Zion National Park: Day Two
Day two at Zion NP started off with a few decisions. First, what time would we wake up and start our day? We are typically early-risers and like to get as much out of the day as possible, but seeing as we had hiked 9 miles the day before and biked 14, we were hesitant to start our adventure off at the crack of dawn like we usually like to do. Nevertheless, we didn’t let sore legs and backs keep us from getting up early (we’re talking 5:30 a.m. early!). We wanted to take it a bit easier this day than we did the day before when we hiked the Narrows, so we decided to only do a 7 mile hike… I guess that is taking it easy… Unfortunately due to a large landslide, the trail that led to the highest point in Zion Valley was closed. Fortunately, we were able to find a back way to get up to Observation Point! Before we started the 6-mile hike up to Observation Point on the East Mesa Trailhead, we took a relatively easy 1-mile round trip hike on the Canyon Overlook Trail. This short 1 hour excursion led us to stunning views of the valley from over 1,000 ft. above. This trail starts off with an initial climb (thankfully there are steps built in as well as handrails that make this first part easy) but then levels out as you get to the overlook. From the overlook you can get glimpses of the East Temple, Pine Creek stream down below, and Bridge Mountain. We would recommend this hike to anyone who is wanting to get a good lay of the land before they dive into some of Zion’s longer, more difficult hikes.
After grabbing some good photos and hiking back down to our car (parking can be a bit tough to grab for the Canyon Overlook Trail so come early or be prepared to take a long hike from one of the shuttle stops to even get to the trailhead), we headed east on Zion-Mount Carmel Highway to the East Mesa Trailhead. This trail can be a bit tricky to find and the final approach to the trailhead is a rough dirt road which if having rained a lot could be tough to get to in a vehicle that doesn’t have 4x4. Check out directions to get to the trailhead here. The East Mesa Trailhead is about 6.4 miles roundtrip and mostly uphill as you climb your way up to Observation Point. Thankfully, the ascent is not very steep and you almost don’t even notice you are climbing 280 feet to the lookout. The scenery on the trail is beautiful thanks to the variety of plant life and wildflowers. The burned trees that speckle the landscape make the trip up to Observation Point worth it alone in my opinion. It is so cool to see how fire plays a role in the life cycle of a forest! After arriving at Observation Point, we just stood for a while in awe at the majestic vista. For anyone who is wanting to get a birds-eye view of Zion Valley, this is the hike for you. Words can’t describe it alone, so here are some pictures you can enjoy!
