Exactly How To Hike The Pa’rus Trail In Zion National Park

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Photo of the Virgin River cutting through Zion's red rock landscape with towering red rock cliffs and trees at sunset with clouds in the sky from Canyon Junction Bridge on the Pa'rus Trail hike

Zion’s Pa’rus Trail is flat, easy and paved so it’s perfect for all hiking abilities and ages, plus it’s accessible for wheelchairs and strollers. Bikes are also allowed on the trail and it’s the only hike in the park that dogs are welcome. In essence, it’s the most inclusive of Zion’s famous trails. We walked from the visitor center to Canyon Junction Bridge to watch a stunning sunset, and we highly recommend you do the same.

In this guide we show you how to hike Pa’rus Trail in Zion National Park, based on our experiences.

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Our Experience

Photo of Mark and Kristen Morgan from Where Are Those Morgans sitting on a rock wall underneath the entrance sign for Zion National Park next to the road on a sunny day
Here we are at the park’s east entrance sign

During our first visit to Zion in October 2019, we spent 3 days hiking the most adventurous and popular trails in the park (naturally!). Then we went back for another 3 days in December 2021 and decided to hike the lesser known trails, so we spent our first day hiking in Kolob Canyons before checking into a hotel in Springdale and eventually hiking the nice and easy Pa’rus Trail just in time for sunset.

We knew it was going to be a super easy walk, but it turned out to be way more picturesque than expected. The route followed alongside the Virgin River and cut through a wide valley with towering red rock cliffs to either side. Then at the end we were rewarded with a picture-perfect sunset scene. We didn’t wait for total darkness before returning, but we still had to use our headlamps. Read more about us.

What You Need To Know

Photo of a riverside walk with trees and vegetation inside a valley surrounded by red rocks under a sky with light clouds at sunset
The Virgin River runs right through the trail

Okay, let’s dive right in. Here are the most important things you need to know about hiking Pa’rus Trail.

  • It begins and ends at Zion’s main visitor center in Springdale
  • Start early or late in the afternoon to avoid parking issues
  • Pa’rus Trail is the only dog friendly hike in Zion
  • It’s also accessible for wheelchairs, strollers and bicycles
  • Families with young kids or mobility issues will like this one
  • You do not need a permit to hike it
  • The trail is well marked throughout
  • It’s a quieter trail than most in the park

We know what you’re thinking: but what does the name mean? Don’t worry, we won’t leave you hanging! In the local native Paiute language, Pa’rus roughly translates to “rushing waters” (rushing could also be replaced by bubbling or tumbling). You’ll see why if you hike the trail when the river is full or when there’s flash floods.

 

Trail Statistics

  • Distance: 3.5 miles roundtrip
  • Type: Out and back
  • Elevation Gain: 50 feet
  • Difficulty: Very easy
  • Time: 1.5-2.5 hours
  • Trailhead: Zion visitor center

The Pa’rus Trail is very easy, almost perfectly flat and attractive throughout. It begins at Zion’s main visitor center in Springdale and ends at Canyon Junction, which is where the shuttle bus takes you into the canyon to the most popular hikes like Angels Landing and The Narrows.

Once you reach Canyon Junction you have three options:

  1. Turn around to complete the Pa’rus Trail hike for a total of 3.5 miles.
  2. Hop on a free shuttle bus back to the visitor center from just beyond the bridge.
  3. Take a shuttle bus heading into the canyon from the same place.

Tip: If you hike Pa’rus Trail for sunset like we did, check the shuttle bus schedule in advance to make sure you can get a bus back to the visitor center. Otherwise you’ll have to walk it in the dark.

Trail Map

Route map showing the Pa'rus Trail hike in Zion National Park by Where Are Those Morgans
We created this route map to help you visualize the hike

As you can see in the map we created above, The Pa’rus Trail is a very straightforward hike with no spur trails or connector trails leading in other directions. It’s a simple out and back hike leading to one of our favorite photo spots in the park at Canyon Junction Bridge.

Again, remember you can hike it one way for 1.75 miles and jump on a shuttle bus heading in either direction. Cyclists can ride along Pa’rus Trail and then continue into the main canyon to save cycling on the busy road.

Trailhead Parking

Photo of a white canvas trail sign pointing left in a red rock landscape in Utah
This white canvas trail marker showed the split between Pa’rus and Watchman near the visitor center

Pa’rus Trailhead is at Zion’s main visitor center in Springdale, which is incredibly convenient because it’s the biggest parking area for accessing the main canyon. Once you arrive and park, look for a brown trail marker for Pa’rus Trail and Watchman Trail and hit the path.

With that said, the major downside is parking at the visitor center can be a real challenge despite its large size. The park was unbearably busy when we visited in October 2019 and we had issues getting parked everywhere. But during our second visit in December 2021 we had no problems parking at the visitor center.

If you can’t find a space at the visitor center, here’s what you can do to access Pa’rus Trail:

  • Leave your car at your hotel in Springdale and take the town shuttle bus to the visitor center.
  • Park at a paid day parking lot in Springdale (as a last resort).
  • Visit Zion in the off season months to avoid overcrowding altogether.
  • Stay at one of the two park campgrounds close to the visitor center.

