Sand Bench Loop

If you love the beach but hate the ocean this is the hike for you! Hot, sunny and sandy, the Sand Bench loop is a moderately strenuous hike that takes you through the site of a landslide that happened thousands of years ago when a huge chunk of sentinel mountain collapsed. A smaller landslide also ripped through the area in 1995, leaving piles and piles of loose sand. This hike is very exposed to the sun and can be rip-roaring hot in the peak of summer. We recommend doing this hike in the springtime, fall, or just on a cooler, cloudy day; we also recommend bringing along a good hat and lots of water and sunscreen.

After getting off the Zion Canyon Shuttle at the 4th stop: Court of the Patriarchs, cross over to the West side of Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. Follow the access road westward past a large water tank and then cross the Virgin over the hikers’ bridge. The Sand Bench trail tracks west for about 0.2mi past the bridge before it splits into two. At this junction, take a left, and follow the trail as it meanders southward for 0.3mi before dividing again. This junction is the start and end of the loop.

Here, you are faced with a critical decision. Taking a left here will take you down the loop in a clockwise direction. This is the preferred direction as the time you spend on the ascent is on firmer, rockier paths. If you decide to take the right path and follow the loop counterclockwise, you will spend your ascents slipping and sliding up loose sand. The challenge is there if you want it, but we recommend going left. From here, the loop… well… loops! Hiking for about 2.6mi will bring you back to your decision point. From here, just follow the trail, bridge, and access road back to the Court of the Patriarchs shuttle stop, where you can catch a ride back home.