The narrows is the narrowest section of zion canyon in zion national park, utah, united states. Nov 26, 2019 a very specific and useful map of bryce canyon national park showing roads and entrances. It begins at the top of the mesa and ends with a rappel into the narrows. Maps for purchase are available at the canyoneering usa store, or download and print the 263kb version posted here. Trip reports mystery canyon trip report august 2001 shanes mystery canyon trip report scott pattersons mystery canyon description at summit post. Backtrack from the viewpoint to the start of the ridge, and bushwhack down to the ridge, then down the side into the head of the canyon.
Hidden canyon is a beautifully narrow and deep hanging canyon tucked away above the main canyon east of the great white throne. This bryce canyon national park map is an essential tool to planning a vacation in this popular tourist destination in utah. Our first time going through mystery canyon back in august 2008 we started the hike from the observation trailhead weeping rock trailhead which is located at the bottom of zion canyon. Mystery canyon is rated 3b iii using the canyon rating system. Just a few minutes up from the start of wall street is the confluence with orderville canyon coming in on the right. Perhaps im contrary, but i would rate mystery fairly far down my personal list of favorite zion canyons. Scored the last minute lottery for mystery canyon, so we make a day of it in late august.
Plan your road trip to the subway, zion natl park in ut with roadtrippers. Mystery canyon, looking north just off the east mesa trail. Weeping rock trailhead because you must ride the shuttle bus system in the only season that is practical to descend mystery canyon, detailed directions are not needed. You will need a zion backcountry permit to enter mystery canyon. For this reason, the canyon shows relatively low impact compared to some others such as the zion narrows, orderville canyon and subway. Observation point is a classic zion hike, ending at a viewpoint high above the valley. The advance lottery does not run from november through march due to a low demand for permits. The trail is primarily used for hiking, nature trips, and bird watching.
Mountain of mystery 6565ft 2001m crater hill 5192ft 1582m 3747ft 1142m 3920ft 1195m the watchman 6545ft o a v a l l e y virgin flats p o t a t o h o l l w l e e v a l e y c a v e e h v a l l e y e e c h o v e c a n y n h e a ps c a nyon c o u g a r m o u n a i n t t o w e r s o f t h e v i r g i n c o u r t o f h e. Subway and mystery canyon are secured through the advance lottery prior to calendar reservations becoming available. Canyon walls widen overhead invisible, but heard by most as you hike along wall street. One of the most popular backcountry trips at zion national park, subway is a six to eight hour canyoneering route that follows the left fork of the north creek, starting at the wildcat canyon trailhead, and following the river until the left fork trailhead. Aug 19, 2014 mystery canyon is a world class 3b iii canyoneering hike located in zion national park, utah. Mystery canyon into the virgin river narrows, zion national park night one. Mystery canyon is a technical canyoneering adventure that will require 6 to 7 hours from the east mesa trail or 8 to 9 hours from the weeping rock trailhead to. Aug 23, 2019 observation point is a classic zion hike, ending at a viewpoint high above the valley. Due to high demand, permits are awarded based on a lottery system.
Mystery canyon includes rappels, swims, downclimbs and other challenges to make the route enjoyable. Click on image below to download pdf of greater southern utah and zion map. I will be with a group of 4 close friends as we are headed there for my bachelor party. Mystery canyon is considered one of the crown jewels of technical canyoneering adventures in zion. The zion narrows we full and we had to swim most of the way out. There are about 12 rappels, a few pools, and some scramblingdownclimbing. Only 1 group of up to 6 people is selected out of an advance lottery per day for permits.
Mystery canyon is an amazing hikingcanyoneering experience through some of zion s most compelling canyon scenery. All waypoints and maps for this route use the wgs84 datum. Climb down as far as possible, then rappel off any of several sturdy trees into the canyon. Mountain of mystery 6565ft 2001m crater hill 5192ft 1582m 3747ft 1142m 3920ft 1195m the watchman 6545ft o a k v a l l e y a virgin flats p o t a t o y h o l l l l e e r v v a l l e c a e v a l e y e e c h o v c a n y o n h a p s c can y o n o u g a r m o u n a i n o w e s o f t h e v ir g in c o u r t o f t h e p a t r i a r h s. Zion national park map zion national park travel guide. Other adventures have gone down the wrong canyon and needed rescue.
