Exactly How To Hike The Watchman Trail In Zion National Park

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Photo of Kristen Morgan from Where Are Those Morgans walking towards a rocky summit ledge at The Watchman Trail overlooking towering red rock cliffs lighting up early in the morning in Zion National Park

The Watchman Trail is a great hike because it’s short, not too difficult, leads to a fantastic viewpoint and it’s quieter than Zion’s more famous trails. Oh, and the trailhead is right at the main visitor center which makes it much easier to access. We quickly hiked up to the impressive overlook just as the sun was rising, and we had the summit entirely to ourselves.

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

Our Experience

Photo of a hiker sat on a rocky ledge at The Watchman Trail summit with far reaching views of a deep canyon behind at sunrise in Zion National Park
Here’s Kristen sat in deep cold shadows at the summit overlook

We hiked The Watchman Trail as daylight broke on a cold morning in December 2021. We’d spent 3 full days hiking in Zion and it was our last morning in the park before heading off to Kanab. The only hike left for us to do was The Watchman and we’d always planned to do it early in the morning, so staying at a hotel in Springdale worked perfectly for accessing the trailhead.

It took a minute for our stiff legs to warm up, but the gradual ascent helped us blow the cobwebs off. Around 50 minutes later we summited to watch huge shadows receding down towering red rock cliffs ahead. We sat huddled together for 10 minutes enjoying the solitude, then it took maybe 35 minutes to descend. Overall, we thought it was well worth it. Read more about us.

READ: The hikes you can’t miss in Zion

What You Need To Know

Photo of a small tree growing out of red rocks with views over towering red rock cliffs behind
This was our favorite photo spot on the hike

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

  • The trail begins and ends at Zion’s main visitor center in Springdale
  • It’s not a technical hike
  • You do not need a permit to hike this trail
  • Start very early or much later in the afternoon to avoid parking issues
  • The trail is well marked throughout
  • It’s a quieter trail than most in the park
  • Sunrise and sunset are the best times of day to summit
  • Don’t forget headlamps if you go up at dawn or dusk
  • Check live conditions for trail updates
  • The Watchman Trail is not dog friendly
 

Trail Statistics

  • Distance: 3.3 miles roundtrip
  • Type: Out and back
  • Elevation Gain: 368 feet
  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • Time: 1.5-2.5 hours
  • Trailhead: Zion visitor center

The NPS and AllTrails rate The Watchman Trail as moderately difficult, but we think it’s definitely on the easier end of moderate. Regular hikers will find this trail a breeze. It’s short and gradual with one section of short switchbacks. There was never a time we felt like we were being pushed hard.

At the top you’ll find a flat loop trail which is worth walking. Moving counter-clockwise, the loop provides views over lower Zion Canyon and Springdale with enormous sandstone cliffs as a dramatic backdrop, followed by Towers of the Virgin and The Watchman.

Trail Map

Route map for The Watchman Trail hike in Zion National Park created 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 Watchman 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 a fantastic elevated viewpoint, and you won’t need to track your hike with an offline map on any hiking apps because it’s such an easy route.

Trailhead Parking

Photo of a brown sign with two hiking trails listed and arrow pointing the direction on a small brick wall next to a tree and wooden building
The trail begins right at the main visitor center in Springdale

The Watchman Trailhead is at Zion’s main visitor center in Springdale, which is incredibly convenient. You won’t need to take the canyon shuttle or worry about parking in tiny trailhead parking lots. Instead, simply look for the brown trail marker for The Watchman 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 The Watchman 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 cold hiker in a winter coat on a sandy path at the start of The Watchman hike in Zion
This was Kristen feeling cold at the start of the hike not long after first light

We set an early alarm and woke up at our Springdale hotel room in darkness. It was a cold morning, so we ate a snack style breakfast and threw down a bunch of hot coffee from the hotel lobby. Then we hopped in the car and parked at the visitor center. We followed the brown trail sign for The Watchman and Pa’rus Trail, crossed the road and walked alongside the south bank of the Virgin River.

2. Gradual Climb

Photo of a narrow dirt hiking trail cutting along a ridge of a red rock formation in the Utah desert
We took this photo of the gradually climbing trail from the summit

A flat and sandy trail led us to a pedestrian crosswalk with another sign for The Watchman. This was when the gradual ascent began, following a narrow dirt path with small rocks and steps. We noticed tiny information signs detailing regional vegetation which was great to see (and unusual for the park). This early part of the climb was rocky underfoot but easy going.

