Most visitors hiking toward Angels Landing in Zion National Park have little idea that one of the park’s most spectacular trails continues far beyond that famous viewpoint. The West Rim Trail climbs high above Zion Canyon, revealing sweeping perspectives of towering sandstone walls and a quieter, more expansive experience of the park’s dramatic landscape.

Hiking the West Rim

The full West Rim Trail is actually a long backcountry route typically completed as a backpacking trip. However, one of the most rewarding ways to experience it as a day hike is to start from the Grotto trailhead and follow the same route used for the Angels Landing hike.

The trail quickly begins climbing through a series of dramatic switchbacks known as Walter’s Wiggles, a marvel of trail construction that zigzags steeply up the canyon wall. Just beyond this climb, the trail passes through a cool shaded section known as the Refrigerator Canyon, where the narrow canyon walls often trap refreshing pockets of cool air.

At the junction with Angels Landing, most hikers turn off toward the famous chain section. Continuing straight on the West Rim Trail, however, reveals a much quieter experience as the route climbs gradually higher above the canyon. The views begin to open dramatically, revealing sweeping perspectives across Zion Canyon and the towering sandstone formations that define the park.

Beyond this point the trail winds across the upper canyon slopes, dipping in and out of small drainages carved into the plateau. From these higher elevations, the immense scale of Zion becomes especially apparent as cliffs, mesas, and canyon walls stretch in every direction.

You can continue along the trail for as long as time and energy allow before returning the same way.

Don’t Miss

Many hikers turn around shortly after the Angels Landing junction, but continuing even a short distance farther along the West Rim Trail rewards you with much quieter hiking and some of the best canyon views in Zion.