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East Rim Hikes Observation Point Echo Canyon Cable Mountain & Deer Trap Mountain Trails East Entrance Trail Park Hikes CanyonOverlook Trail Angel's Landing and Scout Lookout Trails Lower and Upper Emerald Pools Trails Gateway to the Narrows Trail
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East Rim Hikes Observation Point Echo Canyon Cable Mountain & Deer Trap Mountain Trails East Entrance Trail Park Hikes CanyonOverlook Trail Angel's Landing and Scout Lookout Trails Lower and Upper Emerald Pools Trails Gateway to the Narrows Trail
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Zion
Ponderosa's proximity to Zion National Park allows for some of the best
year-round hiking in the United States. On dry days, guests can hike
many of the Park's East Rim trails that border the ranch. On snowy days,
guest can choose to hike at the lower elevations in the bottom of the
Park, or to strap on our new high performance snowshoes and tackle the
powder! 
This
hike begins on the East Mesa trail, 3 miles North of the Echo Canyon
trail head. After a lengthy walk (2.5 miles) along the wooded trail,
hikers take the scenic � mile detour to 'The Point'. Observation Point
offers a 270 degree panoramic view of Angels Landing, Scout Lookout,
the Temple of Sinawava, and the Virgin River. After returning from the
point, hikers soon merge with the switchbacks of the Echo Canyon trail
and the hike ends at Weeping Rock. This lengthy 7mile hike is demanding
but spectacular, and considering by many to offer the best view in Zion.
Most of the hike is on exposed redrock. Hikers will be picked up five
hours after beginning the hike. 
Hikers
are transported through Zion Ponderosa Ranch, and are dropped off at
the Park fence. This clearly marked trail takes hikers through Echo
Canyon. Echo Canyon is known for its switchbacks that descend 2,100
feet over the course of the hike. The trail has sheer cliffs and impressive
views of Angel's Landing in the center of the canyon. The hike ends
at the Weeping Rock parking lot. Hikers are recommended to hike the
additional � mile to Weeping Rock, a wall of sandstone that boasts lush
vegetation nurtured by the continuous exposed Navajo Sandstone Aquifer
that seeps from the fractured bedrock. Shuttle service will meet hikers
in the parking lot, four hours after beginning the hike. 
These
hikes offer the visitor some of the most spectacular views in the Park.
Both trails are round trip in that they begin at the Echo Canyon drop
off point, but rather than descend to the bottom of Zion Canyon as does
the Echo trail, they end at sheer cliffs which overlook the canyon.
Cable Mountain is approximately 8 miles for the round trip. Visitors
will see the remains of the old bulwarks of a pioneer logging operation
that transported lumber 2,200 feet straight down to the canyon floor.
The view from Cable Mountain includes the Great White Throne, Angels
Landing, Observation Point, and the west rim of the Park. The Deertrap
Mountain trail splits off the Cable Mountain trail at the mid-point.
This trail is approximately 9 miles round trip and includes views of
The Court of the Patriarchs, Twin Brothers, and East Temple. Both of
these hikes end back at the drop off point. Visitors will be picked
up five hours after beginning the hike. 
This
three mile hike is accessed through Jolley Gulch on the ranch. It is
easy walking and has one short ascent, midway through the hike. After
walking for nearly a mile through the wooded gulch, hikers cross into
the Park, then immediately emerge into a spectacular clearing that overlooks
the deep White Cliff Canyon. The trail continues for two more miles,
circling into Cave Canyon and Clear Creek Wash. Hikers are offered an
unbelievable view of Checkerboard Mesa throughout most of the hike.
The trail ends just opposite the East entrance of the Ranger station.
A shuttle van will meet hikers here, approximately two hours after beginning
the hike. 
This
hike is available year-round. Hikers begin the hike adjacent to the
east entrance of the mile long tunnel in the Park. A short ascent takes
hikers to a scenic trail used for surveying the tunnel construction
in the 1920s. This one-hour hike offers beautiful views of the park
and can be enjoyed by most visitors to the Park. 
Scout
Lookout is a paved trail that ascends over 1,000 feet to the base of
the Angel's Landing rock formation. Hikers get an impressive view of
the Great White Throne and the big bend section of the Virgin River.
Walter Wiggles is a popular section of the hike with tight switchbacks
and rock walls. Most of the trail is exposed red rock, so careful hiking
on the slippery trails is required in the non-summer months. Angel's
Landing is the rugged, � mile sandstone spire that extends from the
Scout Lookout plateau. Hikers are required to use chains that have been
fastened to the rock to be able to ascend this section. Cliffs are sheer
so acrophobics beware! The hike finishes on a panoramic, 270 degree
plateau-The Landing. This hike is also exposed red rock so take plenty
of water and plan hiking times accordingly. 
These
hike are very popular and can be visited by a wide variety of guests.
The hike to the Lower Pool is a concrete path accessible for wheelchairs
and strollers. The path to the upper pool is rocky and more demanding.
Hikers can experience some of the diversity of Zion during these short
hikes as the trail winds from redrock, to trees, to the pools. Once
at the pools, hikers must take extreme caution because footing can be
slippery and serious accidents can occur. 
This
paved hike begins at the Temple of Sinawava parking lot deep in the
heart of Zion Canyon. Hikers walk along the Virgin River as it meanders
out of the Zion Narrows. Zion's lush vegetation is abundant in this
section of the Park. As hikers walk up the trail, they will pass one
of the only desert swamps in the western United States. The trail ends
at the Virgin River. 
Guests
of the resort will be offered a unique experience as they try snowshoeing.
East Zion Adventures use new, high tech snowshoes that are extremely
light and comfortable. Snowshoeing allows guests to get out into nature
even when the snow is deep. Guest can snowshoe to some of the most scenic
overlooks in the Park. Use of snowshoes is included for our all-inclusive
guests. 