How to Find Lower Pine Creek Falls | Zion National Park

We love finding off-the-beaten-path places and secret hikes that not many people know of. This was why we were super stoked to stumble upon the Lower Pine Creek Falls trail when we were visiting Zion National Park. Lower Pine Creek Falls trail is not a hike that is advertised by the park. In fact, there isn’t any signage at the start of the hike. Therefore, even though it’s located along the popular switchbacks to the tunnel, not many people know about this hidden gem. If you’re up for boulder hopping and stream crossing, you’ll find yourself at a beautiful alcove with 15ft waterfall, and many emerald pools along the way.

Note: Please make sure to respect this beautiful place and the surrounding areas. Always practice LEAVE NO TRACE. This means no loud music, no graffiti, no taking artifacts or fossilized items, and pack out what you pack in! Please help us protect this place for generations to come!

Stats

Where

Lower Pine Creek Falls Trailhead
37°12’59.9″N 112°57’55.8″W

Parking

Small pull-out on the side of the road

Restroom

No restrooms

Fee

There is a fee to enter the Zion National Park. Please check the park’s website for updated infos. You can also use your annual pass such as America the Beautiful Pass here.

Important Things

Since the hike is through a canyon, it should not be attempted if there’s a chance of flash flood.
You have to drive to the trailhead. There is no shuttle.

Distance

About 0.8 miles R.T.

Elevation Gain

50 ft

Level

Moderate

Time:

1 – 1.5 hour

Pet-friendly

Dogs aren’t allowed on this trail.

Ideal Time

You can do this hike anytime, however, it can be more challenging in the snow or icy conditions.

Weather

Video

Getting to Lower Pine Creek Falls Trailhead

The trailhead for Lower Pine Creek Falls is located along UT-9 East/Zion Park Blvd. To get there from the Zion National Park’s entrance in Springdale, follow Route 9/Zion Park Blvd about 1.5 miles north. This is the main road that goes through Zion toward the Carmel Tunnel. You’ll need a car to get here, there are no shuttles. Just before the first bend to start the series of switchbacks, there is a small, paved pull-out on the left. This is where you can park. The trailhead is directly behind this area. This spot is right before the bridge. If you’re going over the bridge, you’ve gone too far.

Please note: There is no signage here to mark the trail, except for the “No dogs and bikes” signs and a trash can at the beginning of the trailhead. The parking area is small. During busy seasons, you might have to park further down the road and walk to the trailhead.

The Start of the Trail:

We stopped by the pull-out area for Lower Pine Creek Falls by chance. It’s because I wanted to take a look at the bridge, crossing over Pine Creek. At that time, we ran into a couple making their way towards their car from what looked like a trail. They told us that the trail took them to beautiful waterfalls. Even though it was later in the day, we decided to check it out.

The trail for Lower Pine Creek Falls is in some way easy to follow. As long as you follow the watercourse, you won’t get lost. And you’ll also know when you’ll reach the destination, a 15ft waterfall, cascading down into a beautiful pool. That being said, it’s always good to bring a tracking device with you such as the InReach, just in case you get hurt.

The Bridge and the First Section

The hike starts out easy, following a dirt trail. If you have time, don’t forget to make a short detour down to the water for some cool views of the bridge. The further you go into the canyon, the dirt trail becomes less defined, and eventually, disappears altogether. This is where the fun stuff begins. Lower Pine Creek Falls trail turns into a little obstacle course. Most of the time, you’ll be crossing over streams and climbing over boulders. There isn’t any official route for this, just find the best route that works for you. Many times, when we came to what we thought was a dead-end, we then found another route to go around it. Please make sure to choose the route that works best for your ability.

Lower Pine Creek Falls

At the first pool, we climbed up and go along the rock wall on the left-hand side. This wall is steep and can be slippery so make sure to have good shoes with traction and be careful. Once we got down from the rock wall, we could see the waterfalls at the end of the canyon. At this point, we scrambled over more rocks and eventually crossed over to the other side. From there, we came upon a gap made out of boulders. To get to the waterfalls, you’ll have to climb through this gap. It’s not that difficult but can be a bit tricky.

Once you climb through the boulder, you’ll get to the sandy beach, right before the beautiful Lower Pine Creek Falls. It is a perfect place to hang out and take a quick break. Since we got there quite late in the day, we didn’t stay that long. We wanted to get back before it got dark. You can go back the way you came from.

Lower Pine Creek Falls is definitely one of the hidden gems Zion National Park has to offer. It is perfect if you want to avoid crowds. That being said, some of the more popular hikes such as Canyon Overlook or Angels Landing definitely should be on your visiting list. If you’re capable, the top-down route for Subway is absolutely sublime and a must in Zion!

These are the gear that we personally use and find them helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.