The West Rim Trail is the long, mostly-downhill traverse from Zion's high country at Lava Point down to the canyon floor at The Grotto, passing along the rim of the canyon's west wall and intersecting Angels Landing's upper terminus along the way. Most parties do it as a one-way shuttle hike — start high at Lava Point, walk 14 miles, end at the canyon floor — rather than as an out-and-back. It's one of the longer accessible day-or-overnight hikes in the park and one of the few that connects the Kolob Terrace high country to the main canyon.
How the route works
Start at the Lava Point Trailhead on Kolob Terrace Road, accessed from a separate park entrance off UT-9 in Virgin. The trail runs south along the high rim country, with several named features and viewpoints along the way — Cabin Spring, Potato Hollow, the Telephone Canyon overlook. Around the halfway point, the trail begins descending in earnest, and by the lower stretches you're switchbacking down into the main canyon. The trail joins the Angels Landing route at Scout Lookout (the top of Walter's Wiggles) and from there follows the paved Angels Landing approach back down to The Grotto shuttle stop.
The shuttle logistics
You need a way to get from your end-of-hike vehicle to your start-of-hike vehicle. Most parties use one of the Springdale shuttle services that operates Lava Point drop-offs in season. Some parties drive two vehicles (one to Lava Point, one to the Zion South Campground or a Springdale lot). Doing it as a one-way descent is the only practical option for most hikers — the climb back up from the canyon floor adds 3,000 feet of elevation gain to an already-long day, which puts the round trip outside reasonable day-hike range.
What the high country looks like
The West Rim Trail crosses ponderosa pine and gambel oak country at the upper sections, similar in character to the East Rim — high mesa, cool summer temperatures, occasional aspen, completely different vegetation than the canyon floor. Cabin Spring is a real spring with reliable water (treat or filter); Potato Hollow is a high meadow with backcountry campsites; the various named overlooks deliver canyon views from angles most visitors never see.
The descent
The middle and lower sections of the trail begin the long descent into Zion Canyon proper. You drop through several distinct vegetation zones — high pine-oak forest, mid-elevation slickrock benches, lower sandstone cliffs — and the views back into the canyon become progressively more dramatic. The traverse along the rim above Angels Landing is one of the better walking experiences in the park. By the time you reach Scout Lookout, you've descended about 3,000 feet from Lava Point.
Going further to Angels Landing
If you have an Angels Landing permit, you can continue from Scout Lookout up the chains to the summit and back, adding another mile and the chain experience to the day. Without the permit, you turn at Scout Lookout and continue down Walter's Wiggles to The Grotto.
Backcountry camping
The West Rim Trail has designated backcountry campsites that can be reserved through the Zion wilderness permit system. Permits are limited and competitive in the high seasons. Doing the trail as a two-day overnight is more comfortable than as a single 14-mile day, and the high-country campsites are some of the better backcountry spots in the park.
Heat and seasonality
The high country is cool through summer; the descent into the canyon hits peak heat in the lower elevations. Spring and fall are the best windows. Winter snow at Lava Point closes the trailhead access; the lower sections of the trail can have ice through April. Late May through October is the practical season.
Where it fits
The West Rim Trail is the long-distance Zion experience for serious hikers. It's the trail that connects the park's two main areas (Kolob Terrace and the main canyon) on foot. For backpackers, it's a real two-day route with reservable campsites. For day hikers, it's a long shuttle with one of the best climbing-down-into-Zion-Canyon experiences in the park. Pair with an Angels Landing summit if you've drawn the permit; without the permit, the descent into The Grotto is the natural conclusion.