I need to offset my substantial website costs somehow! You can download a hike/drive GPX to assist you here. Before sharing my GPX tracks with others, please remember my site is otherwise a free resource.
GPX track added to your cart.
Oct 16, 2023 — During my usual endless hours of trip planning, I realized I never actually hiked up to the West Rim of Zion National Park! Despite my stupid number of days exploring the area, it was a reminder that no matter how much I've done I'll never stop finding new stuff. Fortunately, there are a couple of peaks that helped justify today's mileage. I parked at the visitor center and took the shuttle to the Grotto Trailhead, the wildly popular access point for Angel's Landing and the West Rim Trail.
I hiked the paved trail as it weaved up the base of Angel's Landing and entered Refrigerator Canyon. I ascended Walter's Wiggles and passed Scout Lookout, leaving the majority of hikers behind. The trail continues to ascend through typical Zion scenery characterized by towering sandstone cliffs, then dips down to a footbridge and onward west toward the base of the West Rim. The slickrock here is delightful, as are the views north toward the backcountry. Since I've done this portion of trail more times than I can count, I tried to charge through it all quickly. The fall colors were spectacular as I entered a prominent gully separating Mount Majestic from the West Rim. The trail makes its way to a saddle, Behunin Canyon on its opposite side. It's impressive how early trail builders constructed this section of the hike, a series of deeply carved switchbacks that provide access to the rim above.
After gaining the rim, I stopped at the junction where the West Rim Trail leads left, and the Telephone Canyon Trail goes right. Not only did I want to enjoy this new perspective of one of my favorite places, but a curiosity regarding another peak had been creeping into my mind along the hike so far and I had to decide if I wanted to add it to my itinerary. Though unranked, Gunsight Point looks excellent on a topo map, but I had no information and I knew it could eat a lot of time. I decided to continue along the West Rim Trail just to "check it out". I laid my eyes on its spectacular form separated from the rim by a landbridge. I had to at least try it. I left the West Rim Trail when I was directly north of the peak, taking a steep slope down to a short Class 2+ sandstone cliff band. I merrily continued south on terrain overall clear from brush except for some small maples that lasted a few hundred feet. Really, Gunsight Point is just a nubbin at the end of an earthy peninsula, but the approach to it is truly spectacular. I felt on top of the world.
After gaining some elevation and passing a few pretty pinnacles, I reached the northern end of Gunsight Point, an extended fin of loose-looking sandstone. On my ascent I wrapped around the east side of it, but I'd say this was a less good option. If you want to check it out, this route required a Class 2 side-hilling endeavor that brought me all the way around to the peak's southwest side before a Class 3 slab led to the summit. Alternatively, I recommend keeping to the right of the fin. Here I side-hilled for only about a hundred feet before picking my way up sandy blocks of sandstone and pulling a short Class 3 move up a partially-enclosed face. Past here there was some light bushwhacking to a poor view due to the brush.
I backtracked to the West Rim Trail and continued along this famous and scenic hike overlooking the Zion backcountry toward the difficult-to-access peaks I've fallen in love with, the closest of which are still on my to-do list. The trail leads over Horse Pasture Plateau, the high point of the West Rim Trail. If I wasn't paying attention to where the true high point was, I wouldn't have even noticed it. Enjoying the views, I continued north and was a bit sad when the West Rim Trail bent away from the majesty of the Zion landscape.
Since the trail continues all the way to Lava Point many miles to the north, I needed a logical turn-around spot. The provisionally-named Never Done Mountain made sense, a ranked summit along the rim located just off the trail. I met up with the junction with the Telephone Canyon Trail, keeping left. The trail dropped a few hundred feet, then regained some to reach the eastern slope of Never Done Mountain. From here I left the trail again and weaved around some initial brush. I recommend getting to the rim and sticking to it because it is free of brush, whereas the slope farther to the right is more annoying. Excellent views from up here had me excited to have made the effort to enjoy the West Rim.
I returned to the junction with the Telephone Canyon Trail and rather than backtrack along the West Rim Trail, I took this less well-maintained trail in order to make a partial loop. It's a lot less scenic, but has some nicely forested vibes and the drainage features a pretty meadow. I met back up with the West Rim Trail and headed back the way I came.
Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I'm not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!
Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I'm not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!
