Sight · Zion National Park
A cliff-edge timber tram terminal with a remarkable backstory.
Overview
Cable Mountain Draw Works is a weathered timber headframe on the edge of Cable Mountain, the surviving upper terminal of a gravity-powered tram that once lowered lumber more than 2,000 feet to Zion Canyon. It is small against the canyon, but the frame and iron machinery make a striking bit of early park history. Keep it on your list if you are already hiking the East Rim and like historic engineering; it is a long way to go for a quick stop.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs the hike worth it?Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Zion Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Zion National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Zion audio tourRecorded for this area
Weeping Rock“You're coming up on Weeping Rock, where a short climb takes you beneath a dripping sandstone alcove. I'd choose this for a quick close look at the wet rock and greenery, with a canyon view framed by the overhang.”
Plays on the road 0.3 mi from Cable Mountain Draw Works in the Parkwolf Zion Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
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Guide
There is no trailhead at the structure. The shortest listed route is 7 miles round trip from Stave Spring Trailhead, reached by high-clearance or four-wheel-drive dirt roads off North Fork Road. The East Entrance approach is 17.6 miles round trip. Both routes reach Cable Mountain via East Rim and Deertrap Mountain trails. The 200-foot elevation figure listed for the Cable Mountain segment does not include the climbs on those approach trails. Carry food and water for the full wilderness hike.
David Flanigan wanted the better building timber growing on the mesa: pine, spruce and fir. Cottonwood and ash in the canyon were poor substitutes, and hauling lumber by wagon could take a week or more. The gravity tram began moving lumber in 1901, using about 50,000 feet of baling wire between two timber structures 3,300 feet apart and more than 2,000 feet vertically. It carried hundreds of thousands of board feet for canyon buildings and nearby settlements, including the original Zion Lodge. The operation ended in the mid-1920s.
The headframe is roughly 30 feet long, 16 feet wide and 14 feet high. Its braking and loading gear once controlled the descent; the lower towers and cable are gone. The upper structure was stabilized in 2011, with new wood grafted onto sound original pieces. Stay back from the precipitous rim and don't climb on, mark, move or take anything from the structure. From the trail side, frame the old beams and pulley wheels against the canyon cliffs.
Wildlife
291 sightingsCalifornia CondorMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
350 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
22 sightingsMountain LionMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
1,326 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
23 sightingsGolden EagleMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
15 sightingsPeregrine FalconMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Zion. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingHidden Canyon Trail3.2 mi · 4 hr · 0.3 mi awayExposed chain ledges lead to a shaded hanging canyon.
EasyWeeping Rock Trail0.4 mi · 30 min · 0.3 mi awayA steep paved climb ends in a dripping sandstone alcove.
ChallengingWest Rim and Telephone Canyon Loop15.3 mi · 9 hr · 1.2 mi awayA long climb opens into a quieter plateau circuit above the canyons.
ChallengingWest Rim Trail to Cabin Spring9.4 mi · 6 hr · 1.2 mi awayA full-day climb beyond Scout Lookout to Cabin Spring.
ChallengingAngels Landing Trail4.2 mi · 4 hr · 1.2 mi awayA steep canyon climb ends on a narrow, chain-lined sandstone ridge.
ChallengingWest Rim to Scout Lookout3.8 mi · 3.5 hr · 1.2 mi awayA steep climb to a canyon lookout, before the permit boundary.
ModerateKayenta Trail1.4 mi · 2 hr · 1.2 mi awayFollow a canyon ledge from The Grotto toward the Emerald Pools.
ChallengingThe Narrows from the Bottom Up9.4 mi · 7 hr · 1.4 mi awayWade the Virgin River through a slot canyon to Big Spring.Sight · 0.3 mi awayWeeping RockA short climb to a dripping alcove and hanging garden.
Sight · 0.8 mi awayBig BendBig Bend frames the Great White Throne above the Virgin River.
Sight · 0.8 mi awayObservation PointAngels Landing shrinks below a sweeping view down the canyon.
Sight · 0.8 mi awayAngels LandingA half-day summit hike, ending on a narrow ridge with chains.Sight · 1 mi awayScout LookoutA natural turnaround for Zion Canyon views before Angels Landing.
Picnic area · 1.1 mi awayThe GrottoA shaded picnic break with a Virgin River view and trail access.
Sight · 1.4 mi awayTemple of SinawavaThe Virgin River opens into a natural sandstone amphitheater.
Food · 1.7 mi awayCastle Dome CaféA handy café for quick meals and picnic supplies.Parkwolf’s Zion ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
