Top 5 Short & Easy Hikes in Zion National Park

We recently visited Zion National Park for the first time and were completely enchanted by its towering canyons, pink cliffs, and colorful sunsets! This stunning park in southwest Utah is a dream for hikers, with trails ranging from epic climbs to quick, scenic strolls. If you’re looking to take it easy or just squeeze in a few shorter hikes, we’ve rounded up our top 5 favorite easy hikes in Zion!

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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!

1. Pa’rus Trail

If you’re short on time, the Pa’rus Trail (pronounced pah-roos) is a beautiful and easy 2-hour hike. No shuttle is required to reach this trail as the trailhead kicks off right from the visitor center. We found this full-paved trail to be very smooth, even is wheelchair accessible.

At 3.5 miles round-trip, it’s an easy, medium-length hike that can be shortened even further at any time by simply turning around. Also, it’s the only dog-friendly trail in the park—Ollie was very excited about this!

As you head north, you’re surrounded by Zion Canyon walls on either side. There are benches and shaded spots along the way, and while bikers are allowed, the path is wide enough to share. This is definitely one of the most accessible trails in all of Zion—suitable for people in wheelchairs, bikers, hikers, and even pets!

Distance: 3.5 miles /5.6 km
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Time: 2 hours
Elevation Gain: 50 ft / 15 m

2. Canyon Overlook Trail

The Canyon Overlook Trail, located just east of the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel, is easily one of the best short and easy hikes in Zion with a huge payoff. It’s less than a mile round-trip but packs in a lot—narrow ledges with handrails, a wooden bridge, shaded rock overhangs, and some light rock scrambling.

A park ranger told us this was one of their favorite hikes in the entire park, and we completely agree. The final view overlooking Zion Canyon was absolutely breathtaking. From a photographer’s perspective, sunrise is the perfect time to come as the light hits the canyon walls perfectly, but sunset is beautiful here too!

This trail is very popular, and parking is limited (no shuttle), so we recommend hiking it whenever you see an open space on the main drag into the park. If this is one of your top hikes, get there early in the morning for a best chance for a parking spot!

Distance: 0.9 miles / 1.45 km
Difficulty: Moderate
Estimated Time: 25 minutes
Elevation Gain: 157 feet / 48 m

3. Narrows Riverside Walk

The Narrows Riverside Walk is a 90-minute trail that starts at the final shuttle stop (Stop 9) and leads you right to the entrance of the much longer iconic Narrows hike. This paved trail winds along the Virgin River under a canopy of trees, offering peaceful river views and dramatic canyon walls all around.

We took this trail before and after doing The Narrows and noticed it got especially crowded around 2 p.m.—so definitely go early if you can!

A ranger actually told us this was his favorite short hike in the park, and after walking it ourselves, we totally get why. There’s something special about seeing the river up close—after all, it’s the force that carved this entire canyon over millions of years!

Distance: 2.2 miles / 3.5 km
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Time: 1.5 hours
Elevation Gain: 57 ft / 17 m

4. Timber Creek Overlook

Located in the quieter northern section of Zion, near Kolob Canyon, the Timber Creek Overlook Trail is a short but rewarding climb with panoramic views. Starting from the end of Kolob Canyons Road (where there’s a fairly spacious parking lot), the trail gains a bit of elevation over uneven terrain before opening up to a stunning overlook of the Kolob Canyons and beyond.

The climb up is a bit rocky, so if you have any issues with stability, make sure to be wary of your footing on this trail. Once you approach the end of the trail, a panoramic view of the Kolob Canyons opens up before your eyes!

We hiked this trail at sunrise and loved how the shifting light painted the mountains all different colors. While there’s a decent view right from the parking lot, the short hike gives you a higher vantage point of the Kolob Canyons and a chance to step away from the road.

Distance: 1.1 miles / 1.77 km
Difficulty: Moderate
Estimated Time: 30 minutes
Elevation Gain: 255 feet / 65 m

5. The Grotto Trail

The Grotto Trail is a quick and easy 30-minute walk that connects Zion Lodge (Shuttle Stop 5) to the Grotto (Shuttle Stop 6), a large hub for trailheads with bathrooms and picnic tables. It’s a flat, partially shaded path that runs alongside Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, making it a relaxed way to explore the area on foot.

After finishing the Emerald Pools Trail, we opted to stroll this route back to the Lodge for a cold drink instead of hopping on the shuttle—and we’re glad we did! While this trail doesn’t offer the dramatic viewpoints that Zion is famous for, we still enjoyed the peaceful walk through the canyon.

Distance: 1 mile / 1.6 km
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Time: 0.5 hours
Elevation Gain: 35 ft / 11 m

🗺️ Map of 5 Short & Easy Trails in Zion

This map provides a general overview of where each trail is located within Zion National Park. For detailed, up-to-date trail information, we recommend using AllTrails during your hike.

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.

🌤️ When To Visit Zion National Park

Overall, we highly recommend April if you’re coming in spring and October or November for a beautiful (and less crowded) fall visit. If summer is your only option, it’s still worth it—just prepare for heat, crowds, and early mornings. Winter is cold, wet, and not ideal for the average visitor. We visited Zion in April and had a great experience—comfortable temps, manageable crowds in some areas, and we even got to hike The Narrows (which can close if water levels get too high from snowmelt).

🎒 Zion Packing Essentials

From sun and safety protection to comfortable hiking shoes, here’s a quick list of our top hiking essentials for Zion National Park!

Sun Protection

Sunscreen – No matter the time of year you visit, sunscreen is essential to protect your skin from the sun.
Wide-brimmed hat – As part of sun safety, we love pairing sunscreen with wide-brimmed hats.
Sun Shirts – Light, sunshirts are great for protecting against the sun! Here is Elliot’s favorite long-sleeve sun shirt and Jen’s favorite long-sleeve sun shirt.
Refillable Water Bottle – Staying hydrated is a key part of sun safety. We love this water bottle featuring all of the US National Parks with stickers to check off your visits. There are water fill-up stations throughout all of Zion National Park.

Hiking Essentials

Hiking shorts or pants – We recommend hiking pants to protect against the sun and trails with higher grasses. Elliot’s favorite hiking pants and Jen’s favorite hiking pants.
Rainjacket – You never know what weather awaits you when travelling in a national park. If you’re looking for a new rain jacket fit for hiking, this is Elliot’s favorite rain jacket and Jen’s favorite rain jacket.
Hiking Boots – Solid footwear is a must whenever hiking. Here are Elliot’s favorite trail runners and Jen’s favo r ite hiking boots.
Lightweight backpack – Elliot carries this backpack with the included rain cover, while Jen carries this backpack.
Snacks – We always make sure to pack protein-rich, lightweight snacks with us while hiking.

Safety Essentials

Trail Maps – We love using AllTrails+ to download maps ahead of time.
GPS – We carry the Garmin InReach Mini 2 with us on all trails for safety.
First Aid Kit – This first aid kit is one of those items we hope to never have to use but always carry, just in case.
Headlamp – A headlamp is especially useful when going on sunrise, sunset, or night hikes!

With offline maps, wrong-turn alerts, and extra planning features, make the most of every outside adventure with AllTrails+. Get 7 days of AllTrails+ for free!

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