Getting to Zion’s Observation Point: The Easy Way

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  • čas přidán 7. 11. 2020
  • Of all the wonderful places to hike and visit in Zion National Park, only one destination offers a spectacular view looking down the length of Zion Canyon. That destination is Observation Point. This virtual hike shows how to get there the easy way (no climbing).
    Read full article at www.backroadswest.com/blog/zio...
    Gaia GPS app discount codes: www.gaiagps.com/discounts/?fp...
    #zion
    #zionnationalpark
    #utah
    #inutah
    #hikes

Komentáře • 71

  • @DocRock71
    @DocRock71 Před 8 měsíci +1

    Not much for hiking anymore, but I did this hike in late April 2021, and it was most amazing hike and view I've ever seen with my own eyes, besides the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon. I was 59 at the time, with mild COPD, so no way I'd ever make the Weeping Rock trail. Found this option and went for it on a solo hike, where the trailhead to Observation Point is almost 7 and a half miles roundtrip, which was the longest nature hike I've ever done, except in my 20s in the military. I was so proud of making this hike, at 6500 feet elevation, 85 degrees, in not the best physical shape. It was a bit tough, especially some of the hike back, mostly on my lower back, but SO, SO worth it! I hope to make it again one day with some other hikers next time!

  • @everintransit4240
    @everintransit4240 Před 3 lety +2

    What a tour! The graphics in this video are awesome. Thank you so much.

  • @CityWalks
    @CityWalks Před 3 lety +4

    🍎👍 Very cool. Loved looking up from
    the road but looking out from above is so cool. Stunning images and video. Thanks for sharing . -H

  • @lilyianlee3404
    @lilyianlee3404 Před 3 lety +2

    Best video of all the ones we watched! It answered every question I had. Very detailed, excellent directions, and great explanations throughout! Thank you for your hard work!! Beautiful pictures!

    • @BackRoadsWest1
      @BackRoadsWest1  Před 3 lety

      Thanks for the great complements and thanks for commenting.

  • @HangLe-ym5hf
    @HangLe-ym5hf Před 2 lety

    The most detailed video I've ever seen. Thank you very much. God bless!!!

  • @raymondrichter2620
    @raymondrichter2620 Před 3 lety

    Just stunning!

  • @david.e.miller
    @david.e.miller Před rokem

    This hike is on my bucket list!

  • @mssixty3426
    @mssixty3426 Před 3 lety

    Excellent video, scenery, detailed map, roads, trail, flora and fauna information included, along with nice music 😃

  • @anneblack9073
    @anneblack9073 Před 3 lety

    This was so helpful and interesting! Thank you!

  • @donnaashenberg2718
    @donnaashenberg2718 Před 2 lety

    Excellent video....planning to do this hike next week and your tips and careful explanation for everything I need to know is much appreciated....

  • @nik_P1000
    @nik_P1000 Před 3 lety

    Going this Fall and this video was incredibly helpful! Thank you 😊

  • @Wanna.Wander
    @Wanna.Wander Před 3 lety

    that red rock is just fantastic!💜I wish I had a gimble... your vids are so smooth💜I wanna do that west rim trail and the walking river trail

  • @danielkirk3187
    @danielkirk3187 Před 3 lety +2

    Beautiful! Well done... inspiring me to get off my butte and go there!

  • @scarletz6720
    @scarletz6720 Před rokem

    thanks for sharing.

  • @iguillo
    @iguillo Před 3 lety +3

    I did this trail two weeks ago. It was great to be able to forego the 2000 ft elevation gain on the trail from Weeping Rock (although, like he said that trail is currently closed anyway).

  • @hollyanderson8426
    @hollyanderson8426 Před 3 lety +2

    Love this video! I've been wondering how that path was for years. Zion is my favorite place on earth.

    • @BackRoadsWest1
      @BackRoadsWest1  Před 3 lety

      Thanks for commenting. Glad you enjoyed it. It's been really nice here lately (like yesterday) as the flash floods and mud slides have scared away the tourists and left cool temps. No damage, just a great park with much smaller crowds than last year :-)

  • @bbsquared100
    @bbsquared100 Před 2 lety

    Thank you for the reply

  • @taylorbates5669
    @taylorbates5669 Před 2 měsíci

    A chipmunk stole my cookie at the amazing viewpoint lol. Great view though!

