Parking
Start at the Court of the Patriarchs up-canyon shuttle stop (#4). Cross the road to the wooden steps down to the trail; no trailhead parking capacity details were found.
Overview
About Sand Bench Trail
Why go
- A rare walk across an ancient landslide beneath Zion’s sandstone walls.
Heads up
- Very soft sand, steep climbing, and little shade add up.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Zion map
Full mapElevation4,239–4,760 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Zion alerts
- 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
- ClosureWatchman Trail closed for repairsWatchman Trail is closed pending repairs; do not enter the trail and choose another hike. Check current park conditions before setting out.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Zion Tour Guide
Your drive to Sand Bench Trail, 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
Court of the Patriarchs0:00 / 0:26
“Up ahead is Court of the Patriarchs, a quick stop for three sandstone peaks named Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Zion Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Zion Lodge and Emerald Pools
- Fish Built for a Rough River
- Lower Pine Creek Falls
- How the Canyon Gets Wider
- 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 Sand Bench Trail
A sandy loop with a real climbSand Bench Trail is a 3.9-mile round-trip loop from the Court of the Patriarchs up-canyon stop.
Sand Bench Trail is a 3.9-mile round-trip loop from the Court of the Patriarchs up-canyon stop. It follows the Virgin River before climbing onto an old landslide bench, with Zion's sandstone cliffs above the route. Allow about two to four hours; roughly 1,038 feet of climbing and soft, shifting tread make this feel longer than the mileage suggests. Published mileage is inconsistent: the Court loop assessment is 3.9 miles, while route directions say a loop-only walk can be closer to 5. Check that your map follows the Court loop described here.
Find the loop from stop 4From the up-canyon shuttle stop, cross the road and take the wooden steps down to the sandy…
From the up-canyon shuttle stop, cross the road and take the wooden steps down to the sandy trail. At the junction, the up-canyon turn heads toward Zion Lodge; continue back toward the Court of the Patriarchs to take the longer loop. The route first runs beside the Virgin River, then climbs the landslide. Most of the assessed loop is very soft sand, with steep stretches and a seasonal creek crossing.
Across the old landslideThe eastern side is rockier, with boulders and views down to the canyon road.
The eastern side is rockier, with boulders and views down to the canyon road. The western side opens across the broad landslide and back toward the Court of the Patriarchs. This is a walk for the changing shape of the bench and its big cliff backdrop; don't expect a shaded riverside stroll once the climb begins.
The bench is the remnant of a massive rockfall that dammed the Virgin River about 8,000 years ago, creating a lake that reached as far as Angels Landing. The trail lets you walk across that old slide rather than just look at it from the canyon road.
Sand, sun, and the creekThe trail has little shade, and soft sand makes every climb more work.
The trail has little shade, and soft sand makes every climb more work. In hot weather, start early and carry water; in winter, watch for ice. The creek crossing changes with the season and may require shallow-water wading. Commercial horses use the trail from March through October, so give them room. Dogs are not allowed.
Water and restrooms are available at Zion Lodge, off the Court loop. The Court-to-Lodge route is a separate 1.5-mile one-way walk if you want a shorter point-to-point option; plan how you'll get back to your starting stop.
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.
