Zion National Park

Zion Canyon

On the canyon floor, visitors look up at cream, pink and red sandstone cliffs as the Virgin River winds between them. Zion Canyon Scenic Drive runs about 8 miles from the visitor center to the Temple of Sinawava, and the park shuttle stops at trailheads, Zion Lodge and viewpoints along the route. Hiking draws most visitors. Angels Landing ends on a narrow ridge with chain-assisted scrambling high above the valley, and The Narrows heads upstream from Riverside Walk through a slot canyon where hikers wade the river. The Emerald Pools trails start at Zion Lodge. The paved Pa'rus Trail follows the river and is the only trail in the park open to pets and bicycles, while the strenuous trail to Observation Point overlooks the canyon.

East Rim

The East Rim is a high plateau of slickrock and ponderosa forest, reached by the East Rim Trail from a trailhead just west of the East Entrance on the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway. Hiking starts with a 1,000-foot climb onto the rim, with views over the east side slickrock and into Jolley Gulch before the path enters the pines. About 5.9 miles in, it reaches Stave Spring, an unreliable water source near the junction with trails to Cable Mountain and Deertrap Mountain. Past the junction, the trail opens onto the Echo Canyon basin and drops into Echo Canyon toward Observation Point, which looks down the length of Zion Canyon. With no established campsites, backpackers need an overnight permit and must camp at least a quarter mile from the spring.

Kolob Canyons

Narrow, parallel box canyons slice into the western edge of the Colorado Plateau in this quiet, remote northwest corner, where crimson peaks rise above 2,000-foot cliff walls. The five-mile Kolob Canyons Road scenic drive twists past viewpoints and trailheads, and no hiking is needed to take in the views. From the end of the road, the Timber Creek Overlook Trail follows a ridge for a one-mile round trip to a small peak facing Timber Creek, Kolob Terrace and the Pine Valley Mountains. The Taylor Creek Trail traces the Middle Fork past two homestead cabins to a double arch alcove. From Lee Pass, a strenuous 14-mile round-trip hike or backpack along Timber and La Verkin Creeks leads to a viewpoint of Kolob Arch, the world's second longest freestanding arch. Rangers give 30-minute talks at Kolob Canyons Viewpoint.

Zion Wilderness

Designated wilderness covers 84 percent of the park, taking in colorful canyons, wooded mesas and stark desert country. Protected since 2009, it is managed so that nature stays untrammeled and people pass through only as visitors. More than 90 miles of trails cross this backcountry, with dozens of designated campsites for backpackers and several at-large camping areas, giving real room for solitude and adventure. Places within it include The Subway, Wildcat Canyon Trail and Northgate Peaks. Any overnight backpacking trip needs a Wilderness Permit. Groups on wilderness trails are capped at 12 people, a limit that also covers the Virgin River Narrows past the Orderville Canyon junction. Long hikes here are out-and-back rather than loops. Beyond hiking, the wilderness supports canyoneering, climbing, river trips and stock use.