years ago. Restrain the urge to collect petrified wood, remembering that collecting or disturbing natural features is prohibited in national parks—leave everything exactly where you find it.
As we proceed, we gain vistas east of West Temple and the Sundial from a perspective much different from that of most Park visitors. Eventually we notice petrified wood with much less frequency, and soon proceed across a prickly-pear-studded bench, brilliantly colored with delicate flowers in spring.
After crossing a gentle divide, the trail climbs to a minor gap in a west-trending ridge (1.1; 4420) above Scoggins Wash, from which we enjoy a sweeping panorama of the crenulated cliff band that rises beyond the bench to the east and to the north. Beyond the ridge, the trail winds down to, then out of, a dry gully, and descends pinyon-juniper slopes to cross usually dry Scoggins Wash (0.6; 4210), where a few scattered Fremont cottonwoods and tamarisks indicate the presence of subsurface moisture. Presently hiking westward, we follow the Shinarump rimrock above the deepening gorge of the wash. A few scattered fragments of petrified wood persist along our route, among cobbles weathered from the stream deposits of the Shinarump conglomerate. Here it consists of either large sand grains only, or sand mixed with stream-rounded pebbles and cobbles.
By now the old 4WD road has faded into a sometimes-faint trail indicated by cairns. Where a north-trending wash crosses the trail (0.6; 4310), a possible cross-country route begins. The small wash can be followed north for 0.8 mile to a prominent gap in the ridge, from which another minor wash then leads down into the upper reaches of Coalpits Wash. This route offers the option of looping back to the end of our trail route, and then following it back to the trailhead. That loop route reaches Coalpits Wash only 0.5 mile downstream from some old oil-well ruins, an interesting spot worth a visit.
Cresting a minor ridge (0.2; 4350), we obtain more fine views that sharply contrast the horizontal aspect of the bench with the vertical cliffs beyond. Presently the trail descends wooded slopes to the banks of a minor wash, soon crosses its west branch, and then climbs briefly to a low gap. Colorful badlands slopes composed of Chinle shales rise above the bench to our right (northwest) while to the southern distance, the rugged crags of the Vermilion Cliffs dominate the scene. A final look over our shoulders reveals the mighty crags of the Towers of the Virgin and, north of them, The Bishopric.
Southwest of the gap we reach another minor wash and a junction (0.8; 4150) with the old Scoggins Stock Trail, branching left into the depths of Scoggins Wash. The trail was used by pioneer cattlemen moving their stock to and from the grassy tablelands of Rockville Bench. The trail ahead proceeds along the bench beneath colorful Chinle hills, finally curving above Coalpits Wash, where the bench becomes increasingly narrow. We reach the rim of the wash, where the bench terminates, and a short but steep descent takes us to the banks of the small stream in that wash (1.3; 4100). A reliable spring 0.1 mile downstream offers fresher water than the somewhat alkaline stream.
A wide variety of cross-country hiking opportunities in the area can keep hikers busy here for several days. Among them are forays over the volcanic landscape to the west, and up and down Coalpits Wash. Crater Hill, a 5207-foot cinder cone, is responsible for the basaltic lava that dominates the landscape west of the wash.
One-half million years ago, lava flows from Crater Hill dammed Coalpits Wash, subsequently forming a short-lived seasonal lake one square mile in extent. Pollen samples recovered from the lakebed indicate that trees similar to ponderosa pine, spruce, and fir may have then inhabited what is presently the hottest and driest region of the Park.
Return the way you came.
Trip 2
Watchman Trail
Distance: 2.9 miles, semiloop trip
Low/High elevations: 3920’/4420’
Suited for: Dayhike
Difficulty: Moderately easy
Best season: Open all year, but hot in summer and possibly snow-covered in winter.
Map/Trailhead: 2/2
Hazards: Steep dropoffs near the trail’s end, and springs that require purification before drinking (as do all open water sources in the Park).
Introduction: The Watchman Trail is a short but scenic route leading to a rocky bench on the east slopes of lower Zion Canyon, offering unique vistas available from no other trail in the Park. The bench lies below a prominent red spire rising 2500 feet from the canyon floor, dubbed The Watchman by early Mormon settlers. The trail is a fine leg stretcher for guests of Zion Canyon’s campgrounds, and its unique views and interesting terrain make the trip a fine choice for the hiker with limited time and energy.
Description: Hikers can begin this trip from either of two points: the Visitor Center parking lot, or from your campsite in Watchman Campground. The signed trailhead is located on the north side of the Visitor Center/Watchman Campground access road, immediately north of the Visitor Center shuttle bus shelter. From the trailhead (0.0; 3920) the trail proceeds northeast across a terrace between the North Fork Virgin River and the paved access road to ranger residences. We head northeast across the flat grass- and rabbitbrush-covered terrace, soon joining the residence access road, which we cross and resume our trail walk on the opposite side (0.25; 3975). After leaving the road, pause long enough to gaze northeast up to imposing Bridge Mountain, rearing 2800 feet above us. Those with sharp eyesight or with binoculars can make out a narrow stone arch on the skyline north of the peak. A host of jagged summits form the rugged skyline above us, from Bridge Mountain in the northeast to Johnson Mountain at Zion Canyon’s mouth.
Our trail presently takes us across the wide bench, studded with four-wing saltbush, opposite a group of Park employee residences. From here the trail heads east up a minor canyon and begins ascending beneath imposing cliffs. Our trail takes us upward through the varicolored mudstones and siltstones of the Dinosaur Canyon layer of the Moenave Formation. Proceeding upward toward the next layer in that formation, the Springdale Sandstone, we’ll notice undercut ledges created by the differential erosion of a soft rock layer underlying a harder, more resistant one.
After negotiating four switchbacks, we curve into the head of the canyon, where several sluggish springs host lush riparian vegetation, such as Fremont cottonwood, boxelder, and a variety of seasonal wildflowers. These springs give life to the small, seasonal stream that trickles into the canyon below. Presently, we begin a southwestward traverse while enjoying increasingly outstanding vistas from the north-facing canyon wall. Here we notice a change in vegetation, for a comparatively cooler microclimate prevails on this more sheltered slope. Utah juniper and now singleleaf pinyon predominate among shrubs typical of the pinyon-juniper woodland, such as buffaloberry, singleleaf ash, Utah serviceberry, and yucca.
Where it attains the high bench above Zion Canyon, the trail forks (1.0; 4420), forming a scenic loop around the perimeter of the bench. Hikers eager to enjoy unobstructed vistas will bear right for now, returning via the left fork. The trail winds along the Springdale Sandstone-capped rim, soon reaching a junction. A spur to an overlook forks to the right here, quickly leading to the brink of the rim, where a broad panorama unfolds.
Below, at the wide mouth of Zion Canyon, is the town of Springdale, a Mormon settlement dating back to the 1860s. Beyond the town are the aptly-named Vermilion Cliffs, adorned by the landmark Eagle Crags. Those rugged cliffs, composed of Moenave Formation rocks, the same rocks upon which we stand, are one of the “risers” forming southern Utah’s Grand Staircase.
Rearing mightily toward the heavens across the wide floor of Zion Canyon are the Towers of the Virgin, boasting a vertical relief of nearly 4000 feet. Our view also extends up the narrowing canyon, encompassing a myriad of colorful, soaring cliffs, crags, and tree-topped plateaus. Our vantage point is an excellent spot
