Off-Trail Hiking Routes

Zion and the surrounding area hosts a tremendous number of scenic off-trail hiking routes. While "off-trail" hikes sometimes do have discernible trails, the routes are not maintained, marked trails, and usually involve some route finding. As is common in slickrock country, routes across slickrock are commonly marked with only the occasional rock cairn; these cairns can tumble, or be knocked down by other hikers. On occasion, a big storm or a heavy winter can render an off-trail route undiscernable, making it quite difficult for inexperienced hikers to navigate. While the degree of difficultly may go up a notch here, these adventures can be exciting and scenic, and offer a break from the crowds on more travelled hikes.