How To Hike Canyon Overlook Trail In Zion National Park

Canyon Overlook is one of the most popular hiking trails in Zion National Park because it’s short, family friendly and leads to spectacular views. We’ve hiked the easy 1-mile roundtrip trail at midday and for sunset, and we think it’s one of few truly unmissable spots that every visitor to Zion should enjoy.

In this guide we explain everything you need to know about hiking Zion Canyon Overlook Trail, based on our experiences.

Our Experience

We first hiked the short trail to Canyon Overlook at around midday on a weekday in October 2019. We’d already watched a stunning sunrise over Bryce Canyon amphitheater that morning before driving into Zion, and this was our first hike in the park. Getting parked was a drama because there were dozens of cars circling like sharks trying to pinch a free space on the roadside near Zion-Mt Carmel Tunnel. But we eventually found a spot and quickly hiked up the fun trail to a bustling summit with staggering views.

When we revisited Zion in December 2021 we decided not to hike during the day because it was too busy last time. So instead we drove up from Springdale and easily parked not long before dusk, hoofed it up the short trail and watched a spectacular sunset at Zion Canyon Overlook with only a few other people. It was a complete contrast, in the best possible way. We stayed to soak up twilight views and eventually hiked back down with our headlamps on. Read more about us.

SHOP: Our Zion National Park travel guidebook

Trail Details

In the map we created above you can see the two parking options, Zion-Mt Carmel tunnel in green, the hike in red and the direction of views in blue.

• Distance: 1 mile roundtrip
• Elevation: 160 feet
• Type: Out and back
• Difficulty: Easy
• Time: 1 hour

Zion Canyon Overlook Trail is an easy hike but it does have some short steep sections and steps early on. The trail is also uneven, rocky and sandy. From around half way to the summit you can forge your own path across the rocky landscape, but before then you’ll follow a designated path. It’s actually a really fun hike overall, and it leads to one of the best viewpoints in the park.

READ: Zion’s top hiking trails

Important Trail Information

Let’s get the key things you need to know out of the way first before we get into the trail walkthrough:

• You don’t need a permit to hike Zion Canyon Overlook Trail
• There are no shuttles running to the trailhead
• You must drive your own car to the trailhead instead
• It’s suitable for beginner hikers and families
• Parents will need to keep younger kids away from the summit edge
• It’s one of the most popular sunrise and sunset spots in the park
• Check current conditions to see the status of hiking trails
• You don’t need any specialist hiking gear for this trail

Zion Canyon Overlook Trailhead Parking

The Canyon Overlook Trailhead is located a few feet from the eastern entrance to the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel, 6 miles from Springdale and 5.3 miles from Zion’s east entrance. But the major issue with this hike is parking. There’s a very small parking lot with 9 spaces and 1 disabled space directly opposite the trailhead, but it’s almost always full. You should try this lot first, but don’t expect to get a space.

Your alternative is to continue driving up Zion Park Road (away from the tunnel) and try to find a space in another tiny parking area on a curve in the road. There’s maybe 9 more spaces. We parked here during our October trip and followed a sidewalk to the trailhead near the tunnel. It was the first place we’d encountered on our very first visit to Zion and we couldn’t believe how chaotic it was. Serious theme park vibes! But we were able to park in the closer lot during our second visit for sunset in December, which was a huge relief.

Okay, if you try to hike Canyon Overlook between 9:00am-3:00pm there’s a good chance you’ll have to do a few laps up and down the road until a space opens up. Our insider tip is to turn around in the small parking lot opposite the trailhead each time you try, otherwise you’ll end up driving through the tunnel, having to find a place to do a U-turn and then driving back through the tunnel.

Walkthrough: Our Zion Canyon Overlook Hike

Let’s walk through our midday and sunset hikes to the awesome Zion Canyon Overlook viewpoint, so you know exactly what to expect:

1. Zion Mt-Carmel Tunnel

After parking, we walked to the trailhead staircase and quickly read the information board. The early part of the hike was a fairly steep climb on a narrow slick-rock surface with metal railings to hold onto and protect from falling. It wasn’t too difficult, but it was narrow so we had to wait for other hikers coming the other way when we visited in October. A few minutes after starting the hike we looked left and took a cool photo of the entrance to Zion-Mt Carmel Tunnel.

2. Pine Creek Canyon

Next, the trail flattened and hugged a tall cliff to the right side. On the left was a drop down into a deep canyon and the trail was narrow so this is a place you’ll need to make sure kids are kept safe. Eventually the drop-offs were right next to the trail but metal barriers were in place for protection. We came to a corner in the barrier and looked down into the deep, curving and jagged Pine Creek Canyon. (You can go canyoneering inside Pine Creek.)

