West Rim Trail via Lava Point

Starting from Lava Point — one of Zion's best-kept secrets at nearly 7,900 feet — the West Rim Trail rolls through a high-altitude world that feels nothing like the crowded canyon floor below. You'll pass through ponderosa pine forests and open meadows before the landscape cracks open to reveal Wildcat Canyon, a vast chasm most Zion visitors never see. The trail undulates across the plateau with moderate ups and downs, mostly on packed dirt with some rocky stretches, before reaching the rim proper where the views plunge thousands of feet into the main canyon. The full out-and-back is a legit all-day affair with roughly three Empire State Buildings of cumulative climbing. This is the trail for hikers who want Zion's grandeur without Zion's crowds — you might count your fellow hikers on one hand.