Connector Trail

The Connector Trail is exactly what it sounds like — a linking path through Zion's quieter northwest corner — but don't mistake utility for boring. This five-mile one-way route threads between Hop Valley and the Wildcat Canyon/Northgate Peaks trail system across open sandstone slickrock and through stands of ponderosa pine that smell like butterscotch on a warm afternoon. The elevation change is gentle, roughly the equivalent of climbing a 40-story building spread over the entire distance, so your legs get a reprieve compared to Zion's canyon-floor-to-rim punishers. You'll cross patches of bare rock where cairns and worn sandstone guide the way, with views dropping into the upper Coal Pits drainage that most Zion visitors never see. This trail rewards the route-builder — hikers who love stitching together longer point-to-point or loop days through backcountry that feels nothing like the Angel's Landing crowds.