Parking
Start at Coalpits Wash Trailhead, a dirt pull-off on the north side of Highway 9 west of Rockville. Parking capacity and fee were not documented.
Overview
About Scoggins Wash Trail
Why go
- The upper wash tightens into a boulder-lined canyon beneath the Towers of the Virgin.
Heads up
- The long return retraces an exposed, lightly marked wash route.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Zion map
Full mapElevation3,675–4,259 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 Scoggins Wash 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 tourMore stories near here in the app
- How a Cottonwood Gets Its Start
- Watchman Campground
- Zion Canyon Visitor Center
- Zion Nature Center
- 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 Scoggins Wash Trail
What the walk isScoggins Wash is a 9.
Scoggins Wash is a 9.4-mile out-and-back from the Coalpits Wash roadside pull-off to the point where Scoggins joins Chinle Trail, then back the same way. That is about 4.7 miles each way; this is the junction hike, not the much longer through-route to Chinle Trailhead. Allow 3 to 6 hours. The long approach pays off if you want to explore the upper wash, but the first miles are open desert travel.
Along the washesFollow the well-defined Coalpits path for almost two miles to the fork, then bear right, east,…
Follow the well-defined Coalpits path for almost two miles to the fork, then bear right, east, into Scoggins Wash. The lower wash is wide, deep and sandy, with few obstacles. Beyond the fork there is no maintained trail: follow durable ground in the drainage and keep a map handy because the route is not consistently marked. About a mile into Scoggins, an Old Scoggins Stock Trail climbs west toward Chinle Trail; its marked start is easy to miss. Skip that spur to stay on the wash route. Farther in, the canyon narrows around boulders and can carry a little seasonal flow. A use path on the west side bypasses the largest boulder set. The wash opens beneath the Towers of the Virgin where it meets Chinle Trail. In wetter periods, look upstream through the boulders for the small seasonal waterfall; don't count on water being present.
Heat, water and accessThere is little shade, and the desert gets extremely hot in summer.
There is little shade, and the desert gets extremely hot in summer. Stay out of the wash when rain threatens because flash floods can run through it. Spring wildflowers are a good seasonal reason to come, but there are no water filling stations or restrooms in this area. Pets are prohibited. Wilderness groups are limited to 12 people sharing an affiliation, and overnight trips need a permit. The route follows the same corridor back to the trailhead.
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.
