Barney's Trail

Barney's Trail is a short connector at Lava Point, leaving from just beside campsite 2 in the Lava Point Campground and running about 1.2 miles to the official start of the West Rim Trail. It also provides access to the Lava Point Overlook, one of the best panoramic views in this part of Zion.

Lava Point itself sits at 7,890 feet, reached via Kolob Terrace Road roughly 25 miles north of Virgin — about an hour and twenty minutes' drive from the south entrance. The primitive campground here typically operates only from May through September, weather permitting, and the road is not plowed in winter.

For most hikers, Barney's Trail is simply the last stretch before the real climb, or descent, of the West Rim Trail begins, but the overlook alone is worth the short walk if you're camped nearby.