West Rim and Telephone Canyon Loop

The 15.3-mile West Rim and Telephone Canyon route is a full-day hike from The Grotto. It climbs the West Rim to Cabin Spring, circles the high plateau by way of Telephone Canyon and the scenic rim, then retraces the lower trail. Allow about nine hours and expect roughly 4,200 feet of climbing. The reward is variety: a steep canyon approach, a cool ravine, a quieter plateau, and long views over North Creek and Zion Canyon. It suits fit hikers ready for an all-day outing, high open ridges, and a steep descent. The upper circuit is gentler than the climb, but it adds several miles after you are already high; if that commitment is too much, Scout Lookout is a natural shorter turnaround.

At The Grotto, cross the road and river bridge and start climbing. Switchbacks steepen toward Refrigerator Canyon, where the grade eases briefly before Walter’s Wiggles climb to Scout Lookout. Take the West Rim branch; Angels Landing turns off to the right and is a separate hike. Past Scout Lookout, the path follows a narrow ridge between Refrigerator Canyon and Zion Canyon; signs mark a short slickrock section. Around 2.7 miles in, it drops about 250 feet to a hidden valley, crosses a ravine on a bridge, and climbs Mount Majestic’s north slope. That shaded hillside is cooler and moister, with Douglas fir, ponderosa pine and deciduous shrubs. A saddle above Behunin Canyon leads to long switchbacks up the south face of Horse Pasture Plateau and Cabin Spring.

At Cabin Spring, follow Telephone Canyon north to Potato Hollow, then take the West Rim south to close the upper circuit. The canyon is a broad, gently sloping drainage with ponderosa pines, open grassland and oak scrub. Its thin woodland is recovering from a 2007 wildfire, so expect a quieter, more open stretch after the steep climb rather than another run of sheer canyon walls. Potato Hollow is the turn toward the rim, not a destination in itself.

The West Rim leg swings south along high points above North Creek, Right Fork North Creek and Phantom Valley. Look for sandstone pinnacles and buttes above the deep creek cuts; farther south, the West and East Temples, Towers of the Virgin and Mount Majestic appear from a different angle. Pine groves and designated campsites break up the open rim. Near Cathedral Mountain, diagonal cross-bedding in the Navajo Sandstone preserves the pattern of ancient moving dunes. Watch for trail signs where the path crosses slickrock.

The upper circuit reconnects at Cabin Spring, but the hike is not finished: the lower approach is the return route too. From Cabin Spring it is about 4.7 miles and 2,500 feet down to The Grotto. Save energy for the descent; trekking poles can help on the steep, switchbacked trail. If all you want is the famous ridge and a view, stop at Scout Lookout instead of continuing to the remote plateau. This route excludes Angels Landing; adding that exposed spur changes the hike and requires its own permit.