Pa'rus River Trail

You can either start this hike at the visitors centre and head into the canyon, or go from the canyon out towards the visitors centre. We prefer doing this flat hike at the end of a day exploring the canyon, so this page will describe the route leading from Canyon Junction back to your car.

As your taking the bus out of the canyon, get off at Canyon Junction and find the wide paved trail on your right hand side, accompanied by large signs. Initially the path will dip slightly down to the river then go under the vehicle bridge.

After roughly five minutes, you will feel completely separated from the road, and the sounds of cars and tour buses will fade into the distance. Only the gurgle of the Virgin River will fill your ears, and the scenery above you will envelop your eyes. Up to your left you can see Bridge Mountain, and on your right the Beehive. This section of the trail from Canyon Junction to the museum is our favourite, as it feels the most remote from the bustling road.

Along the path there are many places to divert and head down to the riverbank. Many people swim in the cold, snowmelt-fed river on hot days. As you near the end of the trail you will get a fantastic view of the Court of the Patriarchs and the West Temple on your right hand side. From the very bottom of the canyon — after all you are walking beside the river that is, to this day, carving deeper and deeper — you get a true sense of the magnitude and grandeur of the park.

Find other spectacular hikes in Zion:

• Angel’s Landing Hike
• Observation Point Trail
• The Narrows Hike
• Weeping Rock Hike
• Hidden Canyon Hike