Hidden Canyon

Hidden Canyon was one of Zion’s harder day hikes — a chains-and-exposure route up the east canyon wall to a hanging slot canyon high above the Virgin River. The trailhead branched off the same approach as Observation Point at Weeping Rock, and the upper sections used anchored chains similar to Angels Landing. The 2019 rockfall on the East Rim Trail closed the access route, and Hidden Canyon has been closed alongside it since.

Why it’s a stub

Until the NPS reopens access, Hidden Canyon isn’t a hike anyone can legally do. The Weeping Rock shuttle stop and the lower trailhead remain closed. There is no East Mesa-style alternate route — Hidden Canyon’s only access was via the East Rim Trail. This page exists as a placeholder so visitors searching for the trail find current status rather than out-of-date guidance.

What the trail was

When open, Hidden Canyon was a 2.4-mile round-trip with steep switchbacks, exposed traverses with chains, and a payoff in a quiet hanging canyon that most Zion visitors never reached. The trail’s cult appeal was that it had Angels Landing’s exposure and chains in a much shorter, less-crowded package. The slot canyon at the top held a small natural arch and seasonal pools.

What to do instead

For the same canyon-rim view that Hidden Canyon was on the way to, take the East Mesa Trail to Observation Point — a longer drive in but a comparable elevation reach without the rockfall hazard. For chains-and-exposure experience, Angels Landing is the open alternative (with the lottery permit). For a slot canyon experience inside the park, the Narrows from the bottom-up gives you the headline canyon walls.

Where it fits

Hidden Canyon is the trail people remember from previous Zion trips and ask about when planning their next visit. The closure has held for years and the NPS’s posture suggests it’s not reopening soon. Until that changes, the trail is on the list of “trails Zion used to have” rather than current itinerary candidates.