3. Narrow Bridge

After following more twists and turns on the narrow trail, the next landmark on the hike was a narrow bridge built by the NPS in order to navigate a corner with sharp drops below. We crossed the makeshift metal frame with three wooden planks and arrived into a cave.

4. Sandy Cave

One of our favorite parts about hiking to Canyon Overlook was how many unexpected formations we’d encounter. So we arrived into this cave shaped like half a UFO, curved around and exited on the other side. We then followed the trail up rocky steps and through vegetation for a few more minutes. To the left side we could see a large arch carved into a tall red rock cliff.

5. Forge A Path

All of a sudden the obvious and narrow trail ended. The landscape in front of us opened up into a wide and flat rocky area with no clear path, so we set about forging our own path across rocks, through trees and around sandy patches. We went too far left and there were long drops without barriers, so stay right if you’re hiking with kids. After a few more minutes carving our way across rocky ledges we eventually arrived at the summit.

6. Summit Views

The wide and curving summit very obviously had severe vertical drops after the end, so we cautiously approached. To the left and right sides were huge boulders with people climbing and sitting to enjoy views overlooking the immense Pine Canyon. In the center we of the viewpoint we found information boards and a railing, so we checked that area out before finding a place of our to sit and relax. It was bustling around the summit when we visited in October, but there were only a few people for sunset in December.

Canyon Overlook Sunrise Or Sunset?

We think Canyon Overlook is one of the best sunrise and sunset photo spots in Zion because it’s easy to access, the views are truly amazing and the viewpoint is west/northwest facing. That means the sun will rise from behind you and light up the canyon ahead at dawn, whereas the sun will set ahead and slightly to the left of your view at dusk.

The benefits of a sunrise hike to Canyon Overlook include easier parking, quieter trail and fewer people at the summit. Your view would be of distant canyon walls gradually getting lighter and lighter as the sun rises higher in the air and shadows recede down the walls ahead. But it means setting an early alarm, hiking to the summit in the dark and it’s more likely to be cold.

At sunset you’d benefit from hiking to the summit in daylight and having a more relaxing time getting set up for photography. Your view would be bright and intense sun beams bursting down onto canyon walls to the right side, eventually fading back into the distance as the colors turn deeper orange. You might also be able to create a fun starburst of the sun as it hits the top of the cliff ahead and to the left side. But it will be busier than sunrise, so parking will be harder and you’ll have to hike back down in the dark.

When we hiked Zion Canyon Overlook Trail for sunset there were no clouds so the sky was blown out until the sun disappeared behind the canyon walls, which was disappointing. With puffy clouds in the sky, you could take home some really nice photos at sunset. If we were to choose between hiking at sunrise or sunset, we’d choose sunset even though we’ve already done it once. It was calm, the light was soft and the sunset was incredibly photogenic.

Best Time To Hike

An hour before sunset on a weekday in the off season would be an ideal time to begin hiking Zion Canyon Overlook Trail. Parking would be easier because it’s not peak season and you’d arrive to the viewpoint just in time for sunset.

Try to avoid weekends, holidays, July and August or arriving between 10:00am-2:00pm. They’re the busiest days, months and times on this hike. Instead try visiting Zion in winter, early spring or late fall, on weekdays and either very early in the morning or much later in the day. Trust us, you’d have a more enjoyable experience.

READ: Best time to visit Zion

The Morgan Conclusion

What we like: We really like how easy it is to reach such a special summit viewpoint. There are so many adventurous and thrilling hikes in Zion that it’s nice to just have a short and simple trail for once. It’s also a surprisingly fun trail throughout with lots of natural features to keep hikers entertained. Don’t just take our word for how great this hike is, it scores a whopping 4.8/5 after thousands of reviews on All Trails.

What we don’t like: The parking situation is quite frankly ridiculous. We love the national parks, but sometimes we wonder why they don’t help themselves a bit more. With so few parking spaces available, people end up getting frustrated and cause problems. It’s inevitable. The NPS needs to figure it out.

Is Zion Canyon Overlook worth it? Yes, Canyon Overlook is one of our favorite hikes in Zion because it’s short, easy and leads to a stunning viewpoint. It’s perfect for the whole family, plus it’s also a wonderful sunrise and sunset photo spot. This is a hike you shouldn’t miss on a first visit to Zion.

More From Zion

• Unmissable hiking trails in Zion
• How to hike Angels Landing
• How to hike The Narrows
• Where to stay near Zion
• One day in Zion itinerary
• Best months to visit Zion
• Closest airports to Zion
• Visiting Zion in winter

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We hope our guide to hiking Canyon Overlook 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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