Cascade Falls - A Wonderful Unofficial Trail in Zion NP

Most people know of Zion National Park due to its famous hikes such as Angels Landing, the Narrows, or the Subway. However, there is so much more to this beautiful park, including deep canyons only accessible via technical routes and hidden, unmarked trails. The majority of visitors usually go to the main Zion Canyon but have no ideas about the special surprises hidden on the east side of the park. One of these surprises is the Cascade Falls trail, located along Highway 9. Cascade Falls trail in Zion National Park is a wonderful off-the-beaten-path trail. It has enough rock scrambling to make it a fun trail, but also has glistening pools of water, spectacular views, slot canyon, and solitude.

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

Cascade Falls Trail Trailhead:
37°13’03.3″N 112°55’26.0″W

Parking

There are parking along the shoulders on both side of the road, right before the tunnel and the trailhead.

Restroom

None on the trail, but there are several pit toilets along Highway 9.

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

DO NOT HIKE IF THERE’S CHANCE OF FLASH FLOODING.
It’s a remote trail so always make sure to bring a tracker.

Distance

About 2.2 miles R.T.

Elevation Gain

645 ft

Level

Moderate with a lot of scrambling

Time:

2-3 hours

Pet-friendly

Dogs aren’t allowed on this trail.

Ideal Time

The trail is more beautiful AFTER a rainstorm, in the winter, and during spring runoff. Not only you’ll get water-filled potholes, but also a cascading water flow from one pothole to another.

Weather

Video

Getting to Cascade Falls Trailhead

The trailhead for Cascade Falls trail in Zion National Park is located along Highway 9, just down the street from the more popular Canyon Overlook Trail. This means you will need a car to get here. There are no shuttles.

From Springdale:

From the park entrance in Springdale, follow Route 9/Zion Park Blvd to the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel.
Once you’ll pass through the tunnel, drive for about 2.4 miles until you reach the start of a small tunnel. The trailhead for Cascade Falls is right before this tunnel, on the left-hand side. There is a small pull-out

From Mount Carmel Junction (East Entrance):

From the Mount Carmel Junction in Orderville, take SR-9 to Zion’s East Entrance
From the Zion National Park’s East Entrance, it is 4 miles to the trailhead of Cascade Falls trail. It is right after the other side of the small tunnel, on the right-hand side.

The Adventure

The Start of the Trail:

Unlike Many Pools Trail, Cascade Falls Trail trailhead is quite easy to find. If you’re coming from Springdale, it will be on the left-hand side of the road. You should be able to find a small worn trail leading down to the canyon floor below. Please note that this trail is a bit steep. You can also get here from the other side of the road by following a steep trail down the wash, then passing through a small tunnel that runs under Highway 9. When we went, the tunnel had a lot of water.

First Obstacle

At the bottom of the canyon, we followed the wash toward the East Rim. Soon, we came to a large slab of slick rock and our first pools encounter. After a short distance, we came up to a small dry fall. It looked impassible until we realized that we could scramble up on the left side of it. It isn’t very difficult but it can be challenging for some people. Once we climbed up, the canyon opens up to beautiful scenery of emerald pools cradled by towering sandstone monoliths.

Since we went during the spring run-off, there were many potholes full of glistening teal water. It was quite spectacular as the potholes reflected the gorgeous views. Cascade Falls trail and Many Pools trail have potholes in common. Trails like these are especially beautiful after a rainstorm or spring runoff. With enough water, you’ll not only see water-filled potholes but also cascading water flows from one pothole to another, and steep, slick rock falls.

Second Obstacle

After this point, the canyon switches back and forth between sandy washes and slickrock slabs. Eventually, we came up with a taller dry fall and what seemed like a dead end. However, you can get up the dry fall by scrambling on the slickrock on the left-hand side. This dry fall is a lot higher and trickier to navigate than the first one. Be careful when you’re climbing up. Most of the time, the slickrock has tons of traction, however, some parts can be slippery. Along the way up, there are also a couple of potholes that you’ll need to navigate around.

After the Second Obstacle

Once we climbed up the dry fall, the trail became easier. Again, it switches from sandy washes to slick rock. Along the way, we spotted a few big horn sheep, grazing along the side of the cliff. They were higher up than us. As we hiked further into the canyon, there were more obstacles along the route. Since Cascade Falls trail isn’t a popular trail, there are many fallen trees, water, and rocks strewing across the trail. It wasn’t a big deal, you just have to find your way safely around this.

As we follow the wash, it eventually led us along the canyon wall. At this point, the canyon started to narrow down. It also requires more scrambling through obstacles as well. Eventually, we reached the end of Cascade Falls. This is where the canyon narrows to the point of being impassible. We turned back the way we came from.

If you love off-the-beaten-path trails in Zion National Park, check out Many Pools and its unknown neighbor canyon. Also, don’t forget Lower Pine Creek Falls. If you’re on the East side, Canyon Overlook is a beautiful, official hike. If you’re looking for an official hike, check out Watchman Trail. It is an easy, family-friendly trail near the visitor center. For the iconic Zion National Park trails, check out Angels Landing and the Subway.

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.