Zion National Park Sand Beach Hike

The Sand Beach Trail is a flat, sandy path shared with horses. It's possible to avoid horses by hiking before 7 am or after 5 pm. The trail runs along the Virgin River and crosses a tributary. It is a good path for trail runners who do not mind soft sand. Views of the massive stone peaks of the Patriarchs, Sentinal, Streaked Wall, Twin Brothers, Mountain of the Sun, East Temple, Bridge Mountain, The Watchman, and Johnson Mountain all seem to be within a stones throw.

This trail offers a stroll along Birch Creek to the west and then ascends the plateau to the south known as Sand Bench. The trail is 3.6 miles round-trip with an elevation gain of 500 feet. The trailhead is across the street from the Court of the Patriarchs shuttle stop. Follow the service road and cross over the bridge.

The wild turkeys, birds, snakes, lizards and cottonwood trees served to remind us of where we were, regardless of the time of day. Sorry I could not run with you honey, but will catch up when you are done!

Kelly's thoughts - I went on this trail by myself in the evening. I got a little nervous being by myself with absolutely no one around if I came across a crazy person, a cat, or just got hurt. That said, I did not run or walk the loop, which I desperately wanted to do. I started from the Emerald Pools trailhead. I walked about 1/8 mile only of the loop and then returned to the loop junction, and ended at the Court of the Patriarchs. I did run most of it. When I wasn't running I was catching my breath due to the extremely deep sand.

Map location of Zion National Park. Click for main Zion National Park or full-time rv diary.

Home     Contact Us    Copyright © 2007-2016    Free Guide    They Hate Me

    Privacy Policy     Terms and Conditions    Media Press    Affiliate