Zion Traverse Backpacking Guide

For an adventure that firmly grounds you in Zion National Park’s backcountry, where few day hikers roam, The Zion Traverse, also called the Trans-Zion Trek, is not a single trail but a group of trails linked together for a carte-blanche tasting of Zion.

This is a stunning maze-like landscape of steep echoing canyons, soaring Navajo sandstone monoliths, and high plateaus. Every possible place where flora can grip the earth is packed with pine and juniper, high-desert flowers, sipping from seeps, springs, or making the most of a bit of rainfall. This is a fascinating geological journey that will ignite a love for desert wildernesses.

One of the national park’s more logistically complicated hiking options, the Zion Traverse offers many rewards for the effort. Stealth and observant hikers will catch glimpses of rare Zion snails (living in the hanging gardens throughout the park’s narrowest canyons), pinyon mice, mountain lions, bobcats, canyon tree frogs, golden eagles, and great blue herons. As hard as the route is — and it is strenuous — some endurance runners run the entire route in under 7 hours. The Zion Traverse is something most will want to savor in 2 to 5 days if you want to explore spur trails.

Traditionally the traverse travels from the Lee Pass Trailhead to The East Rim Trailhead. In 2019, massive rockfall made connecting the last quarter of the traverse from the valley bottom of Zion Canyon via the East Rim trail impossible. The NPS reports the closure is long-term, but we remain hopeful that this route will someday reconnect. For now, the modified eastern terminus is at The Grotto. Don’t worry it’s still mind-blowingly beautiful.

Quick Facts

• Distance: 48.3 miles (77.7 km) Lee Pass to East Rim / 37 miles (60 km) Lee Pass to The Grotto
• Days Needed: 1-5 days
• Peak Elevation: 7,441 feet
• Low Elevation: 4, 327’
• Elevation Gain/Loss:6,334’ ascent and -6,646’ descent
• Best Travel Time: April-May or September-October
• Permits: Required (see below)
• Difficulty: Moderate-Difficult

Highlights

• Relative solitude — though you can expect to see other backpackers at certain points.
• Astonishing biodiversity due to the merging of three distinct ecological zones throughout the park.
• Beautiful hanging gardens
• Narrow canyons, tree-lined valleys, red rock skyscrapers and spectacular vista points throughout the route.
• Bugs rarely an issue

Lowlights

• Competitive permit process
• Can be susceptible to quickly changing weather
• Campfires prohibited
• Lots of sandy trail sections
• Parking at trailheads is complicated. Inquire at the Wilderness Desk for your best options on your day of arrival. Limited trailhead shuttle options.
• Summer daytime temperatures often exceed 100°F/38°C in the interior of the park.
• From mid-July into September monsoons bring an increased risk of flash floods.

Best Time to Travel

Spring (April-May), after the melt-off, provides reliable water and moderate temperatures. Fall (September-November) is similarly good, with water flowing once again after the monsoons (and flash floods) season has passed. Snowpack makes winter a no-go. Summer (June-August is typically very hot — highs in the high 80s and 90s, and water sources much more limited. If you decide to go in spring, be sure to check the Kolob SNOTEL report to learn more about year-to-year forecasts. The Wilderness Desk at the visitor center can provide the latest conditions as you near the start date of your trip. Always be aware of the threat of storms and lightning and be prepared for a change of plans. Study the Weather and Climate page for the Park’s weather forecast site and scan the park webcam before you head out.

Go East or Go West?

You can travel eastbound or westbound – it comes down to personal preference (like how quickly you like to tackle elevation changes when you hit the trail) and parking logistics. But there’s a good reason ultrarunners prefer westbound travel. Most hikers approach the route from the east to avoid the 1,000 vertical feet ascent over 4.5 miles required to get to the Lee Pass trailhead westbound (it’s 400′ higher than the East Rim Trailhead). But a closer look at the route’s elevation profile and you soon realize that after the initial 1,000 ft. descent from Lee Pass, you are consistently climbing for 20 miles — albeit gradually — going east to the high point of Horse Pasture Mesa. And the biggest climb comes toward the end out of the North Fork. If you start at the East Entrance Trailhead, you climb 400′ more over the course of the westbound route, but the climb comes early in the traverse and instead of climbing for 20 miles, you get a rather continuous downhill stretch for those same miles instead.

Solitude

Despite how competitive permits for this trip are, you won’t see a lot of other hikers. Campsites are well-spaced.

