Observation Point via East Mesa Trail Zion
7.0 mi
Distance
4 hrs 0 min
Time
terrain
531 ft
Elev Gain
Overview
This is a moderate out and back trail to Menu Falls in Zion National Park.
Sights to See
Rate this Hike
★★★★★
Solo hiked Feb 5 – Spent some serious time debating whether to start this hike from the East Rim TH just inside Zion’s east entrance or to go further east and then up North Fork County Road to Ponderosa Ranch and then northwest to the Stave Spring TH. I had heard recent stories about deep mud at the Stave Spring/East Mesa trailheads but they would cut down the trail miles on a day when I had to drive 480 miles home after the hike. And so I drove the back roads in the early morning darkness and found the mud doable until the actual last 50 feet of deeply rutted downhill mud at the trailhead. Already having seen the myriad of no parking signs posted every 10 feet on Pine Street, I drove about an eighth of a mile east on Pine until I found a dirt lot off the road with no signs or buildings and parked the rental car in shallow mud. Once on the trail, the mud disappeared after 20 minutes and the weather felt more like spring than winter. The trail meanders along the rim of Fiddle Me This Canyon with some really nice vertical overlooks before steeply descending to the bottom of Echo Canyon. Absolutely beautiful route through the canyon with well-cairned slabs/shelves and nice forest that reminded me of past Yosemite/JMT treks. Like another reviewer said, the trail itself is downright fun! After passing the junction with the closed portion of the Weeping Rock Trail, the trail switchbacks up wide shelves with one fallen tree and a washed out section to easily bypass before leveling out for the last stretch to Observation Point. The views from the point overlooking Zion Canyon are spectacular and well worth the effort. The return trip to the trailhead was actually just as much fun as the way in. When I got back to the car, there was a 5 x 7 “Unauthorized Parking” sticker strongly bonded to the driver’s side window that couldn’t be removed with rubbing alcohol and a scraper from my gear bag. I’m a considerate person when it comes to public parking so it was a surprise with nobody else around. After stopping at Walmart for a razor blade and solvent, I got the sticker off while thinking that at least the car wasn’t towed and I didn’t take a direct hit from a salt gun round! Maybe the California plates sent someone over the edge-LOL. Logged 10.0 mi /16.1 km & 2021 ft /616.0 m with Gaia
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Public Tracks
Observation Point - East Mesa Trail
20 minutes late for sun over ridge. Thought 8:00, was more like 7:30
Zion National Park Walk
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/19017024566
Zion National Park Hike
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/17401479408
Observation point
started at east mesa trailhead with kari and jesse
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