Check out the best tours and activities to experience zion canyon. Mystery canyon falls gateway to the narrows riverside walk temple of sinawava 5 4 3 2 1 1 springdale, utah since 1996. Departing from hotels on the las vegas strip, spend an entire day exploring these natural wonders. Its a gorgeous hike and offers one of the best views of the park. This trip took our group of four a little over twelve hours to. Gunsight is not marked on the map, but is the canyon between castle dome and pt 6910. Zion canyon tours towering rock formations, colorful slot canyons, and a maze of hiking trails make zion canyon the heart of activity in zion national park. This approach took us about 3 hours to hike and it is about 4 miles in length. Mystery canyon, zion national park canyoneering usa. Some fools do this each year in preparation for freeze fest. You will need a permit from the backcountry office and there is a use restriction of 12 people per day which will make getting a weekend permit difficult. Springdale zion canyon shuttle and zion mount carmel highway and tunnel information south watchman east entrance south entrance court of the patriarchs e kolob canyons visitor center zion canyon visitor center zion human history museum zion national park picnic area restrooms drinking water campground primitive campground ranger station trail.
The granddaddy of desert slot canyons, the zion narrows has been rated one of the top ten hikes on earth, and rightfully so. Pictures of the trail to observation point, zion national park, utah. One can hike up from zion canyon weeping rock shuttle stop. The last rappel is a fun one as you descend into the zion narrows. Dont miss out on great deals for things to do on your trip to zion national park. Years of development and use have left numerous anchors to increase safety and ease of use. Spring through fall, zion canyon scenic drive is open to shuttle buses only. This trip took our group of four a little over twelve hours to complete and we did the weeping rock approach. A good intermediate canyon that displays variate scenery along the descent. Hidden canyon and observation point share the same trail for. Narrowssubway other alternatives zion national park forum.
Detailed route info, gps waypoints, maps, and photos on canyoneering mystery canyon. Mystery canyon is touted by some as the best canyon in zion, or at least their personal favorite. From zion canyon s massive vertical sandstone walls, glistening pools and delicate waterfalls to scenic kolob canyon. The adventure starts with a steep descent down the death gully no deaths reported to date. Official bryce canyon national park map pdf my utah parks. Zion canyon is the largest and most visited canyon in the park. The manufactured trail climbs up the east side of the main canyon, crosses a few ravines and ends at the mouth of hidden canyon, giving hikers access to explore up the canyon as far as they can. Zion national park map map of zion national park, kolob canyons, and zion canyon click on the image above to download a pdf of this map of zion national park located in washington, iron, and kane counties in southwestern utah, zion national park encompasses some of the most scenic canyon country in the united states. Joes guide to zion national park mystery canyon topo map 2. A 22minute orientation film is shown regularly at the zion human history museum. Note the route of the main roads, tunnels and shuttle stops plus the attraction areas of the park, such as kolob canyons, lava point and zion canyon, before you decide on where to stay and what park entrance to use. Zion national park topographic map and nearby trails.
Bring yer teenagers who think nature is boring and prove them wrong. Mystery canyons one of the more popular canyons in zions. The trail is primarily used for hiking and rock climbing and is best used from april until september. Mystery canyon canyoneering guide joes guide to zion. Around the first bend is mystery falls, the exit point for mystery canyon. While viewing the map, click on the map to return to this page. Anasazi state park museum this ancient indian village in the heart of utahs canyon country was one of the largest anasazi communities west of the. Zion national park e e e utah a day in zion canyon a long weekend in zion national park a day in zion canyon 27 plan your.
Exit 42 to h u r r i c a n e c l i f f s p a ri p o i n t l o n g p o i n t. Download the official park maps for zion, bryce canyon, arches, capitol reef and canyonland national parks in utah official arches national park map pdf a very specific and useful map of arches national park showing roads and entrances. To locate the trailheads, turn on the kolob terrace road in virgin and drive until you see the trailhead signs. Mystery canyon zion national park the trek planner. Mystery canyon is noted for the variety of terrain it offers. The advance lottery is only for trips through left fork the subway and mystery canyon.
For information about waypoint naming and map symbols, refer to the glossary page. The subway, zion natl park is a natural feature in springdale. From there take the shuttle to the weeping rock stop to begin the route. I slammed the camera barrel on the mountainside during a rappel and it never worked again. If you are applying for a reservation from november through march, please use the calendar reservation system. Leaving the pavement of the popular riverside walk, the virgin river becomes the path, drawing you up into its towering walls and a sinuous path along river banks and kneedeep waters into the narrowest section of wall street where 18 million years of river erosion has. Climbing, biking, running and slacklining extravaganzas are in order. The canyon begins outside of the park boundary, dropping into zion where it begins. Subway permits due to the popularity of the subway and mystery canyon, the park created an online lottery for reservations. It is important to find the correct small trail, as offtrail descent of this slope is gruesome.
