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Our 7 Favorite Viewpoints in Zion National Park (No Hiking Required)

Zion National Park is packed with jaw-dropping viewsโ€”but letโ€™s be real, sometimes the last thing you want to do is yet another hike at the end of a long day. Whether you’re short on time, traveling with kids, or simply craving a chill day, we’ve rounded up 7 of the best viewpoints in Zion National Park that wonโ€™t send your step count through the roof.

Note: We use affiliate links which provide us a little kickback each time you use one of our links and make a purchase, without any additional cost to you. We do not recommend products that we donโ€™t already love or have heard great things about, so you can trust weโ€™re only suggesting great products to you.

Please respect the outdoors and Leave No Trace! Before embarking on your outdoor adventure, review the seven principles of Leave No Trace, which include planning ahead and preparing, traveling and camping on durable surfaces, disposing of waste properly (pack out what you pack in), leaving what you find, minimizing campfire impacts, respecting wildlife, and being considerate of others. Abiding by these principles helps keep these places beautiful so others can enjoy them for years to come!

๐ŸŒฒOur 7 Favorite No-Hike Viewpoints in Zion National Park

Here are 7 of the best viewpoints in Zion National Park that you can enjoy without breaking a sweat. Click on each one to read more!

๐Ÿ›ฃ๏ธ Best Scenic Drive: Zion-Mount Carmel Highway Pull-Offs
๐ŸŒ„ Crowd-Free Views: Kolob Canyons Viewpoints
๐ŸŒฒ Quietest Panorama: Lava Point Overlook
๐Ÿšถโ€โ™€๏ธ Most Accessible Views: Paโ€™rus Trail (Looking North)
๐ŸšŒ No-Effort Views: Zion Shuttle
๐Ÿš— Hidden Gem Scenic Drive: Kolob Canyons Scenic Drive
๐ŸŒ… Top Sunset Views: Canyon Junction Bridge

1. Zion-Mount Carmel Highway Pull-Offs

The Zionโ€“Mount Carmel Highway is one of the most scenic drives in the park, with plenty of pull-offs offering jaw-dropping roadside views. Youโ€™ll see everything from the unique patterns of the Checkerboard Mesa to dramatic overlooks of Pine Creek Canyon and Zion Canyon. We recommend you start from Springdale and head Northeast towards the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel (East Entrance), continuing on from there.

Checkerboard Mesa on Zion Mount Carmel Scenic Drive.
Family photo on a pull-off of Zion Mount Carmel Scenic Drive.
Tunnel on Zion Mount Carmel Scenic Drive.

2. Kolob Canyons Viewpoint

At the very end of Kolob Canyons Road, this viewpoint offers sweeping red rock views without even leaving the parking lot. Thereโ€™s the Timber Creek Overlook Trail right nearby if youโ€™re up for a short walk, but honestly, the lot itself delivers some of the best bang-for-your-buck views in the park. Itโ€™s especially stunning at sunrise or sunset when the light hits the cliffs just right.

Kolob Canyons views from the obversation deck.
Sign at the Kolob Canyons Viewpoint.
Views from the Timber Creek Overlook Trail.

3. Lava Point Overlook

Although it was closed during our April visit, Lava Point Overlook is known for offering a quiet, panoramic view away from the main crowds. It’s located about an hour north of Zion Canyon via Kolob Terrace Road, and the drive alone is worth the trip. Just keep in mindโ€”itโ€™s seasonal (open May to September usually) and not connected to the main Zion shuttle area, so you’ll need your own transportation to get there.

Views of Zion Canyon in the distance from Lava Point Overlook. By Abi Farish via NPS.

4. Paโ€™rus Trail (Looking North)

You donโ€™t need to walk far on the Paโ€™rus Trail to get some seriously stunning views. Start from the Visitor Center, cross the Virgin River bridge, and youโ€™re instantly surrounded by towering cliffs and wide-open skies. Itโ€™s flat, paved, and perfect for soaking up scenery without committing to a full hike. We couldnโ€™t believe how beautiful it was, just a few steps in!

๐Ÿ• Dog-Friendly Trail: The Paโ€™rus Trail is the only dog-friendly trail in all of Zion National Park, making it Ollieโ€™s favorite!

Elliot and Ollie on the Pa’rus Trail in Zion.
Ollie was pumped to be able to join us!
Views looking North on the Pa’rus Trail.

5. Zion Shuttle

As vanlifers who spend many hours on the road driving ourselves around, the Zion Shuttle was a real treat! This free shuttle takes you along the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, which is closed to private vehicles for most of the year. That means no hikingโ€”or drivingโ€”required! Just hop on, grab a window seat, open the window, and enjoy the breezy ride!

โ„๏ธ Visiting in Winter? During winter, the shuttle service pauses and you can actually drive this road yourself!

Views from the Shuttle Stop at the Visitor Center.
Lines from the park shuttle by the Visitor Center.
Shuttles parked in Zion National Park.

