the stars!
Now, I don’t typically make recommendations for where to spend the night, but today is the exception! Oh, and if you’d like for me to recommend more places to stay let me know! During this trip, I wanted to make sure we checked out Under Canvas, a glamping campground near Zion. I love to camp in a tent and everything, but ever since Alex and I started dating, I had to learn to compromise on that. Once I heard about Under Canvas, it was the perfect solution! It’s the perfect way to immerse yourself with mother nature without giving up the comfort of your home.
From waking up to the beautiful surrounding scenery to making delicious s’mores at the campfire and even getting to try out a yoga class with Zion right in the background, this was a wonderful experience, so it’s the perfect place to spend the night when spending 3 days in Zion! See the milky way light up at night right above your tent without ever having to compromise the comfort of a warm bed, a restroom footsteps away from your bed, and the warmth of a nice, cozy home. My goal now is to check out their many other locations.
Honorable Mentioned
Zion has many beautiful trails I did not mention, but that doesn’t mean they are not worth exploring! Next time you spend another 3 days in Zion, make sure to come back and revisit your favorites like the Narrows or Canyon overlook and check some of these trails below:
- Watchman trail – moderate, 3 mile out & back
- Emerald Pools trail – moderate, 3 mile loop trail
- The Subway trail – strenuous, 9 miles out & back (wilderness permit will be needed)
I know for a fact the next time I go back to visit Zion, I will make sure to redeem myself and complete the Angels landing hike.
Zion National Park Map of Attractions
Keep the adventure going!
Now if you’re on a mission to explore the mighty 5, all of Utah’s national parks, then keep reading and check out my Bryce Canyon post for tips like the ones you read in this post. If you don’t get the opportunity to check out the rest of the mighty 5, at least go out and check out Bryce Canyon, which is only about an hour away from Zion National Park. Once again, thank you for checking my side of the internet, and I hope this information can help you make the most of your next adventure if you decide to spend 3 days in Zion or maybe even just one.
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