Parking
Start at Lee Pass Trailhead on Kolob Canyons Road. Parking capacity and fees were not verified. Arrange a ride to Lee Pass and an exit from The Grotto before starting; the two ends are far apart.
Overview
About Trans-Zion Trek
Why go
- Links Kolob's creek canyons, high plateau forests and Zion Canyon in one trek.
- The point-to-point route brings a different landscape with each day's walk.
Heads up
- Three or four days of permits, campsites and transport need advance planning.
- Water sources are unreliable, with no fill stations along the route.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Zion map
Full mapElevation4,337–7,346 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
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 Trans-Zion Trek, 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
Lee Pass and Kolob Arch0:00 / 0:29
“Lee Pass Trailhead is ahead, the starting point for a long canyon walk to Kolob Arch. Plan on a strenuous fourteen-mile round trip taking seven to nine hours, with red cliffs and La Verkin Creek along the way.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Zion Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- South Fork of Taylor Creek
- Taylor Creek and Double Arch Alcove
- Kolob Canyons Viewpoint
- A Songbird Underwater
- 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 Trans-Zion Trek
A through-hike with a real end planThe Trans-Zion Trek is about 37 miles one way, from Lee Pass Trailhead in Kolob Canyons to The…
The Trans-Zion Trek is about 37 miles one way, from Lee Pass Trailhead in Kolob Canyons to The Grotto in Zion Canyon. It links La Verkin Creek, Hop Valley, Connector, Wildcat Canyon and the scenic West Rim in a north-to-south crossing. Plan three to four days and sort out transport to both ends before you start. Overnight hikers need a Zion Wilderness permit and a campsite itinerary; the park limits groups to 12.
La Verkin Creek and Hop ValleyFrom Lee Pass, the route winds through open Kolob canyons, then drops on hard-packed trail to…
From Lee Pass, the route winds through open Kolob canyons, then drops on hard-packed trail to La Verkin Creek. It follows the creek below red cliffs, with a few crossings that can be difficult after heavy rain. Kolob Arch is a separate side trip, not part of the through-route distance.
Hop Valley changes the footing: the trail descends into a flat, sandy valley enclosed by high walls. Sand can turn wet and muddy, and cattle use parts of the valley near private inholdings. That matters for water planning as well as pace.
The Connector and Wildcat CanyonThe Connector leaves the valley for slickrock and ponderosa forest, with views over upper…
The Connector leaves the valley for slickrock and ponderosa forest, with views over upper Coalpits Wash and a climb below Pine Valley Peak. Wildcat Canyon then wanders through pine woods and open meadows before reaching the canyon rim. The view drops into Wildcat Canyon; after crossing the rim country, the trail climbs gently to meet the West Rim.
Over the West Rim and down to The GrottoThe high section passes Potato Hollow and Phantom Valley, with broad views into canyons on both…
The high section passes Potato Hollow and Phantom Valley, with broad views into canyons on both sides. Follow the scenic West Rim route rather than the Telephone Canyon shortcut. At Cabin Spring, the character changes fast: the trail loses about 2,500 feet in 4.7 miles on a steep descent through pale cliffs, much of it cut into the rock or paved. It is a demanding finish after several days on foot. The route ends at The Grotto in Zion Canyon.
Why the scenery keeps changingYou move from creekside cliffs and sandy canyon floor to high forest, open plateau and Zion's…
You move from creekside cliffs and sandy canyon floor to high forest, open plateau and Zion's deep main canyon. The park's exposed rock layers were deposited roughly 110 to 270 million years ago; uplift and the Virgin River later carved the cliffs and canyons the route crosses. Ponderosa pine, quaking aspen and mixed conifer mark the higher country.
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.
