Flanked by 2,000-foot sandstone cliffs and the world’s largest sandstone monolith, this 15.5-miler rolls through Zion National Park offering easy access to road-side hikes along the way.
Beginning at the Visitor Center near Zion’s south entrance, you’ll share the first 1.8 miles of this ride with day hikers and dog-walkers on the Pa’rus Trail. Its wide, paved surface is interrupted by five Virgin River bridges and a short dirt segment, but it’s an easy trail for cyclists of all levels.
At mile 1.8, you’ll join the Zion Canyon Road; its red-tinted surface is closed to private traffic between March and November (but during summer months you’ll share the 2-lanes with shuttle buses. Note that buses are prohibited from passing moving cyclists, so consider pulling over occasionally to allow them to pass. The easy climb levels near the Court of the Patriarchs but begins rolling gently again near mile 5, topping out 500 feet above the Visitor Center at the Temple of Sinawava.
Along the way, you’ll pass several easy-access hiking trails (good reason to ride with sneakers or recessed cleats), including Court of the Patriarchs, Zion Lodge, Weeping Rock, Big Bend and the end-of-the road Temple of Sinawava. All of these trailheads have hikes or viewpoints that take only require a short detour from the ride.
-Mapped by Kristy Holland
TO TRAILHEAD: Just north of the Zion National Park's South entrance, turn right into the Zion Visitors Center parking area.
Position Format:
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Tracks
Zion Canyon Road
Distance: 15.48 mi
Points: 350
Calories: none
Total Time: none
Speed: 0.0 mph
Pace: 0:00 / mi
Active Time: none
Speed: 0.0 mph
Pace: 0:00 / mi
Points of Interest
ZCR001
Location: 37.201091, -112.986778
This ride begins at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center. Interpretive displays and a couple of large relief maps offer an intro to the park's stunning geology. There is parking here, but the lots fill up regularly during the summer. You can avoid parking hassles in the park by riding your bike, or catching the free shuttle in Springdale.
ZCR002
Location: 37.201771, -112.986815
Watch for traffic on the busy 2-lane road near the Visitor Center. This first 100-200 yards is likely to be the busiest section of your ride. You'll turn north just after the bridge onto the vehicle-traffic-free Pa'rus Trail.
ZCR003
Location: 37.204190, -112.980717
You'll pass restrooms and drinking water in the north end of the South Campground. The next place to find either is at the Zion Lodge, 6.5 miles away.
ZCR004
Location: 37.206124, -112.979922
Stay straight on the paved path across this service-road junction. You'll cross the first of five Pa'rus Trail pedestrian bridges and bypass a dirt spur trail that leads west to the Human History Museum.
ZCR005
Location: 37.216147, -112.975030
Between the Pa'rus Trail's last two bridges, this short dirt section of the trail is hard-packed and easy to ride. It's only about 100 yards long and it's the only dirt you'll encounter.
ZCR006
Location: 37.217582, -112.974828
The bike path dips below US-9 before a short climb to the canyon road. Starting your ride here, at Canyon Junction, will shave 3 miles from its length, but limited parking in this small, crowded lot can make this an unrealistic access point for cyclists who aren't using the park's shuttle service.
ZCR007
Location: 37.228227, -112.966050
About 0.5 miles north of Canyon Junction you'll pass the rubble from a 1995 landslide that diverted the Virgin River and washed out the Canyon Road overnight. More than 400 people were stuck at the Zion Lodge for the 22 hours it took to carve an alternative route around the slide.
ZCR008
Location: 37.236974, -112.960932
There are no services at the Court of the Patriarchs, but a short, steep hiking trail leads 50-yard to a Sentinel and Three Patriarchs viewpoint.
ZCR009
Location: 37.251610, -112.956749
The Park's only restaurant and cafeteria are at the Zion Lodge. If you stop here, plan to buy a cold drink and spend a few minutes in the gift shop.
ZCR010
Location: 37.259060, -112.950053
The Grotto has restrooms, water and a large picnic area. This shuttle stop is also the trailhead for the park's iconic 4-hour hike to Angel's Landing. Just north of here you'll pass beneath the world's largest sandstone monolith, the Great White Throne, on your right.
ZCR011
Location: 37.270979, -112.939196
There is no drinking water at Weeping Rock, but the 0.5-mile round-trip hike to it's namesake feature makes a great 20-minute detour. With water dripping from the sandstone alcove year-round, it can also be a great way to cool off. This area does have pit toilets as well.
ZCR012
Location: 37.273097, -112.946277
There are no trails or services at this Big Bend shuttle stop, but it's flanked by Cathedral Mountain, Angel's Landing, the Organ, Observation Point, Cable Mountain and views of the Great White Throne. This spot has some of the best views in the canyon.
ZCR013
Location: 37.285185, -112.947435
This ride's turnaround is at the end of the sweeping right-hand turn into the Temple of Sinawava. Though this is the end of the road, there are bike racks and restroom facilities here, and a worthwhile hike leads 1-mile farther up the canyon toward The Narrows.
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