  • @johnbarbuto5387
    @johnbarbuto5387 Před rokem

    Very well done. 😁

  • @JohnGetchel
    @JohnGetchel Před 3 lety

    Really enjoy your videos! So much great information. I just did this hike a few days ago and didn't even know about the side canyon views. Oh well just another reason to go back.

    • @BackRoadsWest1
      @BackRoadsWest1  Před 3 lety +1

      Yea, good reason to go back. I just walked past the other the end of one of the side canyons yesterday.

    • @r4ym1n13
      @r4ym1n13 Před 3 lety

      Was the access road tough to drive on ? thanks

    • @JohnGetchel
      @JohnGetchel Před 3 lety

      @@r4ym1n13 Only the last 1/2 mile or so requires high ground clearance but it has snowed and rained since I was there so it may be a mud bog now. But again that's only the last bit before the trailhead.

    • @r4ym1n13
      @r4ym1n13 Před 3 lety +1

      @@JohnGetchel crap ! Cause I have a small toyota corolla which makes me worried. I plan to visit this monday through wednesday. Thanks for the heads up

  • @TrenTonStackZ
    @TrenTonStackZ Před 8 měsíci +1

    Now the only way to get here due to the private owned lots outside the East Mesa entrance is via shuttle bus at Zion Ponderosa ($5 but it's only goes once a day and requires reservation)

  • @cassiebolz8924
    @cassiebolz8924 Před 3 lety

    Loved this video! I am planning on doing this hike first week of May, so the same time this was filmed. What was the weather like? Did you see many others on the trail?

    • @BackRoadsWest1
      @BackRoadsWest1  Před 3 lety

      You just never know. Two weekends ago it was 70. Last weekend we had 3" of snow. And we live outside of Zion where it's 3500' elevation - Obsv Pt is almost 6000'. You don't want to drive that road a few weeks after a rain or snow storm. Two years ago, we had snow on Memorial weekend. Good luck!

  • @malakangel9322
    @malakangel9322 Před 3 lety

    Thank you so much for sharing this information and didn't know there's another way! Can a FWD go to that dirt road in summer? Thanks

    • @BackRoadsWest1
      @BackRoadsWest1  Před 3 lety

      You're welcome and thank you for commenting. When you say FWD, do you mean front wheel or 4-wheel? Regardless, in the summer, you need high-clearance, otherwise the vehicle's undercarriage will be scraped, possibly damaged.

  • @cvasqueza321
    @cvasqueza321 Před 3 lety

    Great video this was very helpful!! One question Can a SUV like Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, or a Toyota RAV4(basically any mid size SUV) be able to drive through the dirt road that leads to this trail?

    • @BackRoadsWest1
      @BackRoadsWest1  Před 3 lety

      Thank you. We actually went there in a RAV4 once, but it was sketchy. I returned later in a 4Runner - no problem. Bottom line, you need high ground clearance. And don't even attempt it if the roads are muddy.

  • @bbsquared100
    @bbsquared100 Před 2 lety

    Great video, answered a ton of questions / great pics and video. What camera are you using? Thanks for posting

    • @BackRoadsWest1
      @BackRoadsWest1  Před 2 lety

      Glad you enjoyed! Used a Canon T4i and GoPro Hero 6 on a Karma gimbal.

  • @madisonhursh9593
    @madisonhursh9593 Před 3 lety

    So informative! We're planning on going this weekend! Are there any areas to park our car before we walk to the trailhead?

    • @BackRoadsWest1
      @BackRoadsWest1  Před 3 lety

      Thank you! What you saw in the video is where you can park. Probably 15 spaces or so, not sure.

  • @Whocares.........
    @Whocares......... Před 3 lety +1

    Took the walk down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon! I’m still tired. So good to rest!

  • @r4ym1n13
    @r4ym1n13 Před 3 lety

    Excellent info. We plan on doing this in a few days. Is that road driveable now ? Thank you

    • @BackRoadsWest1
      @BackRoadsWest1  Před 3 lety +1

      Don't know, I haven't been there since Oct 1. What you see in the video is probably close to what it will be until a major snowfall, which can happen anytime until May 2021.