6. Kolob Canyons Scenic Drive

This underrated scenic drive winds through the northwestern corner of Zion, running from the Kolob Canyons Visitor Center to the Kolob Canyons Viewpoint. With every turn, youโ€™ll get new angles of deep red canyons and layered rock formations. Itโ€™s not connected to the Zion Canyon area of the park, but itโ€™s an easy detourโ€”just drive 45 minutes north, hopping off I-15 at Exit 40.

โš ๏ธ Check conditions on the NPS Kolob Canyons Page in winter as this road frequently closes when it gets too icy.

Entrance to Kolob Canyons area of Zion National Park.
Jen ready to drive into Kolob Canyons!
We took a pit stop at the Visitor Center.

7. Canyon Junction Bridge

Canyon Junction Bridge is one of the most iconic sunset spots in Zion, with the Virgin River in the foreground and the Watchman mountain peak glowing in the evening light. Even though we didnโ€™t catch it at golden hour, itโ€™s still absolutely worth a stop. It’s accessible right off of Shuttle Stop #3, and it’s a favorite spot among photographers.

View of the iconic Watchman mountain peak from the nearby Watchman Trail.

๐Ÿ—บ๏ธ Map of the Best Viewpoints in Zion National Park

How to use this map: We have saved the locations from this guide on this map. You can save this map to your Google Maps by pressing the star icon. In your Google Maps, click the menu icon and then Saved Maps, where this map will appear.

Read Next:

Top 5 Short & Easy Hikes in Zion National Park

๐Ÿ“ฐ Related Articles

  • Top 5 Short & Easy Hikes in Zion National Park
  • 9 Fun Things to Do in Zion National Park in 2025
  • 13 Best Hikes in Zion National Park (Ranked Easy to Hard)
  • Zion Packing List: What to Bring and What to Rent
  • How to Hike the Narrows as a Beginner: Zion National Park
  • 5 Things You Need to Know Before Visiting Zion National Park
  • How to Spend One Day in Zion National Park
  • More Coming Soon!

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Posted

May 30, 2025

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Jennifer Johnson

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About Us

We’re Jen and Elliot, aka Scho & Jo, a couple of high school sweethearts who fell in love with travel and decided to live life now. From international travel to boating around America’s Great Loop to converting a Sprinter Van into a campervan and now traveling to all 50 States and US National Parks, we’re here to help you plan for your dream trip! We share detailed guides and expense reports to help turn your dream trip into a reality! Read more about us here.

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  • How to Spend One Day in Zion National Park
  • 5 Things You Need to Know Before Visiting Zion National Park
  • Our 7 Favorite Viewpoints in Zion National Park (No Hiking Required)
  • How to Hike the Narrows as a Beginner: Zion National Park
  • Zion Packing List: What to Bring and What to Rent

We’re a proud Contributing Editor to Waterway Guide.

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What part of Zion are you most interested in? Zi What part of Zion are you most interested in? 

Zion National Park is part of Utahโ€™s Mighty Five and is the western most park. Zion is a sanctuary in the desert as its towering red rock cliffs, narrow slot canyons, and lush valleys amaze first time and long time visitors alike. 

The park was the second most visited National Park in the US in 2024. From short hikes, to best hikes, and things to to that arenโ€™t hiking, we have guides on our website for it all.

๐Ÿ‘‹ Hi, weโ€™re Jen, Elliot, and Ollie - living in our self converted van as we travel to all 50 states and 63 National Parks. We share travel inspiration, actually helpful tips, and detailed itineraries, all to help get you outside! Follow @schoandjo for more ๐ŸŒž

#zion #zionnationalpark #zionnps #utah #utahgram #utahrocks #roadtrip #roadtrippin #roadtripping #usa #roadtripusa #visitutah #ForeverMighty
This hike looks down on Angleโ€™s Landing ๐Ÿคฏ

๐Ÿ‘‹ Hi, weโ€™re Jen, Elliot, and Ollie ๐Ÿ™‹โ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿ™‹โ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿถ living in our self converted van as we travel to all 50 states and 63 National Parks. We share travel inspiration, actually helpful tips, and detailed itineraries, all to help get you outside! Follow @schoandjo for more ๐ŸŒž

โ›”๏ธ No permit to Angleโ€™s Landing? No problem. 

โ›”๏ธ Not interested in hiking Angleโ€™s Landing? No problem.

โœ… THIS hike is the perfect hike for anyone who wants incredible views of Zion National Park. 

Hereโ€™s how to access this Observation Point:

๐Ÿ—บ๏ธ This route is now accessible by driving to the Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort (a rockfall closed the original trail). The trail offers sweeping views over Zion Canyon, including a direct view of Angels Landing from above. Overall, itโ€™s relatively flat, shaded in parts, and much less crowded than many others in the park. 

๐Ÿš˜ Park at the Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort. You can walk about a half mile from Zion Ponderosa or take their $7.50 shuttle (which we did, since the dirt road was muddy after recent rain). 

โŒš๏ธThe hike is 7 miles round trip and is ranked as a moderate hike taking about 3-4 hours.

๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿผ With its minimal elevation gain and maximum reward, this is one of the best value hikes in the park.

