Coalpits Wash Trail

Coalpits Wash Trail is a 7.2-mile out-and-back from the UT-9 pull-off west of Rockville to Coal Pits Spring, 3.6 miles each way. The lower wash has a clear path; the upper section leaves the developed tread and follows the drainage to a spring under a rock overhang. Allow about five hours. Choose it if you’re comfortable finding your own way through an unmarked wash; there’s little shade.

Start at the small dirt pull-off on the north side of UT-9 and go through the gate. A well-defined path follows the creek for about 1.7 miles to the Scoggins Wash fork. Take the left branch into Coalpits Wash; Scoggins Wash is the right branch. The clear tread ends around here, and you continue up the wash on durable ground. For a shorter outing, turn at the fork for about 3.4 miles round trip. Routes that continue toward Chinle or loop through Scoggins are different hikes with different distances.

There’s little shade in this open desert, so fall, winter and spring are the sensible seasons. Rain can turn the wash very muddy, and storms upstream can send dangerous water through the drainage and the trailhead pull-off. Don’t enter or park here when storms threaten. Above the fork there’s no developed trail; expect to pick your way around rocks, reeds and occasional water crossings, especially near the spring.

The spring sits beneath a small overhang at the base of a 20- to 25-foot wall, near the Chinle Trail junction. Erosion has undercut the rock into a narrow, slot-like section with reeds. It’s the most distinctive scene on the walk; water flow varies and the spring can dry up, so carry all the water you need and never drink untreated spring or stream water. Don’t bring a dog; pets aren’t allowed in Zion’s wilderness except service animals.

The wash itself is the best place to walk once the tread ends. Dark biological soil crust helps hold this desert soil together, can take 70 to 100 years to form and can be badly damaged by a single footprint. Avoid cutting across it for a shortcut.