Canyoneeringusa has a great description as well as brice pollocks trip report with pictures in brief, start where the road crosses pine creek a visible side trail is found descending into the wash, just by the tunnel ahead, prepare to stop sign sits. Canyon junction the grotto weeping rock zion lodge oilwell ruins springdale zion canyon shuttle and zion mount carmel highway tunnel information south watchman east entrance viewpoint south entrance zion canyon theater visitor center zion canyon visitor center zion human history museum zion national park picnic area restrooms drinking water. Map and guide and backcountry planner are available at the. From the springdale or the zion visitor center or any other shuttle stop in zion canyon, simply take the shuttle bus to weeping rock. Aug 28, 2017 scored the last minute lottery for mystery canyon, so we make a day of it in late august. Mystery canyon is a wellliked area that requires a large variety of skills to see the whole canyon. Mystery canyon canyoneering guide joes guide to zion national. The recommended route is the trail from weeping rock, past observation point, and along the east mesa trail to the head of the canyon. Hiking zion narrows from the bottom zion main canyon. The granddaddy of desert slot canyons, the zion narrows has been rated one of. Like all other technical canyons in zion national park, you need a canyoneering permit for each member of your group. Zion national park map map of zion national park, kolob. Canyoneering guide and photographs for mystery canyon, one of the crownjewel canyons of zion national park.
Get an early start with this road trip to two amazing national parks in southern utah. My understanding is that the odds are pretty good if you enter the. Canyoneering mystery canyon zion east side road trip ryan. Hidden canyon hiking guide joes guide to zion national park. Hidden canyon zion national park 2020 all you need to. Mystery canyon is a relatively known canyon in zion national park that is sought after by many canyoneers but only twelve hikers per day are allowed to venture within. Situated where it is, the trail offers some great viewsat an angle not seen from the standard hikesof angels landing, big bend, the organ, cable mountain, and of course, the great white throne. Hidden canyon is perched above the east rim of zion canyon, offering an exciting hike with rewarding scenery. Check the park website see below or the park newspapers for dates and times. So large it bisects the river flow turn around point for bottomup hikers.
Mystery canyon is a classic slot canyon in zion national park, utah. Mystery can be approached from either the weeping rock shuttle stop in the main canyon or from the east mesa trailhead on the zion ponderosa ranch. This way we can save most of our energy and water for going through the canyon. Narrowssubwayother alternatives zion national park. The subway car shuttle from the south entrance of zion national park drive toward the small town of virgin, looking for the kolob road sign. We assembled a crack team jenny west, ramoo, tim hoover, mike schasch and myself and hiked up from weeping rock starting in the first light of dawn at 7 am.
Mystery canyon is one of the most popular technical canyons in zion np. From this spot, you can look out over zion national park, with a view down to angels landing. Click on image above to download pdf of greater southern utah and zion map. The second option saves you 2100 feet 640m of climbing on a steep trail, but requires a car shuttle. Canyoneering mystery canyonweeping rock approach, zion. Along with the subway, mystery canyon is the most popular canyoneering route in zion. Mystery can be approached from either the weeping rock shuttle stop in the main canyon, or from the east mesa trailhead on the zion ponderosa ranch. This was a fun trip because it was the first descent of the canyon that year. You will be tasked with rappelling, hiking, and wading through pools of. This zion national park map is an essential tool to planning a vacation in this popular tourist destination in utah. Note the route of the main roads plus the attraction areas of the park before you decide on whether to enter on the east or west side. Approach to the head of the canyon there are at least two approaches to the head of the canyon. Zion np to and pipe spring national monument to cedar city and salt lake city to, mt.
Photographs of the trail to observation point, zion national park. Carmel jct, grand canyon np, bryce canyon np tunnel oilwell ruins the narrows to zion canyon, zion np dirt roads are impassable when wet. Hikinghidden canyon hidden canyon is a short, but steep ascent, secreted away between cable mountain and the backside of the great white throne. A shot of the zion narrows from the technical canyon, mystery canyon and the last shot this camera ever took. Mystery canyon is a relatively known canyon in zion national park that is sought after by many canyoneers but only twelve hikers per day are allowed to venture. The more famous angels landing trail is not the only trek in zion with dangerous dropoffs that require chain railings for safe passage, because this 3. The subway, zion natl park, springdale roadtrippers. Reserve your spot today and pay when youre ready for thousands of tours on viator. Ram came down to zion for a quick run through mystery, a fine moderate canyon that starts with a northfacing approach known as the death gully. From the east mesa trailhead, this hike begins with a steep rappel into the narrow, sculpted slot canyon, and ends with a final rappel down mystery falls into the zion narrows.
Two mustsee secrets are mystery canyon and echo canyon. A prominent feature is zion canyon which can be accessed by zion canyon scenic. While there are many popular canyons for canyoneering in zion, there are a select few that you just cant miss. The national park service will continue to operate the zion canyon shuttle system, as described in the. Mystery canyon zion national park technical canyoneering. The virgin river courses through the green valley floor and painted sandstone cliffs, creating a desert oasis that draws hoards of.
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