๐Ÿ’ฌย Do you think these views rival those at Angleโ€™s Landing? Let us know in the comments below ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿผ 

#angleslanding #zionnationalpark #zionnp #nationalparkadventures #bestutahhikes #hikeutah #visitutah #ForeverMighty
Hereโ€™s the deal and how to go on the best hike/t Hereโ€™s the deal and how to go on the best hike/tour in the park ๐Ÿ‘‡

New here? ๐Ÿ™‹โ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿ™‹โ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿถย Weโ€™re Jen, Elliot, and Ollie on a journey to visit all 50 states and 63 National Parks. Follow @schoandjo for more inspiration, actually helpful tips, and detailed travel guides ๐Ÿš๐Ÿ—บ๏ธ๐Ÿงญ

The best hike in Carlsbad Caverns is the Kingโ€™s Palace Ranger-led tour! Hereโ€™s how to score itโ€ฆ

๐Ÿ•—ย Arrive to the park early! We recommend getting to the Visitor Center by 8 am so you can ensure you get some of the limited tickets to the Kingโ€™s Palace Ranger-led tour. There are limited amount of spots (usually 24) and they go quickly! 

๐ŸŽŸ๏ธย When the Visitor Center opens at 9 am, head to the counter to pay your $15 park entrance fee (or show your America the Beautiful Pass) and purchase your ranger tour ticket. 

โ„น๏ธย Explore the Visitor Center while you wait for the tour to start. We recommend watching the park films and reading several of the information placards to learn about the park. 

๐Ÿงฅย Take the elevator down 750 feet into the cave system and head to the starting point of the Kingโ€™s Palace tour. That being said, youโ€™ll want to bring a jacket for the caves, even in summer, as they stay at a coolย 56ยฐF year-round.ย 

๐Ÿ“ฌย Pro Tip: If you like sending postcards from the NPโ€™s, thereโ€™s a mailbox in the cave. 

๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธย Attend the Kingโ€™s Palace Ranger-led tour, which lasts about an hour and a half.

๐Ÿฅชย Head back up to the surface for lunch. We had a picnic style lunch outside but thereโ€™s also a food court in the Gift Shop.

๐Ÿ“ธย After lunch, go back into the cave through the Natural Entrance. Make sure to visit the Big Room! It doesnโ€™t disappoint. 

โœŒ๏ธย Plan toย exit the caves by 4:30 PMย as elevators stop running at 4:45 PM.

๐Ÿดย Enjoy dinner in Carlsbad, NM - we recommend stopping at Guadalupe Mountain Brewing Co. for pizza and beer with live music on the weekends.

๐Ÿ’ฌย Comment CAVE and Iโ€™ll send you our FREE detailed travel itinerary complete with an estimated budget breakdown, packing list, and more! 

Disclaimer: The tours change daily based on Ranger staffing, so nothing is guaranteed. 

#carlsbadcaverns #carlsbadcavernsnp #nationalparkadventures #gocaving #cavetour #parkrangersrock
Come prepared with our White Sands NP Itinerary! Come prepared with our White Sands NP Itinerary!

๐Ÿ“Save this for later & tag your adventure buddy! ๐Ÿซถ

If weโ€™re traveling to White Sands National Park for the first time and only have one day to spend exploring the park, the is how we would spend our time: 

1๏ธโƒฃ Dive the Dunes Scenic Drive to the back of the park and enjoy the views along the way!

2๏ธโƒฃ Hike the Alkali Flat Trail in the morning during the coolest part of the day. This is the longest in the park at 4.5 miles, so be sure to bring a lot of water and wear sun protective clothing. The only place water is available is at the visitors center, so be sure to fill up before driving out to this trailhead. 

3๏ธโƒฃ Enjoy a picnic lunch at one of the many picnic areas under some shade. 

4๏ธโƒฃ After lunch, head to the visitor center to get out of the sun and heat, watch the park film, and learn about the park. Head to the Gift Shop to rent a sled for $15-20 depending on the style. 

5๏ธโƒฃ Go sledding on the Sand Dunes! The smooth gypsum sand makes for a surprisingly nice sledding surface, especially if youโ€™ve applied wax to the bottom of your board. Make sure to return the sled by 4pm. 

6๏ธโƒฃ Hike the Dune Life Nature Trail which is a marked short 1-miles loop that offers some of the best chances to spot wildlife in the park. Alternatively, you can hike the Playa Trail which is a short 15 minute hike.

7๏ธโƒฃ Lastly, watching the sunset at Sand Dunes is a must! If youโ€™re interested, check out the ranger-led sunset stroll. We love Ranger tours as they never disappoint. Check the visitor center for meet-up time and location. 

โ€ผ๏ธ A few things to note โ€ผ๏ธ

โ›”๏ธ The Dunes Scenic Drive can often be closed from 7-9am as they clear the road from any sand that was blown onto the road from the night before. 

โ›”๏ธ Certain areas of the park close temporarily for missile tests from the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. Check the parks website or call ahead for more info. 

โ›”๏ธ The park is super dog friendly! ๐Ÿฆฎ

Comment SEND and Iโ€™ll send you our FREE detailed travel itinerary with an estimated budget breakdown, packing list and more!

Follow @schoandjo for more NP itineraries!

#whitesands #nationalparkadventures  #travelguide
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