Parking
East Rim Trailhead is on Zion-Mount Carmel Highway, about 100 feet west of the East Entrance fee booths.
Overview
About East Rim Trail to Jolley Gulch Viewpoint
Why go
- The canyon head opens suddenly from the rim.
Heads up
- Soft sand and sun make the climb slower than the mileage suggests.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Zion map
Full mapElevation5,724–6,221 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Zion alerts
- CautionLarge-vehicle limits on Zion–Mount Carmel HighwayMentions Mount Carmel Highway, referenced in this guideVehicles exceeding Zion–Mount Carmel Highway size or weight limits cannot travel between Canyon Junction and the East Entrance; measure your vehicle and plan an alternate route if it exceeds any…Official details
- CautionToxic cyanobacteria in Zion waterwaysDo not drink Zion in-stream water, submerge your head, or touch or ingest algae mats; cyanobacteria can produce harmful toxins.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Zion Tour Guide
Your drive to East Rim Trail to Jolley Gulch Viewpoint, narrated.
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 trailhead
East Rim Trailhead and Jolley Gulch0:00 / 0:25
“East Rim Trailhead is ahead, where I'd choose the walk to Jolley Gulch for a canyon view without the longer trek to Stave Spring.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Zion Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Checkerboard Mesa
- Checkerboard Mesa Canyon
- A Desert Turned to Stone
- Clear Creek Wash
- 45 audio storiesacross Zion’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor California Condor, Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Lion, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 54 trails, 36 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking East Rim Trail to Jolley Gulch Viewpoint
A shorter East Rim out-and-backThis is a 5.
This is a 5.8-mile round trip from East Rim Trailhead to the signed Jolley Gulch viewpoint and back. The route follows the East Rim Trail and climbs about 550 feet cumulatively through sandy, unpaved country. Allow about 3½ hours. It is a good choice for a quieter east-side hike if you want a canyon-rim view without continuing toward Stave Spring. Follow the East Rim signs to Jolley Gulch and turn around there; the separate bottom-up wash hike leaves the established trail.
The climbThe approach climbs onto the plateau.
The approach climbs onto the plateau. The first three miles are especially dry and sunny, and soft sand can make the uphill feel slower than the mileage suggests. There is no water-filling station at the trailhead, so arrive with what you need. Start at East Rim Trailhead on Zion-Mount Carmel Highway, about 100 feet west of the East Entrance fee booths.
At Jolley GulchThe payoff is a sudden view into a deep, undercut canyon head.
The payoff is a sudden view into a deep, undercut canyon head. Stay well back from the rim; the walls fold in sharply and the bottom may not be visible. Water has been photographed spilling over the sandstone lip, but Jolley Gulch is intermittent, so do not count on a waterfall. Pets are prohibited on Zion wilderness trails. Groups of more than 12 people sharing an affiliation cannot split up to use the same wilderness trail or drainage that day, and overnight camping requires a wilderness permit.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Zion
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.