Need help planning your trip to Zion?

Our popular Zion travel guidebook helps you with planning every aspect of your visit, including the unmissable hikes, where to eat and stay, itinerary ideas and map!

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Trail Walkthrough

Next, let’s walk through the hike exactly as we did it so you know what to expect.

1. Start At The Visitor Center

Photo of a brown trail sign at a visitor center in Utah
Look for this brown trail sign at the visitor center to begin the hike

We’d already hiked three trails in Kolob Canyons before driving to Springdale to check into our hotel. But there was still a bit of daylight left and we wanted to see the sunset at Canyon Junction, so we decided last minute to hike Pa’rus Trail. We quickly drove to the visitor center and had no issues with parking in the late afternoon.

2. Ease Onto The Trail

Photo of the Pa'rus Trail information board at Zion visitor center on a clear sunny day
This is the trailhead sign on the opposite side of the bridge

We found the brown sign showing which way to go for the hike, then saw a temporary white canvas sheet showing a left turn to cross the bridge we’d just driven over, and finally we took an immediate right turn after the bridge to access the trail proper. Within 2 minutes of leaving the visitor center we were already on the paved trail.

3. Walk The Riverside

Photo of the Virgin River cutting through Zion's red rock landscape at sunset on the Pa'rus Trail hike
The trail mostly follows and crosses The Virgin River

The first part of Pa’rus Trail was a gently curving path with South Campground to the left and the Virgin River to the right. But it wasn’t until we’d gotten beyond the campground that the hike really began to shine with desert vegetation and dramatic sandstone mountains to either side of the path. It was quiet because it was getting close to sunset, and we didn’t have time to stop for photos!

4. End At Canyon Junction Bridge

Photo of Zion's red rocks and Virgin River at sunset from Canyon Junction Bridge at the end of the Pa'rus hiking trail
This is the stunning sunset view we had from Canyon Junction Bridge

We crossed a quiet road and four bridges over the Virgin River in total. And we have to say we totally underestimated how picturesque the hike would be. If you’re looking for a super easy photo spot to capture the essence of Zion, walk the Pa’rus Trail. At the end, we passed underneath Canyon Junction Bridge and quickly walked onto the bridge to take the sunset photo we wanted.

Tip: There’s no sidewalk or place to stand on the bridge for the famous sunset photo, so it can be dangerous with lots of traffic. The park was very quiet when we took our photo in December, and we were only on the bridge for a few minutes.

5. Turn Back To The Visitor Center

Photo of Zion visitor center from outside looking at the brick building with yellow leaves in a tree and a blue sky above
Zion visitor center entrance

Remember, at this point you have those three options. We waited for the sunset but didn’t want to want to leave it too long. So we got a hustle on with our headlamps and phone flashlights, crossed the four bridges and road before arriving back at the visitor center. The downside was we couldn’t enjoy (or take photos of) the surrounding landscape on the way back because it was too dark.

Best Time To Hike Pa’rus Trail

Photo of red rock cliffs next to a road running through Zion at sunset
We took this photo of the main road running across Canyon Junction Bridge at dusk

We think late fall is the best time to visit Zion in general for a good balance between crowds, costs and hiking temperatures. Summer months are busy, expensive and hot. Whereas winter is much quieter but it’s cold. Spring is another good time to visit the park for a nice balance, but water levels are typically higher.

The major issue you might run into with this hike is parking at the visitor center. Zion is busy from April-September, but it’s busiest June-August so we recommend avoiding those summer months if you can. We hiked it late on a weekday afternoon during our visit to Zion in December and saw maybe 3 or 4 other hikers in total.

Finally, for The Pa’rus Trail specifically, you must also consider that flash floods can be an issue during southern Utah’s monsoon season which is typically around mid to late summer. If you visit the park in July, August and September you need to check live conditions and keep an eye on weather reports. The visitor center is a good place for important information.

The Morgan Conclusion

Photo of a hiker with a camera at a rocky summit looking down over Zion visitor center and the Pa'rus Trail running through the valley floor
Here’s Mark taking photos from Watchman summit overlooking Pa’rus Trail in the valley floor below

What we like: It’s a very easy hike, it’s accessible to all visitors (even dogs) and it has surprisingly striking views throughout. And the view from Canyon Junction Bridge looking south is one of our favorites in the park. We think it’s ideal if you only have one day in Zion and don’t want to hike any of the adventure trails.

What we don’t like: It’s not challenging or adventurous, which is what Zion is all about. There are no elevated views and it’s an out and back trail which means you end up seeing the same things twice.

Is The Pa’rus Trail worth it? Yes, Zion’s Pa’rus Trail is definitely worth hiking. It’s easy, flat, accessible to all visitors, dog friendly and it passes through quintessential Zion National Park scenery including towering red rock cliffs and the Virgin River. Because it’s so easy, we think it’s often underestimated or forgotten about, but in reality it’s one of the most picturesque trails in the park.

Information about Where Are Those Morgans travel guidebook with a link to see the product

We hope our guide to hiking Pa’rus Trail helps with planning your visit to Zion!

Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.

Happy Travels,

Mark and Kristen

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