Difficulty

• Total Distance: 48.3 miles (77.7 km) Lee Pass to East Rim / 37 miles (60 km) Lee Pass to The Grotto
• Total Elevation Gain/Loss: 6,334’ ascent and -6,646’ descent
• Best Travel Time: April-May, September-October.
• Overall Difficulty: Moderate – Difficult

We rate this hike as moderate to difficult due to the remoteness, the somewhat steep grade, and the complexity of exiting early (except near the end). As always, difficulty ratings depend on your experience, physical fitness, pack weight, and weather conditions. Although not a technically demanding hike, it requires careful planning for campsites and water resources. For information to help you plan and prepare for a great trip, brush up on your skills with our tutorials and check your packing list against ours with our gear guides. Doing so will make for a safe and enjoyable adventure.

Permits

If you plan overnight, you need a wilderness permit. Day trips do not require a permit unless you plan to add hiking to Angels Landing. There are two ways to get a permit: advance reservations or a walk-up permit.

Zion National Park uses recreation.gov to make advanced backpacking campsite reservations. Half of the campsites are available for reservation online. A helpful NPS map shows the campsites.

Reservations are available online up to three months before your trip date and become available the fifth day of every month at 10 am Mountain Time. They go in a flash, so be ready, know your itinerary and alternatives, and don’t delay. So, for a trip in June, you can look for permits starting April 5, in July on May 5, and so on. For a more last-minute option, you can try to make a reservation (until 5 pm MT) on the day before your trip if a permit is still available for your desired entry day.

If advance reservations for day trips are fully booked through recreation.gov, first-come, first-serve walk-in permits must be obtained in person at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center Wilderness Desk during normal hours of operation. Permits can be obtained the day before or the day of the trip.

If spaces remain after the Daily Lottery, Walk-in Permits become available one day before your desired trip. Half of the backpacking sites are also available as walk-up permits, which are obtained at park visitor centers the day before your trip.

Permit Costs

• $ 16.00-day trip permit ($6 permit fee and $10 per person)
• $27.00-overnight permit ($20 permit fee and $7 per person)

Frequent visitors to Zion should consider enrolling in the Zion Express Membership. It allows members who have obtained a reservation to convert it to a permit online, three days before their trip. There’s no cost to enroll, no waiting in line to pick up permits, and reservation fees are applied to the cost of the permit. The entire flexible permit process can be completed online.

Trailhead Options

• Depending on your hike direction, you will start or end your trip at two remote trailheads: Lee Pass Trailhead, located in the Kolab Canyon northwestern part of the park, and The Zion National Park East Entrance, located near the eastern boundary of the park.
• Lee Pass Trailhead – If heading eastbound, you will begin at the Lee Pass trailhead, which is located 4 miles up the hill from Exit 40 on I-15. Get directions to the trailhead via google here.
• The West Rim Trailhead – If heading westbound, you will begin at the Zion Grotto which is stop #6 on the park shuttle. Park at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center and bus in. Alternatively, start from Zion Lodge (stop #5) and begin your traverse via Emerald Pools if you want to add walking through Heaps Canyon.
• East Rim Trailhead – Closed until further notice. If this section reconnects with Zion Canyon, heading westbound, you will begin at the East Rim trailhead, which is located on UT-9 within eyesight of the East Ranger Station. Get directions to the trailhead via google here.

Getting to Trailheads & Shuttle Options

The Zion Traverse requires some extra detailed planning or a lot of flexibility. The traditional route requires a 40-mile drive from Springdale to the Kolob Canyons entrance. You’ll need to take a shuttle service, hire someone to drive you, or take two cars and do a self-shuttle.

The easiest and most logistically smooth way to complete the Zion Traverse is to park at your desired terminus and hire a shuttle service to take you to your starting trailhead. Just keep in mind that if you hike Lee Pass to the Grotto, shuttles to the visitors center stop at 7 pm.

If traveling from west to east, you can leave your vehicle at the East Rim Trailhead (if the traditional route re-opens), and a shuttle service will pick you up there early in the morning on your first day and drive you to the beginning of your hike at Lee Pass trailhead. Generally, shuttle services pick you up from East Rim fairly early in the morning and get you to your starting trailhead 2-3 hours later, with several stops along the way.

We recommend contacting the following shuttle services for updated schedules and prices:

• Zion Adventure Company
• Red Rock Shuttle
• Zion Guide Hub

Campsites

Camping is only permitted in designated campsites from La Verkin Creek Trail, Hop Valley Trail, and along the West Rim Trail. You need to pre-select your campsite when you get your permit. The NPS has a helpful PDF map for planning your campsites in each region you’ll hike through. You cannot camp at any site for which you do not hold a permit, and no camping is allowed along the Connector Trail or the lower section of the East Rim Trail in Echo Canyon.

