Loading trail…
Pa'rus - The Master Sculptor
Free — you'll pick up right here.
Save this plan
Sign up to save your own editable copy — you'll pick up right here.
Utah
No conditions check on file for this trail yet — always verify current conditions before you go.
Pa'rus - The Master Sculptor
AI-suggested draft · review before you go
No elevation data on file for this trail.
No permit or access details on file for this trail — check with the local land manager before you go.
<h2>The Master Sculptor</h2> <h3>Learn </h3> <p>The power of wind, water, and gravity have shaped Zion Canyon over time. Erosion and weathering also play a role forming natural arches in the park. A natural arch is formed when deep cracks penetrate into a layer of sandstone. Erosion wears away the exposed rock layers and surface cracks expand, isolating narrow sandstone walls, called "fins". Water, frost, and the release of tensions in the rock cause crumbling and flaking of the porous sandstone, eventually cutting through some of these fins. The resulting holes become enlarged to arch proportions by rockfalls and weathering.<br /> Architecturally, arches are the most stable load bearing structure, but through weathering, eventually all arches collapse, leaving only buttresses that will inevitably give way to the unyielding forces of erosion. </p> <h3>Look</h3> <p>Among the arches in Zion, one of the most visible is the Crawford Arch. It can be seen from the Pa’rus Trail on Bridge Mountain, a thousand feet above the canyon floor. Bridge Mountain is located on the east side of the canyon and is one of the tallest peaks along the trail. Once you locate the peak, follow the left edge down to where it intersects with the other peak. From the intersection follow the small line of trees to the right. Can you spot the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/zion/learn/nature/arches.htm">Crawford Arch?</a> </p> <h3>Connect</h3> <p>Have you wondered why Utah and the Colorado Plateau have so many natural arches? Sandstone throughout the region meets the favorable conditions for large natural arches to form. The rock is strong enough to support the weight of the arch but soft enough to be easily eroded by wind, water, and gravity. </p>
Pa'rus - Diversion Dam
~0 min drive
<h2>Diversion Dam</h2> <h3>Learn</h3> <p paraeid="{054fc00e-a6b4-4eb9-b20c-8d81f1c7f960}{75}" paraid="1507013341">On March 30, 2009, the upper section of the Virgin River and its tributaries were designated as <a href="https://www.nps.gov/zion/learn/nature/wildandscenicriver.h…
Pa'rus - Virgin River Wayside
~0 min drive
<h2>Virgin River</h2> <h3>Learn</h3> <p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{2ef88670-689d-4415-9072-eeec5cfc3bb6}{147}" paraid="852227924" xml:lang="EN-US">In July of 2020, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Division of Water Quality (DWQ) and the National Park Service (N…
Pa'rus - Changing Landscapes
~1 min drive
<h2>Changing Landscapes</h2> <h3>Learn </h3> <p>Rock layers of Zion Canyon are arranged in a way that allows water to travel through them. The desert sand dunes that formed the Navajo Sandstone layer contain wind-blown sand particles that have space in-between them. The ancien…
Pa'rus - Creation from Destruction
~1 min drive
<h2>Creation From Destruction</h2> <h3>Learn </h3> <p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{75f09f85-8dff-40ae-830d-60e08ccbd3ad}{3}" paraid="593015807" xml:lang="EN-US">The Virgin River is the primary agent of erosion that continues to carve and shape Zion. The North Fork of the Virgin Rive…
Zion Human History Museum
~1 min drive
<h2><b>Zion Human History Museum </b></h2> <p>Once the park’s main visitor center, the museum houses indoor exhibits focused on the human history of Zion. Step out to the back patio for a dramatic view of the West Temple and the Towers of the Virgin. In front of the building e…
Pa'rus - Footprints in Time
~1 min drive
<h2>Footprints in Time</h2> <h3>Learn</h3> <p>The Museum Collections and Archives at Zion National Park include archival documents, artifacts, photos, and ethnographic objects that help us understand how humans survived and adapted in the Zion area. Natural history specimens s…
Pa'rus - A Living Canyon
~1 min drive
<h2>A Living Canyon</h2> <h3>Learn</h3> <p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{00b4822e-e9f3-4c1b-833a-97eab8aad75b}{58}" paraid="1020860196" xml:lang="EN-US">Zion's diverse topography leads to a diversity of habitats and species. Along the Virgin River, the riparian area is home to plants…
Court of the Patriarchs
~3 min drive
<h2><b>Court of the Patriarchs </b></h2> <p>Enjoy spectacular views of the three patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The three peaks were named in 1916 by a Methodist Minister, Dr. Frederick Vining Fischer, and two local boys from Southern Utah. They were so inspired and st…
The Zion Grotto
~6 min drive
<h2>The Grotto</h2> <p>In the early 1920s this area marked the end of the road into Zion Canyon. At that time there was a campground, named Grotto, built by the young men of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in this location. The CCC was developed by President Franklin D.…
Pa'rus Trail
~0 min drive
Easy paved riverside walk along the Virgin River in Zion Canyon.
Also worth it near here
