View From Weeping Rock
Total Distance: 0.5 miles (0.8 Km)
Elevation Gain: 98 feet (30 meters)
Type: Out and Back
Difficulty: Very Easy
Traffic: Moderate
There is a lot to do in Zion National Park, from wading through the Narrows to climbing over a mile high up to Observation Point. Yet, if one is constrained by time or ability nothing quite beats the simplicity and magic of Weeping Rock.
Weeping Rock measures a mere 0.5 miles, making it by far the shortest hike in the park. However, it what it lacks in length, it makes up for in accessibility, and a great insight into what the park has to offer, and because of this the trail is very often heavily trafficked. You can, appropriately enough, access the Weeping Rock trailhead through the Weeping Rock Parking Lot. The parking lot fills up quickly, especially during the summer, so if you do not want to use the free shuttles that the park has, make sure to get there early to find a spot. As you enter the parking lot you’ll see a bathroom on your left, the trailhead on the right, and directly in front of you an incredible canyon wall shooting straight up and imposing itself on the sky above. At the base you’ll see tall trees growing, and as the farther the wall goes up, you’ll see streaks of moss among the cobbling of red and grey rock with a straggling tree every now and again. I was lucky enough to have gone on a particularly misty day, and the mist wrapped around the rock like smoke giving it an eerily beautiful look.
Elevation Gain: 98 feet (30 meters)
Type: Out and Back
Difficulty: Very Easy
Traffic: Moderate
There is a lot to do in Zion National Park, from wading through the Narrows to climbing over a mile high up to Observation Point. Yet, if one is constrained by time or ability nothing quite beats the simplicity and magic of Weeping Rock.
Weeping Rock measures a mere 0.5 miles, making it by far the shortest hike in the park. However, it what it lacks in length, it makes up for in accessibility, and a great insight into what the park has to offer, and because of this the trail is very often heavily trafficked. You can, appropriately enough, access the Weeping Rock trailhead through the Weeping Rock Parking Lot. The parking lot fills up quickly, especially during the summer, so if you do not want to use the free shuttles that the park has, make sure to get there early to find a spot. As you enter the parking lot you’ll see a bathroom on your left, the trailhead on the right, and directly in front of you an incredible canyon wall shooting straight up and imposing itself on the sky above. At the base you’ll see tall trees growing, and as the farther the wall goes up, you’ll see streaks of moss among the cobbling of red and grey rock with a straggling tree every now and again. I was lucky enough to have gone on a particularly misty day, and the mist wrapped around the rock like smoke giving it an eerily beautiful look.
Looking Up From the Trailhead
The trail is very clearly marked and easy to find from the parking lot, and the park keeps the paved trail well maintained. The short quarter mile up to the rock crosses a few bridges that span over small creeks as they flow down the canyon. Trees curve overhead from growing off the steep sides of the canyon. Although the Clusters of rocks are sprawled over the hills. The incline on the trail itself is gradual and easy to walk. Long grasses, wine-red paintbrush flowers, and mule deer grazing abound in this area. As you finish the quarter mile there are a few metal steps up to Weeping Rock.
The Trail
Paintbrush Flower
The rock itself turns into an alcove, a natural curve in the wall’s foundation. You will immediately notice the breathtaking view, a truly unique perspective of the valley. You’ll see the towers of rock jutting up in their ragged formations, the red rock turning white the higher the towers go. Water pours down, out from Weeping Rock in sheets that look like rain. The perpetual moistness of the rock creates a strikingly green hanging garden on the top of the alcove, and the rock behind you is streaked with black and white stripes after thousands of years of residue. It is easy to lose track of time while you take in all of these views around you.
Weeping Rock
Weeping Rock
Despite the trail being so short and heavily trafficked, I would still recommend this trail be done if done nothing more than a warm up to bigger hikes and to check off yet another trail in Zion National Park. The trail head is close to the start of the East Rim, Hidden Canyon, and Observation Point trails, all of which are worth doing for an avid hiker. Weeping Rock is great for families with young children, first time visitors to Zion National Park, and any explorer wanting to check off another trail on their list.
