Observation Point, Zion NP

I have wanted to climb Observation Point for quite some time. I had been on part of the trail before a couple of times; once on the way down from the east rim, and twice when I hiked hidden canyon.

With a day off from work and a beautiful day to enjoy it, a hike was the perfect solution! It was 105 degrees in St George, so I knew it was going to be a little warm. I drove to the Zion National Park Museum and parked, and took the shuttle to the Weeping Rock stop - the second to the last stop.

I started my hike at 10:46, with the sun quickly rising above the canyon walls. The first portion of the trail is paved, taking you past the turnoff for Weeping Rock to the left. It then quickly starts climbing on long switchbacks and the paved trail becomes a bit bumpy.

After about 1.5 miles, the hidden canyon trail intersects the observation point trail. Stay left to continue to observation point. Several more switchbacks continue upward until you are brought to one of the most scenic and beautiful sections of the hike, Echo Canyon.

Echo Canyon is made up of narrow walls which completely block out the sun for the most part from the ground. During the late summer, there is very little water in the canyon, which would make conditions for exploring it, ideal. This time, though, Echo Canyon was filled with frigid water which would have made for a chilling experience! I decided to continue on the trail, determined to come back to explore this amazing canyon at a later date.

After leaving Echo Canyon, the trail begins ascending again, and soon the East Rim trail comes in from the right. This was as far as I had been on the trail before. From here, the tail ascends slightly, but at a much lighter grade than before. Another break-off trail, indicating 2.5 miles to the park boundary also comes in from the right.

Past this sign, the trail turns into a mixture of sand and rock for the remaining .75 miles to the final destination. I made it to the top at 12:10 and took in the amazing views down canyon. The most notable landmark, being that of Angels Landing, which looked so small from Observation Point. I also noticed the small slot into Hidden Canyon, where I had been just a few days before. After eating lunch, taking pictures, and just taking in the beauty of the surrounding area, I started heading down at 12:45.

The descent was hard on my knees but took no time at all. I was back to the shuttle stop at 1:52, after 3 hours and 6 minutes, 35 minutes of which was resting on the top. It felt good to sit on the shuttle and enjoy the ride down letting my knees have some much needed rest.