This trail has been on my bucket list for years. It is a permitted trip which slashes crowd size, but permits go fast. On the 5th at 10 am of each month Zion releases their permits for the following month. West Rim gets snatched up in minutes. You have to know which site you want and start the reservation process the second the clock strikes 10. I got permits for Memorial Day weekend. I was worried it would be too hot, but it was perfect. The rim sits over 3k feet higher in elevation than the canyon floor. Making the temps wildly vary between the two. While it can be baking hot on the canyon floor it was mild on the rim.
You can start the trail from the Grotto TH and do an out and back or a point to point starting from Lava Point and ending at the Grotto which is the same TH as Angels Landing. The drive to Lava Point is a long drive from the visitors center that requires a high clearance vehicle. There are companies you can pay to shuttle you from the visitor center to Lava Point. This is a great option. The only bad thing about our trip was having to shuttle back to retrieve the car we left at Lava when we were tired and just wanted to go home. Otherwise we were treated to a portion of Zion that is tucked away from the overwhelming crowds and where solitude and the world class views of the mars like landscape are abundant.
The trail is well maintained and the entire way is marked well at each trail split. Starting out it’s a nice gentle walk through the pines. It continues like this for a few miles. You don’t start to have any noticeable elevation change until you descend into Potato Hollow. The area is pretty, but nothing to write home about. Even though you are on a mesa the quintessential West Rim views you’re looking for don’t appear until after you’ve climbed out of Potato Hollow. I’ve preferred this areas aesthetic in the Spring vs Fall. Every fall picture I’ve seen of West Rim was a brown and yellow color palate vs the lush green we were treated to. The only thing to remember is that the road to Lava is seasonal. Depending on the snow it is sometimes closed until late May. You can still get permits in the earlier months. This just means you don’t have the option of a point to point. Point to point is an easier journey.
After walking through the pines for a few miles you’ll do an easy descent into Potato Hollow. It’s grassy and does have a seasonal seep coming out of the ground near one of the campsites. The deep is usually dry by late spring. It was still seeping when we went, but I’d never count on this as a water source. We stopped and took a break in Potato Hollow before the climb out. The climb out isn’t steep. You’ll do several short climbs before the canyons below come into view.
Once you get up on the rim there should be a trail split. Go right to access the campsites. The views from here on out will cause you to take pause and the trail will be a mostly flat scenic gold mine. Full disclosure… the views were much better than expected and I HAD expectations. The cacti were blossoming, the flowers were peaking and the birds eye view into the canyons below were fabulous.
We reserved campsite 4 for our group of 10. The plus side is you have the rim on both sides of you and killer views for sunset and sunrise. I tracked 9.07 miles from Lava to site 4 with 1,039 feet of climbing and an 1,181 foot descent. It took us with a 4 year old 6 hours and 35 minutes to cover these miles. This includes two breaks and one very epic meltdown involving the length of sleeves one must wear when its hot. Another tid bit about the campsites is I personally wouldn’t want to stay at any of the sights before 5 unless I was doing a longer haul from Laverkin Creek. They are so far away from all the great views West Rim has to offer.
A few things about backpacking West Rim. You can’t dig a hole and poop. You are required to bring a wag bag which they sell at the visitor center if you forgot one. You must pack everything out that you pack in which should be happening on every trip. There are also no fires allowed. The nearest water source is 1.5 miles away from campsite 4. You must either carry all your water in or draw straws to see which unlucky friends get to make a 3 mile trip to fetch water. Cabin Spring is a small trickle. Be aware that it will take you a hot minute to filter so give yourself plenty of time.
The next morning my sister and I woke up early and watched the sunrise while everyone else was still sleeping. This was a highlight. I’m an early bird, but do require an hour to slink around get moving. Watching the sun spill over the mountains in the distance while I drank my coffee got the day off to a great start.
We all started the hike out at 7:30 am. It was chilly in the morning, but this was going to help us beat the heat. You hit a wall of heat coming down the canyon. I know you’re descending most of the time, but even then that wall of heat hits hard. We wanted to clear as many miles as we could before this happened. We were shooting for a 12 o’clock arrival at the TH.
Shortly after passing Cabin Springs you begin your hike down the slick rock path carved from the side of the mountain. If your knees are sensitive to descents I highly suggest bringing a knee brace. Walking over rock and pavement tear up your body vs walking a soft dirt path. From here on out you’ll be walking on slick rock for the remainder of the trail until you hit the paved switchbacks of Walters Wiggles.
Once you descend for a bit you’ll hit some trees and shrubs. It felt refreshing to hike through this section of trail. The sun heats up the slick rock quick and then the rock radiates that heat back up at you. We were racing the sun. Luckily up until after the the oasis we were in the shade.
This is where you’re going to start seeing day hikers. There are a decent amount of people before the final climb, but you won’t hit the Disneyland crowds until Scouts Lookout. The views before the descent to Scouts are money. I was just blown away by how gorgeous this hike was.
Once we hit the saddle to Angels I was done. The crowds are insane! I’ve hiked Angels twice and maybe passed one or two other groups. Now it’s like a line to the Peter Pan ride at Disney. The crowds got a little more varied. You have several trail DJs and be prepared for people to loudly mock you about how big your “hiking” bag is. Lol. Most people don’t realize there is a whole other world past Scouts Lookout. I was once one of those people. Younger 2011 Jenny would of made fun of 2021 Jenny’s bag too. Just not loudly.
The rest of the hike is pretty cringy. You have the oppressive heat. The only relief being the brief stint through the corridor of Refridgerator Canyon. Before Refrigerator Canyon you’ll descend Walters Wiggles which is hands down the steepest portion of the entire West Rim trail. After that my child just complained he was hot and we had to find every shade opportunity possible to give him reprieve. It was that hot. Even in May. I pitied all the souls making the climb to Angels in the mid day sun. After you make it to the TH you’ll just catch the next shuttle back to the visitors center. I’d also recommend grabbing your next meal at Oscars Cafe before you head out. I dream about Oscars breakfast. Their burgers and sweet potato fries are worthy of a required stop too. We always eat here whenever we visit Zion.
Exploring the Wasatch and Beyond 