The Weeping Rock Trail is a fun and easy Zion National Park hike. With a chance to get wet and also see beautiful wildflowers in one of Zion’s hanging gardens, this trail offers something for everyone in the family.
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The scenery along the trail itself is quite beautiful as it works its way up the side of a small valley with a river running below. The hike ends at the base of one of Zion’s towering cliffs, where water literally drips out of the rock, enabling plants and wildflowers to grow on the side of the cliff wall, creating the beautiful Zion hanging gardens.
The trail continues through a small waterfall and into a protected alcove under the cliff face. Your kids will have fun getting wet, while everyone will enjoy the views of the canyon and the vistas beyond.
Weeping Rock Trail Stats
Distance: The round trip distance of this short hike is 0.4 miles / 0.6km.
Elevation Gain: The Weeping Rock Trail hike has a steady, but moderate incline the entire way. The incline will be enough to get some people breathing a little hard, but the trail is so short, it won’t last for long. The elevation gain for this hike is 98 feet / 30m.
Difficulty: This trail is uphill, but it’s really short, so we’d still rank this one as easy. Anyone in reasonable shape ought to be able to do it no problem. Our 3 & 5 year old kids easily did the entire hike themselves.
Duration: This is one of the shortest Zion NP hikes, taking us around 35 minutes of walking time. In addition, we stopped at the top to play in the waterfall, look at the hanging gardens, and enjoy the views for about 10 minutes.
Weeping Rock Trail Location
How to Get There: To find a Zion National Park parking spot, you’ll need to arrive quite early in the day, especially during peak times. We got there at 8am on several days in April and the lot was nearly full each time.
If you aren’t an early riser, you can take a free shuttle bus from many spots in the town of Springdale to the park gates. There are plenty of paid parking spaces in Springdale, but these too fill up early during peak times.
Between spring and fall, there are no private cars allowed on Scenic Drive within Zion National Park. The park operates a free shuttle bus service instead, which takes you to the major spots within the park.
The Weeping Rock Trail trailhead is located at Shuttle Stop 7. It’s approximately a 30 minute drive on the shuttle to the trailhead.
Weeping Rock Highlights
- The payoff of this hike is a rock alcove where the cliff walls “weep”, creating several small waterfalls. The water provides life for many plants and flowers clinging to the cliff wall, creating one of the famous Zion hanging gardens.
- The pathway takes you through one of these waterfalls, which will get you a little wet. The kids will love it, especially on a hot summer day! Once you go through the waterfall, there is a little overhang where you can look back and enjoy the views of the scenic valley you just hiked up, along with views of the greater Zion Canyon beyond.
- The weeping rock creates a stream which can be seen below the hiking trail. This stream is a lifeline for many animals, so it is a good spot to keep an eye open for local wildlife, like deer. We weren’t lucky enough to see any large animals, but we did see several ducks and a hummingbird.
- Watch for a set of stairs by the trailhead which takes you down to the riverbed.
Hiking Weeping Rock Trail with Kids
- There are bathrooms at the trailhead, but there is no station to fill your hydration packs. Be sure to fill them before you leave your accommodation for the day or at the Visitor Center.
- This short hike is paved all the way to the top. You can get by with normal shoes, but we wouldn’t recommend wearing flip-flops as the steepness of the trail may be too uncomfortable on the way back down.
- This hike is in the shade in the morning, making it a good option for families looking to escape the heat. If you are going later in the day, bring lots of water and sunscreen.
- This trail is stroller accessible, although we didn’t see any on the day we were there. A backpack carrier was easily the most popular method we saw parents using to transport small kids in the park.
- No dogs are allowed on Weeping Rock Trail.
- Keep your eyes open for wildlife, as the stream at the bottom of the valley will be a magnet for animals needing a drink on a hot Utah day.
We have an entire post full of all our best tips for hiking with kids and this one with all the best hiking gear for kids.
Where to Stop for Lunch or a Break
There are virtually no places to stop for an extended break along the hiking trail, but once you get to the top, there are benches to sit at for a snack or lunch.
Interesting Information
Our kids attended a Ranger Talk as part of their mandatory Junior Ranger activities and we learned that the water seeping through the rocks is actually snow melt from hundreds of years ago.
Amazingly, it takes that long for the water to work its way down through the canyon rock.
Cautions
- The sun can get intense in southern Utah, so bring more water than you think you will need.
- There are some potentially dangerous drop-offs on this trail. There are no handrails, so watch your little ones closely.
What to Bring
Other Zion Canyon Hikes
I took the kids on this day and did three easy hikes back-to-back (Weeping Rock, Grotto Trail and Pa’rus Trail), while Celine treated herself to a kid-free day of adventure hiking the world famous Angels Landing.
Other Zion Canyon hikes you may enjoy are:
- Enjoy the cooler air and pine forests while hiking Northgate Peaks Trail
- Walk through a narrow, towering canyon on the Riverside Walk with kids
- Break a sweat for some incredible views while hiking Watchman Trail
- Walk behind a waterfall while hiking Lower Emerald Pool Trail with kids
Zion National Park with Kids
For more Zion National Park things to do with kids, family friendly Zion hotels and campgrounds, visit our Zion National Park with Kids post.
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Celine Brewer is a dedicated family travel blogger with a profound passion for helping families create unforgettable adventures together. Her blog blends captivating travel narratives with practical tips for family-friendly destinations and enjoying active travel with kids. As a mother of two, she understands the unique challenges of traveling with children and offers valuable insights to empower parents.
When Celine isn't traveling with her husband and two kids, she's either working on one of her three travel sites (Family Can Travel, Baby Can Travel and Travel Banff Canada) or out enjoying the majestic Canadian Rockies her family calls home.