Bucket List · Bucket list route
Zion Traverse
Start at Lee Pass in the Kolob Canyons, run south through the high desert of the West Rim, drop into Zion Canyon past Angels Landing, climb the East Rim, and come out the other side. Forty-eight miles across an entire national park in a day.
- Distance
- ~48 miLee Pass to East Entrance
- Climbing
- ~8,000 ft
- Typical time
- 10 to 16 hours
- Permit
- None for day travel
- Water
- Sparse and seasonal
- Best months
- April, May, October
The Zion Traverse (sometimes the Trans-Zion) links La Verkin Creek, Hop Valley, the Wildcat Canyon and West Rim trails, the floor of Zion Canyon, and the East Rim Trail into one continuous crossing. What makes it special is the variety: you go from remote desert canyon to high ponderosa plateau to the most famous canyon floor in the American Southwest to slickrock on the east side, all in one push.
The West Rim descent into the canyon, with the whole of Zion opening below you, is one of the great moments in American trail running. And unlike most bucket list routes, it's genuinely runnable for long stretches.
How to get in
- Self-supportedAs a day run
No permit is required for day travel on these trails. Most people run it west to east, starting at Lee Pass and finishing at the East Entrance. Start before dawn.
- PermitAs an overnight
Backpacking it in two or three days requires a wilderness permit from Zion, which is allocated through advance reservations and a walk-in system. Popular sites go fast.
The shuttle and the water
- Lee Pass to the East Entrance is a long drive apart. Options are a two-car shuttle, a paid shuttle service from Springdale, or a very patient friend. Book a private shuttle well in advance in spring and autumn.
- The Zion Canyon shuttle bus operates on the canyon floor most of the year and private vehicles are restricted. Factor it into your plan if you're staging.
- Water is sparse. La Verkin Creek early, then very little until you drop into the canyon around mile 28 to 30. Carry a filter and know the seasonal springs on the West Rim, particularly Potato Hollow and Cabin Spring, and verify they're flowing.
- The canyon floor is the resupply. Grotto has water and toilets, and it's the natural place to reset before the East Rim climb.
Timing it
Summer is out. Inner-canyon temperatures regularly exceed 100°F and the exposed slickrock sections are worse. Winter brings snow and ice to the West Rim plateau. That leaves April to May and late September to early November, which is also when the shuttles and the park are busiest, so book early. Flash flood risk during monsoon season, roughly July through September, is a genuine consideration on the low sections.
Questions runners actually ask
Do I need a permit for the Zion Traverse?
Not for a day crossing. A wilderness permit is required if you camp overnight along the route.
Which direction should I run it?
Most people go west to east, from Lee Pass to the East Entrance. It gets the remote Kolob section done early and puts the canyon floor resupply late in the day.
How do I handle the car shuttle?
Either a two-car arrangement or a paid shuttle service out of Springdale. Book private shuttles well in advance for spring and autumn weekends.
Go to the source
Entry rules, dates, standards, fees, and odds change every single year, and the interesting races change them the most. Use this guide to build the plan; use the official site to confirm the details before you book anything.
If this is your kind of thing
Need the races in between? The hard part of a bucket list year is everything else on the calendar: the qualifier, the tune-up, the long run with a bib on.