3. Switchbacks

Photo looking down at a hiker walking along a short series of switchbacks on The Watchman hiking trail in Zion
This was Kristen hiking along the short switchbacks

It only took a few minutes on the uphill to warm up, and after around 0.7 miles we hit a short series of switchbacks. The trail was dusty, powdery and sandy as it snaked up the hillside, but we breezed the switchbacks and continued climbing. By now we could see a long and sweeping curve in the path leading to The Watchman Trail summit.

4. The Summit Overlook

Photo of a hiker in blue coat taking photos with a camera of far reaching views over a deep valley and tall red rock walls at sunrise
Here’s Mark taking photos of the views from the summit overlook

We kept following the dirt path until we saw signs for “Loop Trail” and “View Point” leading to a circular trail. It doesn’t matter which way you hike the loop, we went counter-clockwise to reach the overlook before any other hikers summited. Luckily we remembered to pack food, so we sat huddled together for warmth, ate a second breakfast and watched sunlight illuminate massive sandstone walls ahead of us.

5. Finish The Loop

Photo of Mark Morgan from Where Are Those Morgans in a blue coat holding a camera on a sunny morning at the summit of The Watchman Trail in Zion
Here’s Mark with his camera walking around the summit loop

Our initial thought upon reaching the summit was wow, we didn’t expect the views to be this substantial considering it’s only 368 feet in elevation. We could see Springdale, the visitor center and the entrance to Zion’s main canyon which was a nice surprise. But after about 10 minutes we started getting cold, so we cracked on with the rest of the loop which moved away from the views.

6. Descend To The Visitor Center

Photo of a walker in pink coat walking down a dirt path towards trees and tall red rocks under a blue sky
Here’s Kristen beginning the hike back down

It didn’t take long to finish the loop and we wanted to get down quickly so we could get on with our day. We thought it would be getting busier on our way down but surprisingly we only saw a few other hikers. The walk back to the visitor center was a piece of cake, with no big steps or steep sections that are often a killer for ankles and knees. And that was it, we were ready for our next stop Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park!

Hiking For Sunrise Or Sunset

Photo of massive red rock cliffs in Zion as the sun is rising and shadows are receding from the summit of The Watchman Trail
This was our view from the summit around one hour after sunrise

We don’t think Zion is the easiest place to watch amazing sunrises and sunsets, especially compared to the likes of Arches, Canyonlands, Grand Canyon, Yosemite or Acadia. Why? Because for the most part it’s hard to get to Zion’s best viewpoints in time for dawn or dusk. But along with Canyon Overlook, we think The Watchman is a good option for most visitors.

What makes The Watchman a great candidate is that it’s easy to access from Springdale or the campgrounds, it’s short and easy enough to do partly in the dark. We hiked to Angels Landing for sunrise the day before doing The Watchman and while it was an incredible experience, it wasn’t exactly straightforward!

If you decide to hike The Watchman for dawn or dusk, remember to wear headlamps and take a spare light source. Just know that the cliffs on both sides are enormous. The sun won’t appear from behind you until long after the sunrise time, and it will disappear behind the cliffs ahead of you long before the sunset time. (Here are sunrise and sunset times for Springdale.)

Best Time To Hike The Watchman Trail

Photo of a walker on a dirt trail surrounded by desert vegetation with tall red rock walls behind
Here’s Kristen hiking the trail early on a cold December morning

We think late fall is the best time to visit Zion in general for a good balance between crowds, costs and hiking temperatures. But for The Watchman Trail specifically, you can hike it any time of year without concern for things like flash flooding or winning permits like other trails in the park.

The major hurdle is going to be 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 early on a weekday morning in December and had the summit to ourselves, which wasn’t a surprise considering how much quieter the park was in the off season.

READ: What it’s like to visit Zion in winter

The Morgan Conclusion

Photo of a tourist in blue coat sat on a smooth rock ledge overlooking far reaching views of a red rock landscape under a blue sky in Utah
Here’s Mark simply taking in the awesome views

What we like: For us, it was a super easy hike with even easier access from the campground. We like that it’s one of few inclusive trails for visitors to do at sunrise or sunset, and we like that it’s a quieter trail with excellent summit views.

What we don’t like: We didn’t find the hike challenging or adventurous like others in the park, and we think strong hikers might find it a bit boring. The views are amazing, but they’re not as impressive as others like Angels Landing, Observation Point or Canyon Overlook.

Is The Watchman Trail worth it? Yes, we think The Watchman Trail is perfect for families with younger kids, beginners looking for a bit more of a challenge and visitors on longer trips to Zion. It’s also a great option for sunrise or sunset. But it’s not an exciting trail, so adventure seekers might want to prioritize other hikes in the park.

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We hope our guide to hiking The Watchman 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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