  • @rs779
    @rs779 Před rokem

    I have now seen a few of your videos in preparation for a couple of weeks in Utah. Great help and VERY well done. Wow! Super detailed and helpful. A couple of questions 1) at Zion would you do the Observation Point hike or the Scout Lookout hike, or both? 2) I see your recommendation for Gaaia - thanks, if I go that route, will use your link. Have you compared it to AllTrails? Looking at paid subscription and cost is not really the issue. Using iOS.

    • @BackRoadsWest1
      @BackRoadsWest1  Před rokem

      Thank you. Glad you're finding them useful. The Observation Point trail is now open from the bottom - it just opened 2 weeks ago. Obs Pt will probably be inaccessible for a few months because of the snow. Hopefully your trip is after April. Gaia GPS and AllTrails is owned by the same company. Remember, you get what you pay for. Gaia has 80 map layers you can't get without paying a fee. AllTrails relies on their users for data, which typically is not good quality.

    • @rs779
      @rs779 Před rokem

      @@BackRoadsWest1 Gaia it is! Not sure my wife and I can manage the bottom up OP trail (70 and 65 yrs old!). Thoughts? There Apr 29-30

    • @BackRoadsWest1
      @BackRoadsWest1  Před rokem

      @@rs779 just take it slow. I took an 80 & 81 year old up on the trail in the video, no problem. Just be aware that April might be muddy taking the driving route suggested in the video.

  • @oscarmolinaoutdooradventur1648

    ❤️❤️❤️👍🏼👍🏼

  • @anthonymulcahy1166
    @anthonymulcahy1166 Před 3 lety

    Awesome. How long did this take to do? It looks well worth it, and zero foot traffic!

    • @BackRoadsWest1
      @BackRoadsWest1  Před 3 lety

      Roundtrip about 4 hours - leisure walking

    • @anthonymulcahy1166
      @anthonymulcahy1166 Před 3 lety

      @@BackRoadsWest1 Thanks so much! Hitting there in mid may and look forward to doing it

  • @donnacook1755
    @donnacook1755 Před 2 lety

    We'll be heading here in March 2022. I heard there is a parking area about 1/2 mile from the main parking lot. Did you see that area? I don't know if we'd be able to travel on that rutted road

    • @BackRoadsWest1
      @BackRoadsWest1  Před 2 lety

      At places along the dirt road, you should be able to find a pull-off spot to park. In March however, the road will probably covered in mud or snow. Not recommended. Wait until late May.

  • @SweetsRN
    @SweetsRN Před 2 lety

    I’m going in two weeks, I’ll be hiking only during daylight but how cold is It this time of year?

    • @BackRoadsWest1
      @BackRoadsWest1  Před 2 lety

      Difficult to say. We also had a significant amount of rain here, so the access road may be to muddy to drive - it's high clearance only to begin with.

  • @unioncityguy
    @unioncityguy Před 3 lety

    It looks like there are no one using this trail. I am planning visiting Zion in may and I am wondering if there are usually other people on the trail.

    • @BackRoadsWest1
      @BackRoadsWest1  Před 3 lety

      Yes, especially now with the trail up from Zion Canyon closed. However, you can't get to this trail in the winter until maybe May.

  • @davidendris3986
    @davidendris3986 Před 3 lety

    How far a hike from the visitor center to the beginning of angels landing trail

    • @BackRoadsWest1
      @BackRoadsWest1  Před 3 lety

      A long one! I don't recommend it as there is no safe place to walk without getting hit by a bus or bicycle. It's about 6 miles, then almost 3 miles of Angels landing. And that's one-way.

    • @davidendris3986
      @davidendris3986 Před 3 lety

      @@BackRoadsWest1 thank you

  • @goodoldrodg9043
    @goodoldrodg9043 Před 3 lety

    Oh! Very well done. (You're going to get me killed.)

    • @BackRoadsWest1
      @BackRoadsWest1  Před 3 lety

      Thank you. Just don't walk to close to the edge if you go...

  • @lefthandcigg4253
    @lefthandcigg4253 Před 3 lety

    So this must be "zion" from fallout nv.

  • @karricompton
    @karricompton Před 2 lety

    Nice vid, but I wouldn’t say it’s the easy way. We won’t have a 4wd when we are there, so in order to do this hike, we would have to spend a ton of $ renting a jeep.

    • @BackRoadsWest1
      @BackRoadsWest1  Před 2 lety

      You can walk the last mile. No news on when the route thru Echo Cyn will be fixed.