Campsites along the West Rim are quite a distance apart: Campsites 1-5 are among the most scenic but require a long day of hiking from LaVerkin or Hop Valley. Limited at-large camping is available along the East Rim Trail on a first-come, first-served with a permit. Along Wildcat Canyon Trail, camping is very limited and only permitted off the Northgate Peaks spur trail and east of Russell Gulch. You may camp on the east plateau above the Echo Canyon but nowhere along the trail through this area. The Wilderness Desk asks that you always avoid setting up tents near springs and seeps. Half of the campsites are available for pre-registration at recreation.gov.

Below are the campsites:

• KOLOB CANYONS Campsites #1-13 – The trail from Lee Pass descends into La Verkin Creek, the principal drainage in this section of the park, and trail to Kolob Arch, Beartrap Canyon, Willis Creek, and Hop Valley.
• HOP VALLEY Campsite # 8 – There is virtually only one spot here to camp for a hiker about halfway through this vertical walled valley. From here, follow a flat sandy trail as it winds through and climbs to Kolob Terrace Road and the Hop Valley Trailhead.
• WILDCAT CANYON – From the Hop Valley trailhead, head east on Connector Trail to Wildcat Canyon Trail where you can choose from a number of at-large sites, limited to 30 hikers.
• LAVA POINT – If you want a side trip to Lava Point, there are 6 primitive campsites available on a first-come, first-serve basis. It’s above the Wildcat Canyon Trail.
• WEST RIM Campsites #1 – 9 – Follow a fairly level section of trail that wends through pine forest and meadow, then skirts around the White Cliffs above Wildcat Canyon to join up with the West Rim Trail. These are at-large campsites, limited to a max of 50 hikers.
• EAST RIM – From the Grotto Trailhead, you’ll hike north along the Zion Canyon Road to the Weeping Rock Trailhead (1 mile) and head up the East Rim Trail. Since there is no camping allowed anywhere in Echo Canyon, be prepared to hike all the way up to the top of the east plateau – there is no camping available on the lower part of this trail.

The sites here are at-large with a limit of 50 hikers per night. Below is a map provided by the Zion National Park showing mileage, campsites, and the general route of the Zion Traverse.

Possible Itineraries

Most people complete the traditional Zion Traverse in 4-6 days (2-3 if ending at the Grotto). Trail runners take 10-12 hours to do it in a day. Below are a few sample itineraries. For more descriptions of the trails used on this itinerary, see the Zion National Park trail and campsite page. For mileage between campsites, please refer to the Zion National Park wilderness map.

THREE NIGHT OPTION

• Camp 1: Lee Pass TH to La Verkin Creek, camp near Kolob Arch campsites 7-10.
• Camp 2: Hop Valley Trail to Northgate Peaks spur trail for a side trip and then on to West Rim site #9 camp.
• Camp 3: Wildcat Canyon Trail to West Rim Trail, campsite #1 or 2 near Cabin Spring. Out the West Rim Trail to the Grotto

FOUR NIGHT OPTION

• Camp 1: Lee Pass TH to La Verkin Creek, camp near Kolob Arch campsites 7-10.
• Camp 2: Hop Valley Trail to Northgate Peaks spur trail for a side trip and then on to West Rim site #9 camp.
• Camp 3: Wildcat Canyon Trail to West Rim Trail, campsite #1 or 2 near Cabin Spring.
• Camp 4: East Rim Trail, at-large camping on the plateau.

FIVE NIGHT OPTION

This trip itinerary allows for extra time to explore this spectacular region and take side trips to Northgate Peaks, Lava Point, East Mesa Trail, Cable Mountain or Deertrap Mountain trails to the overlooks.

• Camp 1: Lee Pass TH to La Verkin Creek, campsite #11 or 12 beyond Kolob Arch. 
• Camp 2: Hop Valley Trail to Connector Trail to Wildcat Trail to the Northgate Peaks spur. At-large camping is permitted off of the Northgate Peaks West spur trail, staying east of Russell Gulch.
• Camp 3: Take the West Rim Trail to West Rim site #9 with a side trip up to Lava Point lookout enroute (stash your packs for that part of the trip or setup cabin at Sawmill Spring and retrace back .8 miles to the Lava Point Trail intersection.)
• Camp 4: Take West Rim Trail to the East Rim Trail and find an at-large basecamp on the plateau above the East Rim Trail. Next day take side trip to Cable Mountain or Deertrap Mountain overlooks, or East Mesa Trail.
• Camp 5: East Rim Trail, at-large camping on the plateau again.

