4 Hikes To Do in Zion National Park if it Rains

Our road trip from SEDONA to ANTELOPE CANYON to Zion National Park continues. In case you are just getting here I have been sharing this road trip as one of my highlights for 2017. If you want to catch up we started in SEDONA and then on the drive to Zion National Park we toured ANTELOPE CANYON & saw HORSESHOE BEND The drive through the east entrance of the park on our way into Zion National Park was extremely beautiful and it had just snowed. It was February and we planned on winter weather. The whole next day we had planned to hike the main attractions in Zion. It rained.all.day. Even so there was a buzz about the place. People from many countries were on the shuttle and trails and we were all braving the weather. Turns out there are some things to see in Zion that are even more spectacular in the rain.

We stayed at the The Holiday Inn Express in Springdale Utah. The view while eating our breakfast was pretty great. We highly recommend staying here.

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Hiking Zion National Park in the Rain

So after hitting a local gift shop up for their ponchos we drove our little selves to the main parking lot and grabbed the shuttle. It takes you to all the trail heads. We saw 4 of the main attractions. A little tip here. After hiking in the rain all day your boots are going to be covered with red clay. Bring plastic bags to put your boots in at the end of the day and a change of shoes or else your car may never be the same. Here are the trails we braved in the rain and we were honestly stunned by the beauty and uniqueness of Zion.

RIVERSIDE WALK

The first stop was the Riverside Walk. It is known as the gateway to the Narrows. Which is a spectacular slot canyon just like ANTELOPE CANYON but much larger. You cannot hike it in the rain or if there is a threat of rain or if there is rain anywhere around you. It is a very high risk for flash flooding. Check with the visitor center before entering the Narrows. But in the rain you can still take the nice paved Riverside Walk and see the beautiful waterfalls.

The entry to the narrows at the end of the Riverwalk…

The green water of the Virgin River.

WEEPING ROCK

Weeping rock was so cool. You take a short hike to a cutout in the rock where you can stand next to the raging waterfall and water literally weeps off all the surrounding rocks. You get misted but not soaked.

You can view the waterfall from behind…

SHOP the Honey n Hydrangea AMAZON PAGE for my camera and the boots that we used and loved.

EMERALD POOLS TRAIL

I heard the waterfalls come to life in the rain and they were right. The trail was muddy times 1,000. But it is safe in most places and not too narrow. (I hear there are some pretty crazy trails in Zion) Please be very careful and wear proper hiking boots. I even saw some people barefoot. Hmmm.

We hiked all the way to the 3rd pool and it is 3 miles round trip. So very worth it. But my husband climbing up on a slippery rock next to a roaring waterfall in the rain might have caused a little marital discord. LOL.

CANYON OVERLOOK TRAIL

After a nice long soak and a good nights sleep we packed it up and drove to the Canyon Overlook Trail. It is a little hard to find and parking is limited. The parking lot and the trailhead starts off the main road right before (or after depending on which way you are coming) the mile long tunnel. This is another shorter, not difficult hike that has a very rewarding view of Pine Creek Canyon. It will be slippery and muddy so be careful here too, wear proper hiking boots and hold onto those kiddos especially over these sketchy bridges…