Best Sunrise Spots in Zion

Plan the Morning Backwards

The best sunrise spots on this site share one trait: they are trails you can reach yourself and be standing on before the light arrives. Work backward from sunrise for your date. Look up the sunrise time, add your walking time, and add a cushion for parking and for finding your composition in the dark. A headlamp is useful for exactly this, and the Watchman Trail guide lists one as a packing item for sunrise visits. This list is about getting there first; for the evening version of these same walks, see the sunset guide.

Watchman Mesa: First Sun on the Towers

From the mesa bench on the Watchman Trail, the Towers of the Virgin catch the first direct sunlight of the day, well before it reaches the canyon floor. That is the sunrise story here: the top of the skyline lights up while the valley below is still in shadow. Bridge Mountain to the east and the Court of the Patriarchs skyline round out the frame.

The trail starts right at the Visitor Center, and the guide notes you can finish and be back before the Visitor Center parking lot fills. Mornings on the mesa can be cool even when afternoons are hot, so bring a light layer for the wait.

Canyon Overlook: Gold Walls, Empty Lot

At the Canyon Overlook Trail, sunrise lights the canyon walls warm and gold while the trailhead lot is still empty, which is the strongest argument for the early start. The lot sits just east of the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel, it is small, and it fills at first light in busy season. Parking along the highway shoulder is prohibited, so arrive early rather than improvising [VERIFY: nps.gov].

Save your legwork for the ledge above Pine Creek slot canyon; the shaded ledges can hold slick spots well into winter mornings, so go carefully in cold weather.

Observation Point: The Long Reach

The Observation Point guide names sunrise as one of its standout times for light, on a rim that looks straight down on Angels Landing. Access is currently disrupted: the guide says rockfall has affected the routes to it since 2019 and it has been closed with no announced reopening date, so do not plan a sunrise around it until you have confirmed status with the park [VERIFY: nps.gov].

Sunrise Etiquette

• Turn off your headlamp when you reach the viewpoint and other photographers are waiting for the light.
• Keep tripod legs off the trail so the next hiker can pass.
• Stay behind rails and on the trail, especially near drop-offs.