Maps & Guidebooks

The Zion Traverse follows a well-defined, established route on well-used trails. There are intersections that require decision-making, and a good map, and GPS can provide additional assurance. The route is not crowded, but portions of lower dayhike feeder trails can get busy. Dayhikers are unlikely to be familiar with directions on the trails that make up the Zion Traverse, so be sure to carry your own directional resources. Below are some resources that will round out trip planning.

• National Geographic Trails Illustrated Zion National – One of the best maps of the area. It includes campsites, trail descriptions, and mileages, and it is waterproof. Trails are clearly marked and feature mileages between intersections. Key areas of interest featured on this map include: Zion Narrows, Kolob Canyons, La Verkin Creek Trail, Hop Valley Trail, Wildcat Canyon, West Rim Trail, Floor of the Valley Road, East Rim Trail, Telephone Canyon, and the Virgin River.
• Hiking Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks: A Guide To Southwestern Utah’s Greatest Hikes by Erik Molvar –  This is an excellent guide to all the trails that make up the Zion Traverse. It includes accurate directions to the trailheads, comprehensive trail descriptions, trail maps, route profiles, difficulty ratings, and valuable trip-planning information, including a checklist of essential gear.
• Best Backpacking Trips in Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico – This book offers detailed trip information for the Zion Traverse, as well as other great backpacking trips in the SW.
• We used Gaia GPS for planning and navigation on this trip. Although we always carry paper maps, having a GPS handy is convenient.

Water

As you get closer to your permit dates, check Zion National Park water source information for the status of marked water sources. The visitor centers also post signs indicating which springs are flowing. Springs will be noted as Dry, Trickle, and Flowing. Dry spring means no water is available. Trickle springs will have water but at a low enough volume that it’ll take a while to fill a water bottle. Flowing means just that — flowing heartily.

You must filter/purify all springwater in Zion National Park and avoid drinking stream and river water. Sadly, toxic algae blooms are blanketing parts of the park’s rivers and streams, and you do not want to drink this contaminated water. We used a combination of the SteriPen Ultra and Aquamira Chlorine Dioxide Drops at springs. To learn more about other water purification options, check out our Best Backpacking Water Filters page.

If you go in late spring after a good snow year, water is available everywhere, even from unmarked streams — thanks to snowmelt. You’ll also find a few permanent water sources en route. Hop Valley flows most of the year, but since this valley is grazed, it’s best to avoid it entirely as it will retain a regrettable odor and taste even after purifying. Both La Verkin Creek and the North Fork are very reliable and much cleaner. The other permanent source is near the bathrooms at the Grotto Trailhead. Other early and late season reliable sources include the stream a half-mile west of where Wildcat Canyon Trail crosses the streambed, Beatty Spring, Sawmill Spring, Potato Hollow Spring, Cabin Spring (along the West Rim Trail, and Stave Spring near the East Rim Trail.

If you’re heading in during early, mid, or late summer, check conditions at the Wilderness Desk or visitor centers, as many of these springs taper off during the hotter months. You can also get water from the shuttle stop fountains. Alternatively, you could take Kolob Terrace Road and cache water near the Hop Valley Trailhead (most common), the Wildcat Canyon Trailhead, and the West Rim Trailhead off Lava Point Road. In total, you’ll need at least 4-6 liters per person per day if hiking in 80°F degree or higher weather. Higher temps, low humidity, and elevation combine to put you at the higher end of this estimation. Shuttle services can accommodate adding a water cache drop.

Food Storage

Rodents and crows are an occasional, generally rare nuisance in Zion’s backcountry. If you plan to basecamp, we don’t recommend leaving your tent and food at a campsite while taking a side trip/day hike. Consider carrying an Ursack to keep rodents and birds from devouring your food.

Bugs

Mosquitos and deer flies are not usually a huge problem on the Zion Traverse, except when there have been extensive periods of wet weather prior to your arrival. The same holds for no-see-ums, though, like skeeters, most are only an issue around dusk. Use a combination of permethrin on your clothing and a small amount of DEET on exposed skin for full protection.

More Information

We love the towers, trails, and tenacious life that make Zion National Park so special. With over 4.6 million annual visitors, it is crucial that you know and practice leave-no-trace principles. We want to protect and preserve this sensitive and wild place for all.

For more desert adventures, see our complete trip guide and dust off your desert backpacking skills with our tips for backpacking in the desert. For more on how to be a clever hiker, check out the following links:

• Lightweight Gear Foundations Videos
• CleverHiker Gear Guide
• CleverHiker Top Gear Picks

More Zion Traverse Photos