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Nice views by nonot  Overview: This description will start and end at the junction of the East Rim Trail and Deertrap Mountain trail, close to Stave Springs. Difficult and statistics to the left reflect this portion. Most will reach this point via the East Rim TH off highway 9, though there are other options. Hike: Get on the Deertrap Mountain Trail and proceed south. You will pass a small cascade on the left, likely the only water you will find on your entire hike. Soon you will emerge onto a fairly flat plateau. Unfortunately it appears the entire area was burned in a wildfire approximately 15 years ago, so there will be little shade the rest of your hike. After 1.2 miles you will reach the intersection with Cable Mountain Trail. Turn right and hike up and then down to the lookout at the end of cable mountain. At the end is the historic cable tower that served as the upper platform for an assembly used to ferry lumber down to Zion canyon below. The early mormon settlers needed this lumber from the rim, rather than hauling it in from forests in northern Arizona. Over the edge is a 2500 sheer drop or so to the river, give it a peek! Head back to Deertrap Mtn Trail and turn southwest. Follow this trail 2.7 miles until it ends at an overlook of Zion Canyon. Towards the end you rack up the AEG as you have to go over several hills (remember, you will pass them going back too!). This trail was sandy and more overgrown when I hiked it in 2010 than the others. Admire the view from Deertrap Mountain and retrace your steps back Deertrap Mtn Trail the East Rim Trail. Water: Stave Springs appears to be the only source in the area, or slightly upstream of the spring along the very beginning of Deertrap Mountain trail. Camping: Possible with a permit from Zion NP. Check out the Official Route and Triplogs. Leave No Trace and +Add a Triplog after your hike to support this local community.
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WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.
Most recent Triplog Reviews
Cable and Deertrap Mountains
Zion East Rim Observation & Cable Mtn
Day 2 in Zion: We decided to start with Observation Point, which was a fun and beautiful hike. It started with many switchbacks, and then flattened out as it led us through a narrow canyon (which was especially gorgeous in the morning light) and then up again via more switchbacks. The views were spectacular, and I was surprised at how quickly we gained elevation. We stopped for a quick snack break at Observation Point, where we discussed our options for the next trail. We ultimately decided to cross down and then back up to the ridge on the other side of the valley (Cable Mountain via the East Rim Trail).
The beginning of the East Rim Trail was awesome-- lots of bright orange rocks, and no visible trail (so lots of cairns!) to follow. This super fun section gave way to your typical switchbacks, which were again totally manageable (especially with all the great views as distraction), and we were at the top in no time. From here, things got pretty boring as we "hiked" 4 miles on a flat trail without much variation in scenery. The trail dipped down as we reached our destination, and the trees parted to reveal a wooden structure overlooking the valley. Angel's Landing looked tiny from up here!
The hike back down was long but easy (it was especially fun running down the switchbacks on the nice sandy portions of the trail)! However, I didn't appreciate the concrete at the very bottom, and my legs were very sore by the time John suggested we stop by Weeping Rock. I begrudgingly agreed, and I'm glad I did-- it was pretty neat! :]
The beginning of the East Rim Trail was awesome-- lots of bright orange rocks, and no visible trail (so lots of cairns!) to follow. This super fun section gave way to your typical switchbacks, which were again totally manageable (especially with all the great views as distraction), and we were at the top in no time. From here, things got pretty boring as we "hiked" 4 miles on a flat trail without much variation in scenery. The trail dipped down as we reached our destination, and the trees parted to reveal a wooden structure overlooking the valley. Angel's Landing looked tiny from up here!
The hike back down was long but easy (it was especially fun running down the switchbacks on the nice sandy portions of the trail)! However, I didn't appreciate the concrete at the very bottom, and my legs were very sore by the time John suggested we stop by Weeping Rock. I begrudgingly agreed, and I'm glad I did-- it was pretty neat! :]
2013-04-27 zukerrach
Cable and Deertrap Mountains
Zion East Rim Observation & Cable Mtn
Our second day in Zion turned into a fairly big hike. Our original plan was to hit Observation Point and Hidden Canyon and then head over to the Narrows. Instead we hit Observation Point and then followed the East Rim Trail out to Cable Mountain. This didn’t leave us any time for the other items on our list.
