Chinle Trail

The Chinle Trail runs through Zion's southwest corner, starting from a residential trailhead off Anasazi Way just outside Springdale — no park entrance fee required to start here. It's a long, exposed desert route through Huber, Scoggins, and Coalpits washes to a petrified wood forest at the base of Mount Kinesava, with some of the best views of that peak's fortress-like walls anywhere in the park.

Good to know

• 16.6 miles round-trip with about 1,938 feet of elevation gain — a hard, full-day hike or an overnight with a backcountry permit
• At around 4,000 feet, this low desert trail gets brutally hot after 9 a.m. in summer; fall and spring are better
• Far fewer visitors than the main canyon, which is part of the appeal