We left the bus at the Weeping Rock trailhead and started making our way up the paved switchbacks. The going is relatively easy as you gain steady elevation. Things level off as you make your way through a tight and beautiful canyon. After that the trail gains more elevation. We passed the junction for the East Rim trail and followed the switchbacks up to Observation Point. The view up there is absolutely spectacular as you look down on Angels Landing and Zion Canyon. While there we enjoyed a snack and talked about our options. Rachel wanted to go over to the Great White Throne but after looking at the map we realized it’s not possible to hike there because it appears to be a sky island. While discussing our options the guy from southern Az walked up and said hi. I feel bad because he knew both of our names but I didn’t remember his. Anyways we decided to head over to Cable Mountain and we were off to continue our adventure.
The return down the Observation Point trail flew by. We connected on the East Rim Trail and started following it deeper in the park. The East Rim trail is beautiful. You start by following it through a valley as the trail winds up and down the contours of the area. I was very happy to see that this trail is not paved like most of the other trails in Zion. After a mile the trail starts climbing up towards the rim and this goes on for a while. Luckily the grade is consistent and I never felt out of breath like I did the day before. After quite a bit of work the trail leveled off and the going becomes much easier. From there we made quick time as we made our way to the Cable Mountain Trail. There are signs of a fire from decades past. The Cable Mtn Trail is relatively flat and smooth until the final half mile where the trail drops a few feet. You arrive at the viewpoint to find the old Cable structure. It looks like it has been slightly rebuilt in the past year or two. See pics in my photoset. We admired the views and enjoyed our lunch. The gummy bears were delicious!
After our break we started the long hike out. I don’t think we talked at all for several miles as we both put our heads down and put one foot in front of the other. This hike turned out to be a lot and I was dragging a little bit. Luckily I remembered to bring my headphones and they helped the miles fly by. We made great time and cruised all the way down to the valley floor. Once back at the trailhead we made a quick detour over to the Weeping Rock. We had a quick look and then picked up the bus that took us back to the visitor. From there we got in the jeep and made the long drive back to Phoenix. This was a long but wonderful day! I really love Zion and I’m glad we made this trip.
We left the bus at the Weeping Rock trailhead and started making our way up the paved switchbacks. The going is relatively easy as you gain steady elevation. Things level off as you make your way through a tight and beautiful canyon. After that the trail gains more elevation. We passed the junction for the East Rim trail and followed the switchbacks up to Observation Point. The view up there is absolutely spectacular as you look down on Angels Landing and Zion Canyon. While there we enjoyed a snack and talked about our options. Rachel wanted to go over to the Great White Throne but after looking at the map we realized it’s not possible to hike there because it appears to be a sky island. While discussing our options the guy from southern Az walked up and said hi. I feel bad because he knew both of our names but I didn’t remember his. Anyways we decided to head over to Cable Mountain and we were off to continue our adventure.
The return down the Observation Point trail flew by. We connected on the East Rim Trail and started following it deeper in the park. The East Rim trail is beautiful. You start by following it through a valley as the trail winds up and down the contours of the area. I was very happy to see that this trail is not paved like most of the other trails in Zion. After a mile the trail starts climbing up towards the rim and this goes on for a while. Luckily the grade is consistent and I never felt out of breath like I did the day before. After quite a bit of work the trail leveled off and the going becomes much easier. From there we made quick time as we made our way to the Cable Mountain Trail. There are signs of a fire from decades past. The Cable Mtn Trail is relatively flat and smooth until the final half mile where the trail drops a few feet. You arrive at the viewpoint to find the old Cable structure. It looks like it has been slightly rebuilt in the past year or two. See pics in my photoset. We admired the views and enjoyed our lunch. The gummy bears were delicious!
After our break we started the long hike out. I don’t think we talked at all for several miles as we both put our heads down and put one foot in front of the other. This hike turned out to be a lot and I was dragging a little bit. Luckily I remembered to bring my headphones and they helped the miles fly by. We made great time and cruised all the way down to the valley floor. Once back at the trailhead we made a quick detour over to the Weeping Rock. We had a quick look and then picked up the bus that took us back to the visitor. From there we got in the jeep and made the long drive back to Phoenix. This was a long but wonderful day! I really love Zion and I’m glad we made this trip.
2013-04-27 John9L
